In the digital driven world we live in today, it is almost impossible to understand how much time we spend on our devices. With the internet available at one touch of the finger, it becomes an automatic response to reach for your technology. Although, it wasn't always like that.

There used to be a time where cell phones were huge bricks that definitely would not have fit in a pocket. Without the luxury of DVR, television used to be committed to a person’s daily schedule with specific times that they had to be home. Forget tablets and smartphones! Computers used to be big cubes that were set in one place, slow and took forever to boot up the internet. Online and mobile banking wasn't a thing, so if you needed to transfer money or check your account balance, you had to actually go into the bank. When it came to school, you had to go sit in a classroom, listen to a teacher lecture and write notes in your notebook. There was no such thing as online classes and dropboxes, submission portals, or anything else of the sort. Even email providers were different, and you can forget about social media.

Now, you might think that this time was forever ago, but it was actually as recent as the 90s.

So, what would it be like not using the technological advancements such as social media, smart phones, laptops, and internet? What would it be like to live in 1995?

In part one of this article, I laid out the experiment that I went through for 48 hours (you can read it here). Basically, I was to stay off anything that was not around in 1995 for two days. That means no social media, Netflix, hulu, streaming, DVR, Google, Xbox, YouTube, iPod, laptop, texting, Snapchat, etc. I could use my smart phone for phone calls only, and I could check my email for one hour a day.

All of these things are fixtures in everyday life. Like I said before, no one really thinks about using these technologies every day. It is automatic behavior now. So, what can you do when you don't have technology to distract you?

Through doing this off-the-grid experience, I did things that I hadn't done for a long time. I went to see a movie in a movie theater. I put my Christmas tree up in hardly any time at all. I was in the here and now at Thanksgiving dinner instead of glued to my phone. Most surprisingly, I actually got to dust off a book, sit down on the couch with a glass of wine, and read for an evening.

The world I was living in for two days was quiet, peaceful and efficient. Since I did a lot of preparation beforehand, I didn't have to worry about many things. I didn't have this urge to pull out my phone and troll through Facebook or Twitter. I didn't have to worry about submitting homework assignments online. I didn't have to worry about texting a bunch of people. I also accomplished my errands and projects in a timely matter because I didn't have anything to distract me.

I never thought going off-the-grid would be so relaxing and rejuvenating.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all butterflies and rainbows. I could still feel the absence of technology. I still had that urge to pull out my phone and check my email or surf the web. There were many times where I wanted to pull out my phone and Google something to settle a dispute. I wanted to wish my friend over in Sweden a Happy Thanksgiving but couldn't use Facebook Messenger or Snapchat. Even calling people on the phone caused problems because people would either not answer and never call back, or not answer but text me instead. I also couldn't work on research projects or do anything for my internship since both required the use of a laptop.

Despite those misses, I am proud to say that I didn't cheat. And by sticking with the experiment and not giving into temptation, I noticed something that I usually wouldn't have. Being off of technology for two days not only showed me my habits, but it also made me notice how much the people around me used their devices. It didn't matter where we were, what we were doing or if we were in mid-conversation, they would absently pull out their phones and scroll through social media.

Even on Thanksgiving, when I arrived at my mom's house to celebrate, I was greeted by everyone looking at their phones. My mom was finishing the last paragraph of a book, so she wasn't talking yet, but my sister and dad didn't even look up from their screens. So, I literally just sat and waited. My mom was really the only one who tried to stay off her technology around me. Otherwise, family members would ask me if I saw this thing on Facebook or saw a post they tagged me in. They completely forgot I wouldn't have a clue what was going on in the social media atmosphere.

I also noticed how much internet, technology, social media, etc. is ingrained into our lives and how much preparation it takes to actually go off the grid. Even college requires you to be able to be on a laptop or computer since almost every assignment is submitted online. Also, if you want to connect with people, it is substantially easier to get a hold of a variety of people all around the world with access to internet. It's also become a resource and tool for success. The internet is almost a necessity for life in today's society.

I think unplugging was really beneficial. It showed me how much I use technology and how fortunate I am to have such easy access to it. The internet is taken for granted today because it has almost always been there for this generation. Having a forced break from it all really gave me some perspective, and I challenge any one of you to go off the grid for 48 hours. See if you can do it.