Off-Grid and Offline
The Day The Internet Died
When I moved off-grid I expected to have no service. The fact that my phone worked at all came as a surprise. I couldn’t scroll through my feed or stream anything. Just when necessary, I could use it to i.d. plants, troubleshoot or talk to my family. Which is way more than I expected, being so far out in the woods.
I was born in the 80s. Internet was far from a household item; when we got it, it was dial-up. Remember dial-up? I sure do. We got 7 tv channels, provided by bunny-ears. We played Nintendo, and the notion of connecting your game console to the ‘web’ was a long way off. Wireless handheld internet was the stuff of sci-fi.
Now, WiFi is everywhere. Travelling abroad I was surprised to find high-speed internet in the most unlikely of places. Small towns in Spain and Costa Rica stick out the most in my mind. Now with satellite services becoming available globally, it’s gone from being a luxury to an amenity.
After a few months, I got wifi! The only signal around...Suddenly the world’s information was back at my fingertips with unlimited force. We could upload videos, FaceTime family, and stream Netflix. It’s been great! A bit weird too. Through the winter I kept up with what was going on in the world. It sounds like a good thing but to be honest it was often ‘hard on the head’.
I suppose all ‘good things’ must come to an end.
For the whole month of October, hardly a signal. Barely enough to google something, or post an Instagram story. Forget streaming platforms or facetime. Now what? Panic sets in. We get desperate and try using it at the top of the mountain with some success.
The stages of grief
Denial.
‘No, it’ll come back - just give it some time’
Anger
‘Wtf internet provider?! How DARE you!’
Bargaining
‘We could spend XXX monies and try something else’
Depression
‘How are we supposed to go on?’
Acceptance
‘Life’s fine without it, better even!’
Letting go of wifi has been like dealing with grief while kicking an addiction. It’s become such an integral part of our lives, being without it is scary. When I go to the top of the property to catch a signal, it’s like a little rush. Isn’t that a bit weird?
Occasionally my phone still gives me news notifications or tries to show me the weather forecast. Without asking for it my mental space has been breached. My phone finds moments when I should be present, enjoying the little things and inserts something else to think about. Something like irrelevant news or forecasts that are always wrong, taking me out of ‘the moment.’ It just doesn’t make sense.
Being off-grid isn’t about being connected for every moment of the day. Far from it. A big part of living out in the woods is to disconnect. After the initial panic of losing connection, a familiar feeling came back. A peaceful feeling. Instead of worrying about everything that’s wrong in the world I can feel comfortable that things are mostly right in mine.
‘To each his sufferings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan,
The tender for another's pain;
The unfeeling for his own.
Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise’
It's only in the last 15-ish years that the internet and social media has become part of most of our lives. Before that we managed to exist perfectly happy without it.
If it wasn't for work, I likely would not have it and be content with occasionally accessing it in town or at a friend's.
I use it like any other tool, to do a job. I use it to find knowledge, to expand my skills, to keep in touch with those close to me, and to purchase things I cannot get in town. Other than that I ignore the rest of it.
I find that recently it is all the harder to find useful knowledge and information on the internet. I end up spending far too much time sifting through endless posts and threads of opinions from everyone who thinks they are an expert only to find out it's useless. There is far too much misinformation out there. I end up usually going back to books, and just trying things out myself.
Wishing you a good disconnected time!
Great food for thought,