The year is 2016 and one of the most important concerns to the majority of the U.S. population is Internet connection. I mean, you can’t watch Netflix without it. You can’t tweet or post Facebook statuses without it. It’s clearly an essential key to living the life created for us.
But what if it was gone? Gasp!
A few weekends ago, I lived this life, and I survived. This is my story.
In the Small town of Alma, Wis., there lies a cute little cottage which may or may not be haunted—but that’s beside the point. Aside from possibly holding spirits, this cottage doesn’t have an Internet router. Two bedrooms, four beds, two TVs, zero Wi-Fi. What’s the point of staying there?
For this experience specific to me, there are four reasons why:
1. My family was there.
Two months ago, I moved back home from my first year away for school. I was three hours away from where I grew up, and I had returned after eight months. Although I have been home for two months, it is still a transition; my family still misses me and I still miss them. We were at this cottage for two nights, which doesn’t seem like much time but you would be surprised by how much that can happen in two nights and three days when your eyes aren’t glued to a phone. Not only were my parents and brother there with me, but also more distant relatives that I rarely get to see. Catching up with my cousins and aunts, goofing off with my grandma—you can’t get that personal contact with a phone or a computer.
2. He was there.
I am in no way saying you need a relationship to be happy in life; like I said, this was my personal experience. Being able to stay in that questionably haunted, Internet-lacking cottage was far and away worth my time, not only because my family was with me, but also because the love of my life was with me as well. I know, I know—I’m not even of the legal drinking age so what do I know about love? Just because I’m young does not mean I’m wrong when I say being apart from your significant other is heartbreaking and difficult. Admit it, guys, the 19-year-old is right. Spending a whole weekend with him and even having him around my family as well, made the experience all the more enjoyable. Making brownies together, playing card games with him and my parents and of course, the cuddling was all perfect—and no Wi-Fi was needed!
3. The amazing view.
A beautiful view in Wisconsin of all places? I was just as shocked as you may be. When you are staying in a cozy cottage at the bottom of what seems like a mountain (living in Minnesota all my life makes any hill higher than 400 feet seem like Everest) and across the street from a beautiful river, it’s a whole new world—a dazzling place I never knew.
4. There was no Wi-Fi.
I’m going to be honest with you here, if there had been Wi-Fi at that cottage, I probably would have only enjoyed that trip only half as much as I really did. I wouldn’t have noticed all the shops down the road, I wouldn’t have gotten to hear my family laugh when my dad would make stupid—but funny—comments. I wouldn’t have been able to see his smile or take in the beautiful view of the sunset overlooking the water.
Wi-Fi isn’t always bad, though. It is nice when contacting loved ones who are far away or using the GPS to figure out your way around a city you don’t know. It’s a great advance in technology and we are all lucky to have that. And honestly, I think some of us take that for granted without knowing it. We also take for granted the fact that we have actual people in front of us—real life experiences just waiting for us. Just put the phone down, turn Netflix off for a few hours. Talk to your mom about her day, pet your dogs, play a board game! Remember those? Keep in mind here that I am in no way implying that I’m perfect in this area. I have my own struggles when it comes to Pinterest and Netflix, but I am 100 percent confident when I say that it really is worth it to not be connected to Wi-Fi all the time.
