Few evenings ago, I was very happy as I finally understood how to use Studio One to record my music, and I had just filmed a video with gorgeous light in the room. Yeah! But as I was almost done uploading, internet shut off.

Yup, 50 minutes after I started uploading, 10 minutes before It was ready.

Our internet company which we ordered Mid-September came twice to the building beside ours and obviously couldn’t enter to install. So, we still don’t have internet more than a month later. Fortunately, our neighbor was kind enough to lend us her internet, but she decided to stop on that evening.

Yup, no more internet and it’s 8 in the evening.

You will say that it’s not so tragic, that we don’t always use it. Bleh! It was a good-bye to all those little things that became part of my routine in the evening.

• Watching YouTube videos while doing dishes
• Listening to new music and playlist to download on Spotify Premium
• Skyping friends and family from different countries and continent
• Catching up with emails
• Being inspired for more content while reading other blogs
• Watching Gilmore Girls (can’t wait for the four new episodes to come)
• Just having a quick and easy access to the world of background noise that is Internet.

So, there I was; clueless as I was done with my productive day and so excited to watch Gilmore girl with my tea. But after swirling around the flat with no purpose like a cat at night; I decided to get creative.

I put up a song and turned my yoga mat on the other side to get more space and got crazy for about an hour. I danced, waved, jumped, did strengths moves and abs, invented new crazy flow and transitions, spent time upside down, and did moves that are not even in the books just because it felt so good. My moves were efficient because I finished with three deep back-bends and damn it felt great!

Inhale, exhale

I still wasn’t tired so I made myself a tea and laid in my bed, picked up a book and snuggled with my blanket/huge scarf. It was dark just enough, no distraction, nothing to ‘’look at just in case’’ and no excuse to not follow the advice that we get better sleep if we are not exposed to blue lights or screens in the evening.

I felt like my teenager self, hiding under blankets so my parents don’t see I’m still reading Archie’s when I should be sleeping already.

I realized that it’s very hard to disconnect fully. Because the sole knowledge of having the access to internet, keeps us connected, even when we are not using it. It’s this instant availability and instant access to easy distraction that not only takes us time, but changes our habits and priorities.

What would we do if internet was forever off?

I’m not talking about putting our computers on sleep or leaving our phone away from reach. I am talking about a world where Internet would not even be an option among others. Because that makes the difference. That subtle difference that change it all. Because somehow we feel lost. It’s not that we are addicted, but it just became something so normal that we use it as part of any routine.

We’ve normalized the virtual. We spend virtual time in a virtual world with virtual friends and virtual money. With virtual to do list and virtual tasks.

Most of our tasks are now related from close or far to internet. Whether it’s an app or the use of virtual paper sheet. So, I’ve challenged myself to see how life is without the virtual when I’m home. Okay I’m forced to challenge myself because I do not have WIFI, but hey, it’s still is an experience and I invite you to do the same.

I’m almost agreeing to it.

So, I’ve decided (kind of) to shut off internet every evening for 12 days, starting on that tragic evening, after 9 O’clock and see where it goes: No Instagram or Facebook feed before sleep, no YouTube videos, no Netflix, no screens or light in my face. Until November 7^th, I’ll only receive messenger messages with my slow data, emails and listen to music because music is awesome. And our internet is finally coming on the 7^th so I might watch Gilmore Girls then.

I might.

Yesterday I reconnected with my old teenage self, hiding under blankets and reading real pages. I’ll see what tonight brings me and how creative I can get.

I invite you to try camping too!