I’m going on vacation this week, which has been a little while coming and I’m definitely looking forward to it.
But I’ve been a bit surprised by the number of people who are encouraging me (some flat-out lecturing me) to “unplug”. Turn the phone and computer off and go un-digital for the week.
While that may be some people’s idea of utter relaxation, it’s not necessarily mine, and being plugged in to me doesn’t necessarily beget stress. Because it’s not the connections that are stressful, it’s the obligations and deadlines and expected response times that make it hard during the “on” working hours.
Being completely disconnected is actually uncomfortable to me. And it’s not because of some irrational nerdy need (ok, maybe a little), but it’s because my friendships aren’t bound by geography and time zones anymore. My digital connections are often what helps me keep in touch with the people that matter most to me since I don’t have the good fortune to see them often in person.
My computer gives me more than just Twitter, too. It’s a repository for my thoughts and musings, and sometimes in places I don’t (gasp) make public. It’s how I keep photos and videos of my adorable daughter close at hand and easily shareable. It’s the home for Skype which keeps me connected with friends and family all over the country not because I have to, but because I want to. It’s home to my iTunes library, and music goes everywhere with me.
There’s one more bit here that’s really important: I love what I do. Working for me isn’t torture. I’m inspired by my work and motivated to do it every day, because I care about it. Because I want to change things for the better, share my ideas, and learn from others. Sometimes, being plugged in is exactly where I want to be. Thinking and creating and building things. It’s what I do.
So when I’m on vacation, the freedom isn’t in being unplugged. It’s that I get to follow my own whims, my own schedule, and connect as much or as little as I want to because the mood strikes me (not because I’ve got a deadline looming or the expectation of a 3-hour email response time). The relief is in taking back a little control over my own schedule and dictating my own interruptions, following my muses more freely perhaps, but it’s got nothing to do with being digital or not.
So I’m going to relish the time with my Dad, soak up the sun on the boat and on the lake, and breathe lots of (hot) summer air. I’m going to laugh and run around with my kid and take lots of pictures (or not) and swim and draw on the sidewalk in chalk. I’m going to grill things and sip wine and sleep in a bed whose sheets I don’t have to wash.
And you’ll probably still see a tweet or two. And the blog will still get a post or three. And yes, I’ll even peek at my email once in a while to keep my finger on the pulse of what awaits me upon my return, or because inspiration strikes.
So I’ll still be on vacation. I’ll be relaxed and recharghing, even if it comes with a plugged-in moment or three. And I’ll enjoy every minute of it. See you in a week. 🙂
Thanks for this post and this: “Being completely disconnected is actually uncomfortable to me.” You’re making me feel a lot better about vacation next week.
Thanks for this post and this: “Being completely disconnected is actually uncomfortable to me.” You’re making me feel a lot better about vacation next week.
Thanks for this post and this: “Being completely disconnected is actually uncomfortable to me.” You’re making me feel a lot better about vacation next week.
Amber –
I’m really looking forward to meeting in person someday (soon). We seem to have a lot in common. Just about every post I read of yours I find myself nodding my head … sometimes I even will inadvertently mumble aloud (words and phrases like, “Yeah” or “Uh huh” or “Wow, that makes sense.” You have an incredible way of putting on paper (aka, our monitors) concepts that many people think about but have a hard time actually verbalizing.
So, I’m really just commenting to say, Thank you, Amber.
I can’t wait to continue to learn from you and the community you support/encourage as I take the plunge into my new role as Director of Community at Blue Sky Factory.
Very happy that you are not unplugging entirely. Very happy that you continue to love your work=play. Very happy that you have found a way to truly enjoy every single day.
Rock on, dude.
DJ Waldow
@djwaldow
DJ Waldows last blog post..djwaldow: @AmberCadabra so freaking good (the comments) that i have nothing new/interesting/insightful/thought-provoking to add!
Amber –
I’m really looking forward to meeting in person someday (soon). We seem to have a lot in common. Just about every post I read of yours I find myself nodding my head … sometimes I even will inadvertently mumble aloud (words and phrases like, “Yeah” or “Uh huh” or “Wow, that makes sense.” You have an incredible way of putting on paper (aka, our monitors) concepts that many people think about but have a hard time actually verbalizing.
