I’m not referring to the type of break that Rachel and what’s his face took on Friends. I am referring to a break or hiatus from online activities. I enjoy my hobby. I have my website, I do reviews, I participate in the community on EdenFantasys. I have even started utilizing social utilities like Facebook and Twitter. I think I have the like, share, and tweet buttons down.

I genuinely enjoy all the facets of it in moderation. I am an online person. I don’t even have a television plugged in. I occasionally watch my favorite shows online. I have rarely ever had cable television throughout my life. I just don’t feel I get anything positive out of it. Online, I get a chance to learn, to interact, to share. To shop! Most importantly, I get a chance to write. In one form or another, I have always had a writing outlet on the internet.

There have been a couple of occasions in my life where I have been without internet for up to three days. Three whole LONG days! I felt like I was going to lose it. I felt disconnected, frantic, and bored. I worried that I was “falling behind.” The reality is that I don’t have an official online job. I can take a vacation anytime I want. The time is coming to cut the lines.

Some people experiment by not watching television for a set period of time. Have you ever gone without electricity for a period of time? I’ve gone without a car. Doing without something that seems to be so integrated into your life can be eye opening.

What did I do before the internet?

In my thought process of this upcoming experiment, I realized it would take preparation. I don’t have checks. I guess I will need those, since I won’t be paying bills online. It’s time to pay those library fines, so I can become a regular at the library again. No email? I think I will treat myself to a nice stationary set and write letters. I guess I need stamps, and to know how to mail something. If I remember right, back in the day, you would just leave the outgoing mail in the mailbox and the carrier would take it to be mailed. They don’t do that around here. I will actually have to drive or walk to a big blue metal box.

I haven’t kept a checkbook register in over a decade. I think I will need to do this, since I won’t be checking my bank account online. I’ve signed up for paperless options on everything I could. I will have to determine what I can do without, and what I will have to make other arrangements for temporarily.

In making my list of preparations, it occurs to me that I do almost everything online. I opt for email over a phone call, whether business or personal. I keep track of everything, from finances to medical test results to prescription refills online. The internet is my source of music. What is a radio? Here is my chance to go through all my CD’s. I hope I don’t need driving directions to anywhere during my internet free hiatus.

Am I ready? Not yet, but soon. Will I be back? Of course. Will I break down and get cable during this experiment? Hell yeah!

I’ll leave goodbye for now notes everywhere before I unplug from the world wide web. When I return, I will hopefully have some interesting insights to share.