Hello Internet! After nearly 3 weeks in the jungles of Borneo and over a week laid up in bed back home it’s a pleasure to reconnect. Or is it?
If there is anything that I’ve learned on this month-long hiatus, it’s that wifi is worse than any drug. Truly. I realized that I had a problem when I was more stressed out at not being able to connect than I was by being so remote that I couldn’t buy cigarettes. (Even in Brunei, the height of modern civilization in Borneo, there are no boozy beverages or smokes to be found. But I was more saddened by the fact that the wifi was too slow for me to connect to my website. . .)
On a practical front, I was concerned that while traveling alone, I had no means of telling friends and loved ones that I had not been devoured by a crocodile. (I did get attacked by leeches on two separate occasions — but that’s its own story!) On an emotional front, I felt like a crappy friend who couldn’t be consistently accessible to friends going through tough times. One by one my Word Feud and Words with Friends Games were automatically resigned. And without Facebook — a key tool not only for my blog but for my LIFE — whatever was a girl to do?
EVERY once in a blue moon, the planets (or more accurately, the satellites) would align for JUST long enough for me to receive a flurry of updates and Whats App messages — only to disconnect before I was able to reply. The WORST was not being able to respond to a birthday invite from a friend in Jakarta, and to just barely get three words out to her on the actual day. But amazingly, one’s true friends are surprisingly understanding about the realities of leaving the urban jungle for an entirely different one.
Like beating any addiction, the first 48 hours were the hardest. But then slowly I discovered new ways to stay engaged and in touch.
No wires — no makeup, but definitely a cave spelunking badass!
1) News. Just like in the “old days” news DID make it to the jungle with each new wave of visitors. I learned about the horrific events in Nepal from an actual person. As a result, rather than voyeuristically perusing news updates and heartbreaking photo montages, we quietly mourned those lost, and reflected on how lucky we were in so many ways.
2) Sensory Stimulation. The only thing better than cute monkey videos is seeing monkeys in action — in the flesh. (And, I might add, some interesting mating habits were revealed!) My first day in the jungle, I literally couldn’t see the forest for the trees. But by the second and third days, I found my eyes identifying both primates and birds camouflaged in the leaves — and being quite proud of my newfound abilities. (Unfortunately, since I don’t have a zoom lens, you’ll have to take my word that the fuzzy blobs in my snaps are in fact animals and insects in their milieu!)
3) Social Engagement. As a single traveler (and a woman) I frequently find myself using my devices to keep potential weirdos at bay — from the endlessly chattering seatmate on a long-haul flight, to Casanova acolytes who assume that there is no earthly way you could be content with your own company. Maybe it’s just that willingness to venture into the jungle automatically makes you kind of cool — but overall I met some amazing people that I probably would have been less inclined to engage with under other circumstances. (I am frequently described as “reserved” or “slow to warm up.”)
4) Sleep Quality. I truly do believe that unplugging, coupled with trekking and fresh air, had a positive effect on my ZZZ’s. This made me generally more sharp, observant, and communicative. Since I know that in reality I will probably continue to be on at least one of my devices before sleep, a more practical long-term solution that I plan to explore when I return home is amber-tinted specialty glasses designed to filter out blue light.
5) Gratitude. Without distractions, and living an albeit temporarily simpler life, I found it easy to take time out to appreciate how lucky I was. In many ways, this is the most important lesson of all.
So a blogger can’t post without Internet access — but at the same time, may come up with unexpected inspiration without it. . . .
