Forced Internet fast (and how I survived it)

Our Internet stopped working two days ago,  so after spending nearly an hour (seriously???) on the phone with a very nice lady named Sophie at AT&T, I had another modem shipping to me in a day or two.

No problem, right? 

Wrong.

I'm embarrassed to tell you how much I missed my link to the outside world. It's not that I spend hours and hours on the computer all day, but what I realized in its absence is that I spend spare moments throughout the day checking my email, reading blogs, looking on Facebook for five minutes. And all those little minutes add up. And distract me.

I was amazed at how much I accomplished and how many worthwhile things I did when the Internet wasn't an option. I wrote five letters one afternoon. I read World Magazine. I cleaned my house and put things away that had been sitting around so long I didn't even see them anymore. I cooked dinner ahead of time so actual dinnertime wasn't so hectic. I worked out. 

It was almost magical. 

We have Internet back now, but our wireless isn't set up yet, so I'm writing this from the hardwood floor of our guest room where our Ethernet cable is. And it's sort of wonderful having the Internet available but not easily accessible. It's forcing me to do what I wanted to do after reading Jen Hatmaker's book 7, which was to set aside a certain time in my day for the computer and not touch it the rest of the day. Clearly, it took a mandatory break for me to do this and realize the benefits, and I'm hoping this is the kick start I need to quit dabbling all day online and make space for REAL things in life.