Recognizing the importance of unplugging

Am I starting to get old?

Seriously, I think I am. Why do I ask this? Because I’m finding more and more joy unplugging from technology and taking vacations away from big cities.

Last week, I was in Park City, Utah, skiing and hiking (technically, snowshoeing). I loved it. I loved it because most of my vacation was spent outdoors and I didn’t feel connected every second of the day.

It really dawned on me as my wife and I were snowshoeing. It was just us and our guide walking on a small path through the snow-covered woods. We were away from our house, away from normal everyday life and away from technology.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I still had my cell phone in my pocket. My 3G service was working. There was Wi-Fi available everywhere. I barely used it. My phone was serving as my camera to capture these moments.

Unplugging is new for me. I’ve always liked vacationing in cities like Chicago, Seattle, Boston and New York. I’ve always felt the need to stay connected while I was away. Now, I find more value in hiking through the woods with my wife than I do hustling down Fifth Avenue amongst the crowd.

Maybe it’s just turning over a new leaf. Maybe my priorities have changed. Or maybe this has become my way to break away from the suffocating hold technology has on me. I don’t need a break every day, but once or twice a year is the perfect amount of time to sit back, relax and pretend there are no problems in the world.

If that’s what is called “getting old,” I’m going enjoy it every chance I get.