Between high school and undergrad I was really happy to move to my cottage for the summer, and be free of all of the social obligations that resulted from having the internet. Unfortunately, I lost this battle early as my parents bought me a laptop for graduation, and installed the internet so that my father could work from the cottage. Disappointed as I may have been to lose my excused freedom from the keyboard, I managed it well. I only used the internet after the sun went down, and only when I was alone without a friend in town. Here we are 6 years later, and yet again I find myself wanting the same things. So I cancelled my internet for the summer... and maybe longer. To be fair the stakes have changed since I was 17. For one, I'm paying for my own internet, for another I have an office with unlimited internet at my disposal all day (I also have to impose a rule on myself to leave the office at a reasonable hour and enjoy all that the summer has to offer), and lastly, I have a phone with a great dataplan that can save me in times of need (sometimes you just need to look something up quickly). To be clear, I'm not cutting myself off, I'm just using moderation.
Giving up the internet means gaining more time, and with more time comes great responsibility (to not waste it elsewhere). As a result, I have decided to make a list of new season's resolutions.
- Read more (fiction and non-fiction)
- Write more (fiction and non-fiction)
- Bike more, explore more
- Photograph more
- Swim more
- Cook more (I want to try a new recipe every day, and why not? I will allow days to be skipped if instead of coming home to cook, I spend time out with others)
- Commit more (I said I would join the basketball team, and the dodgeball team... now if it would just happen)
- Socialize more (visit people more)
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!