So, I’m really just commenting to say, Thank you, Amber.
I can’t wait to continue to learn from you and the community you support/encourage as I take the plunge into my new role as Director of Community at Blue Sky Factory.
Very happy that you are not unplugging entirely. Very happy that you continue to love your work=play. Very happy that you have found a way to truly enjoy every single day.
Rock on, dude.
DJ Waldow
@djwaldow
DJ Waldows last blog post..djwaldow: @AmberCadabra so freaking good (the comments) that i have nothing new/interesting/insightful/thought-provoking to add!
Everyone has their own comfort zone for staying connected or “unplugging.” I’m also heading out just for an extended long weekend, but my approach is to disconnect almost entirely. Whatever works – the important focus is to get a chance to recharge. Have a great vacation Amber, you deserve it.
Adam Cohens last blog post..Display Advertising Shows Signs of Life
Amber, you couldn’t be more right! I am forever explaining to people that I’d probably be *more* stressed out WITHOUT my technology available to me on vacation!
Part of it is due to friendships that span the country and the globe, part of it is due to feeling more relaxed knowing I won’t be coming home to literally hundreds of e-mails, and part of it is that it’s just nice to have the tools w/me in case I NEED them (for example, when I was in Chicago last week, I used my laptop to consult the RTA trip planner a time or three when I decided to go somewhere I hadn’t originally planned to go). I don’t necessarily do tons of work when I travel with my tech, but the option is there, especially if plans get canceled or an urgent project pops up.
Enjoy a much-deserved vacation, Amber! 🙂
Everyone has their own comfort zone for staying connected or “unplugging.” I’m also heading out just for an extended long weekend, but my approach is to disconnect almost entirely. Whatever works – the important focus is to get a chance to recharge. Have a great vacation Amber, you deserve it.
Adam Cohens last blog post..Display Advertising Shows Signs of Life
Amber, you couldn’t be more right! I am forever explaining to people that I’d probably be *more* stressed out WITHOUT my technology available to me on vacation!
Part of it is due to friendships that span the country and the globe, part of it is due to feeling more relaxed knowing I won’t be coming home to literally hundreds of e-mails, and part of it is that it’s just nice to have the tools w/me in case I NEED them (for example, when I was in Chicago last week, I used my laptop to consult the RTA trip planner a time or three when I decided to go somewhere I hadn’t originally planned to go). I don’t necessarily do tons of work when I travel with my tech, but the option is there, especially if plans get canceled or an urgent project pops up.
Enjoy a much-deserved vacation, Amber! 🙂
Amber-I partially, ambivalently unplug because, as a free-lancer, it helps to enforce the “no deadlines, no obligation” part of the vacation. And i’ve completely unplugged on a few quasi-retreat weekends to good effect. But you remind me that I complain and complain about the web but it has also connected, and reconnected me, to many of the people and things I value.
Kevin Fentons last blog post..My Pitch For A Pitch Man: RIP Billy Mays
Amber-I partially, ambivalently unplug because, as a free-lancer, it helps to enforce the “no deadlines, no obligation” part of the vacation. And i’ve completely unplugged on a few quasi-retreat weekends to good effect. But you remind me that I complain and complain about the web but it has also connected, and reconnected me, to many of the people and things I value.
Kevin Fentons last blog post..My Pitch For A Pitch Man: RIP Billy Mays
Summed up perfectly. Enjoy your downtime, Amber – you deserve it 🙂
Sonny Gills last blog post..Are You Shortcutting Your Community?
Summed up perfectly. Enjoy your downtime, Amber – you deserve it 🙂
Sonny Gills last blog post..Are You Shortcutting Your Community?
Amber, enjoy your break!
It so happens that whatever works for you, works for me, too.
What amazes me is that people were lecturing you about what (not) to do?! Different things work for different people, and it’s nobody’s business but yours and your family’s!
I’ve had a lot of experience lately with people pushing whatever works for them on me and my husband… I wish people just minded their own business and understood that we’re not all the same. (rant over, it’s that point that spoke to me because of recent experiences)
Have a fabulous vacation!!!
Mihaela (Dr. V)s last blog post..Leaving Clemson
Amber, enjoy your break!
