Since 9th grade (when I was 14), I’ve been going on vacation twice a year. My family does a summer trip, and a Christmas trip. The vast majority of these trips have been “trips without internet.”
At first, there really wasn’t internet on vacation, ever. No “wi-fi in the lobby only” or “slow internet” or “there’s one shared computer in the lobby.” We’d just go places that didn’t have internet at all. Going away was really difficult, because most of what I did at home was talk to my friends. I constantly felt like I was missing out on something at home. I never understood how the rest of my family wasn’t distressed by the disconnection. I actually called long-distance from Africa to find out my IB scores.
Of course, it was great to be able to sleep, and to see my family, and to play cards, but at the same time it was really hard to not be able to talk to anyone from home. I spent a lot of time actively missing the internet- not just missing friends- missing the internet as a concept with my email, and instant messenger, and browsing.
As time has gone on, internet access has become more and more prevalent on vacation, and I’ve wanted it less and less. Now, it’s usually at least “wifi in the lobby” (and occasionally wi-fi in the guest room).
I care less about it now because it feels more like an obligation. First, I talked to friends. Then I did things I wanted to do. Now I have a laundry list of things I “have” to do (ironically, as they’re all the same things wanted to do before).
It got to the point that by December 2009 I became upset if anyone reminded me that there was internet on a vacation. Greg tried to check his email using his iPod while we were in Hong Kong, and I (unfairly) flipped out, because it reminded me of everything I “should” be doing. I thought if I had internet, I had to do it.
Now, I’ve realized that isn’t the case. It took some reflection, but the twice-annual disconnecting proved to me that nothing has gone horribly awry when I’m away with no chance of getting to the internet. Realizing this required a lot of (unintended) practice and (intended) reflection. I’ve extrapolated that even if I have access to the internet and just don’t use it, it has the same impact as if I didn’t have it at all.
Practice disconnecting occasionally- it helps with focus, realizing what things you actually want to do, and seeing that things aren’t always urgent as they seem.