Photo from David Horsey with Seattle PI
I can’t believe it’s finally here! The vacation I have been looking forward to for months is upon me… Only problem? There is no internet or cell service where I am going. Whether it’s reading my morning papers (or should I say iPhone apps), catching up on Facebook and Twitter (not so much Google+ yet since my news feed is still uninteresting due to limited users) or doing my window shopping on sites like Etsy and Pinterest, I am ALWAYS connected.
I admit it, I can’t put the computer and iPhone down for a second. I am constantly checking emails, always reading Twitter and can’t start my day without perusing my USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal apps. So at this point, I am actually scared to death of vacation… what am I going to do in a foreign country with no access! My husband says that this is exactly what we both need, but admittedly its easier for him to step away. Over the past few months, I’ve been working with a new client called myi, an app-based service that allows families/parents to take back family time from the Internet. It’s funny, because although it is marketed to families, I dream of the day it is launched so that I can use it for my own family, even though we don’t have children. I need an app that puts my internet to sleep, so I can actually get in bed at a decent hour for the first time. I can’t wait to use the Family Time app to get my husband and me off our computers and spending quality time together!
I have decided, while writing this post, that I am going to make this vacation my digital detox. Sure, the first 48 hours or so are going to be difficult, but I think I can do it! And when I come back, I know my new little aid, myi, will be waiting for me. It’s time to take back my personal time from the internet, besides, I really don’t need that vintage Dior bag I’ve stare at every night on Etsy, what I need is more quality time for myself and my relationship!
By Christy Olliff | @colliff