It so happens that whatever works for you, works for me, too.
What amazes me is that people were lecturing you about what (not) to do?! Different things work for different people, and it’s nobody’s business but yours and your family’s!
I’ve had a lot of experience lately with people pushing whatever works for them on me and my husband… I wish people just minded their own business and understood that we’re not all the same. (rant over, it’s that point that spoke to me because of recent experiences)
Have a fabulous vacation!!!
Mihaela (Dr. V)s last blog post..Leaving Clemson
Have a blast, Amber!
Have a blast, Amber!
It’s weirdly cheery to see people’s comments pop up in this thread. It just occurred to me that the whole POINT of a vacation is that, with the grudging exception of police officers, no one can tell you what to do!
Kevin Fentons last blog post..My Pitch For A Pitch Man: RIP Billy Mays
It’s weirdly cheery to see people’s comments pop up in this thread. It just occurred to me that the whole POINT of a vacation is that, with the grudging exception of police officers, no one can tell you what to do!
Kevin Fentons last blog post..My Pitch For A Pitch Man: RIP Billy Mays
Well said. Be connected as much or as little as you want to be. Enjoy the vacation and time with family!
David Mullens last blog post..Are We Forcing Social Media Tunnel Vision on Young PR Pros?
Well said. Be connected as much or as little as you want to be. Enjoy the vacation and time with family!
David Mullens last blog post..Are We Forcing Social Media Tunnel Vision on Young PR Pros?
Yup, Dr. V has identified exactly what has touched me. We’re all different, and some of us simply don’t want to unplug completely. In fact, I’ve done it both ways, and it really matters more what’s been happening in my life whether or not I unplug completely.
In fact, I unplug to get work done, too. I know many of us do that. So, it’s not a matter of bringing technology with you on vacation, it’s more how you use it. Or if you use it.
Have a great time!
Yup, Dr. V has identified exactly what has touched me. We’re all different, and some of us simply don’t want to unplug completely. In fact, I’ve done it both ways, and it really matters more what’s been happening in my life whether or not I unplug completely.
In fact, I unplug to get work done, too. I know many of us do that. So, it’s not a matter of bringing technology with you on vacation, it’s more how you use it. Or if you use it.
Have a great time!
You know…video might have killed the radio star, but I don’t think digital ever hurt anyone’s analog life. Whatever keeps you happy and helps you relax and rejuvenate is exactly what you should be doing. If that includes a little connectivity, so be it. 🙂
Have a great vacation, Amber!
You know…video might have killed the radio star, but I don’t think digital ever hurt anyone’s analog life. Whatever keeps you happy and helps you relax and rejuvenate is exactly what you should be doing. If that includes a little connectivity, so be it. 🙂
Have a great vacation, Amber!
Teresa gets it exactly right: whatever works best for you. I used to belong to the “unplug & drop off the grid camp,” but eventually found that an occasional look-in helped me relax and enjoy the time off even more. As with so much else, healthy balance and perspective are the keys. Bon voyage!
Ken Moirs last blog post..kina’ole = choosing what to look for
Teresa gets it exactly right: whatever works best for you. I used to belong to the “unplug & drop off the grid camp,” but eventually found that an occasional look-in helped me relax and enjoy the time off even more. As with so much else, healthy balance and perspective are the keys. Bon voyage!
Ken Moirs last blog post..kina’ole = choosing what to look for
I couldn’t agree more. There has been a major paradigm shift in relationship building. There are people I have gotten to know that I would have no contact with if I were completely “unplugged.” I love that you mentioned being connected isn’t what causes stress, it’s the deadlines and expectations of others. When I need a break, THAT’S what I need a break from. Have a wonderful vacation!
Clint Stonebrakers last blog post..Cynics Beware
I couldn’t agree more. There has been a major paradigm shift in relationship building. There are people I have gotten to know that I would have no contact with if I were completely “unplugged.” I love that you mentioned being connected isn’t what causes stress, it’s the deadlines and expectations of others. When I need a break, THAT’S what I need a break from. Have a wonderful vacation!
