I just returned from an amazing mini-vacation where I was literally disconnected from technology and media. Disconnected from the web. Disconnected from my phone. Disconnected from television. Disconnected from radio. I stayed at a charming guest house that had free Wifi but since the cell service was non-existent, I decided to take my vacation concept one step further. I had a technology-free vacation. No use pulling out the laptop when you're having fun skiing a mountain, relaxing in the hot tub, enjoying a home-cooked gourmet meal or drinking some top notch wine, right? It was nice to focus on people instead of being tempted by the digital screen. I think it made my time in the mountains that much more meaningful.
Here's what I noticed about the technology... I missed my mobile device connectivity the most. It was easy to stay away from the television when there were so many interesting people to chat with. It was even easier to refrain from dragging out the laptop and logging on because it seemed like such a chore after a great yoga class. What wasn't so easy was NOT picking up the HTC MyTouch to text, call or connect with friends who weren't there. I specifically missed...
- Facebook status updates and being able to upload photos to my page
- Texting or calling friends while on the mountain to coordinate a meet up (because someone, usually me, always gets separated from the group)
- FourSquare check-ins (who doesn't want to check-in on a mountain?!)
- Yelp access to check restaurant ideas for the NYC leg of my trip
So I wonder, 10 Golden Rules reader, given the same circumstances, is there a particular technology or software you think you would miss most? Share in the comments.
