My week started by boarding a terrifyingly tiny plane and showing my hilariously bad NEXUS ID to border patrol. This is my annual journey into Canada’s cottage country for 10 days of lakeside fun with my extended family. This trip is truly one of the highlights of my year. Canada is like no other place and the feeling of contentment it spurs is impossible to replicate. However, the serenity of the Canadian wilderness comes at a price. Up here, I have no cell phone access, no data, calling, or even texting. There’s almost no wifi. Not even my mom gets to contact me. Spending an elongated period without Wi-Fi seems like a daunting prospect in today’s internet age, but here's what i've learned from years of doing it.
You will be less stressed.
It’s not surprising how much daily stress revolves around the what people are saying on social media; friends texting you with every tiny detail from attempting to make plans to how annoyed they are at their sister today. It’s something that I’m so used to that I still check my phone out of habit even when I know no one can text me. I think the accessibility to technology and communication is great, but it’s surprising to look at how much it affected me once it’s no longer a constant part of my day.
You will be more stressed.
While no one can text you with their issues or running social commentary, when you do get to communicate with the outside world, it can become overwhelming to catch up. Or you can’t shake that feeling that you’re missing something important. Even though you’re on pause, the world isn’t. The news, good, bad, or otherwise, will always be there when you get back. Plus it forces you to focus on what you really consider important to know and what is just background noise.
It’s easier than you think.
Every year I worry that going from 100 to 0 on internet access will be more difficult than it actually is. It helps when you don’t have the option to turn on wifi or receive texts. It's easier to adjust when there's nothing you can do about it.
It’s harder than you think.
I don’t mean this to directly contradict the previous point, but rather that, in a time where everything is done online and instant response is expected, it’s hard to go for 10 days without needing to contact someone for school, work, or just daily life. Even my time in Canada isn’t entirely internet free, I had to find internet in order to upload this article telling you what it’s like to live without it. To go entirely off the grid takes immense planning and preparation and a dedication that I just don’t have.