Clint Stonebrakers last blog post..Cynics Beware
I think you just wrote what a lot of people in this industry think daily. Being connected doesn’t add stress as much as not being able to connect. For me, disconnecting is represented by the nature of my connection. Connecting is not always related to work and at times, even work is comforting – even if it just checking emails so that you don’t have a pile a week high upon returning. A lot can change in one week, and the relaxation of a vacation is lost if you are thrown into a mess.
Hope you have a great vacation from your stresses,
-Scott
Scott Hales last blog post..Facebook Put a Bug in My Coffee
I think you just wrote what a lot of people in this industry think daily. Being connected doesn’t add stress as much as not being able to connect. For me, disconnecting is represented by the nature of my connection. Connecting is not always related to work and at times, even work is comforting – even if it just checking emails so that you don’t have a pile a week high upon returning. A lot can change in one week, and the relaxation of a vacation is lost if you are thrown into a mess.
Hope you have a great vacation from your stresses,
-Scott
Scott Hales last blog post..Facebook Put a Bug in My Coffee
I think you just wrote what a lot of people in this industry think daily. Being connected doesn’t add stress as much as not being able to connect. For me, disconnecting is represented by the nature of my connection. Connecting is not always related to work and at times, even work is comforting – even if it just checking emails so that you don’t have a pile a week high upon returning. A lot can change in one week, and the relaxation of a vacation is lost if you are thrown into a mess.
Hope you have a great vacation from your stresses,
-Scott
Scott Hales last blog post..Facebook Put a Bug in My Coffee
Have a great vacation Amber, it’s well deserved!
Beth Hartes last blog post..PR has never been truly authentic
Have a great vacation Amber, it’s well deserved!
Beth Hartes last blog post..PR has never been truly authentic
I have found I can unplug only for a day or at most two (in emergencies, like no power & no Wi-Fi) before I start bugging out. 😉 Sometimes I do need that day, but most times? I too need to check in once in awhile. Even if reading is all I do.
Enjoy your vacation, Amber. It sounds heavenly!
Christa M. Millers last blog post..Social media doesn’t bring a changing of the guard
I have found I can unplug only for a day or at most two (in emergencies, like no power & no Wi-Fi) before I start bugging out. 😉 Sometimes I do need that day, but most times? I too need to check in once in awhile. Even if reading is all I do.
Enjoy your vacation, Amber. It sounds heavenly!
Christa M. Millers last blog post..Social media doesn’t bring a changing of the guard
I have found I can unplug only for a day or at most two (in emergencies, like no power & no Wi-Fi) before I start bugging out. 😉 Sometimes I do need that day, but most times? I too need to check in once in awhile. Even if reading is all I do.
Enjoy your vacation, Amber. It sounds heavenly!
Christa M. Millers last blog post..Social media doesn’t bring a changing of the guard
The picture of your dad and your daughter that you shared on Twitter is a GREAT example of why it can be good to stay plugged in! 🙂
And when it comes to vacation, the only thing someone can really tell you to do is to have fun and enjoy it — whatever that means for you as an individual!
Lindsay Allens last blog post..Today marks two months since my last day of work …
The picture of your dad and your daughter that you shared on Twitter is a GREAT example of why it can be good to stay plugged in! 🙂
And when it comes to vacation, the only thing someone can really tell you to do is to have fun and enjoy it — whatever that means for you as an individual!
Lindsay Allens last blog post..Today marks two months since my last day of work …
Thank you for this lovely post. I will never feel guilty about packing my laptop in my vacation bag again!
Thank you for this lovely post. I will never feel guilty about packing my laptop in my vacation bag again!
It is important to “unplug” enough to connect with the people who are important to you. But part of being on vacation is doing what you want to do. And, for me, being online is fun and satisfying. The difference about being online during vacay vs. a typical day is that I’m there simply because I want to be. Bliss!
Enjoy your time off 🙂
Lisa Hoffmanns last blog post..The secret to discovering whether or not you’re a blogger
It is important to “unplug” enough to connect with the people who are important to you. But part of being on vacation is doing what you want to do. And, for me, being online is fun and satisfying. The difference about being online during vacay vs. a typical day is that I’m there simply because I want to be. Bliss!
Enjoy your time off 🙂
Lisa Hoffmanns last blog post..The secret to discovering whether or not you’re a blogger