Vitter's Tumblr

January 4, 2012 10:15 am
This is my brain with hyperconnection. This is my brain on a deserted island. I just got back from my honeymoon with KCV and despite a couple of days with limited connectivity in Cartagena and Panama City we were off the grid. At no point were we more off the grid then when we were in the San Blas Islands (the location of this picture) and I cannot describe how relaxed my mind felt. I was in the anti-zone, just chilling out and it felt so damn good. This NYTimes article explains the “Joy of Quiet” nicely but for me it wasn’t the absence of techno clutter that allowed for deeper thinking, it was the absence of techno clutter which gave my mind a break to re-charge and come back strong in 2012. I’m so excited about everything right now (even with the omnipresent and soul crushing 2012 elections looming) and I have to think that a lot of this energy and excitement is due to that time off. I realize that a deserted island isn’t feasible for most people ever and certainly for me on a regular basis so I’m trying to think of ways that I can replicate this experience and a few solutions come to mind in short, medium and long term versions. Short - Pull up pictures from that trip every once in a while (1x a week?) and try to get a bit of inner peace while going through intense days/weeks. Medium - Turn off the computer and phone for a day/weekend to focus more on the people and things around me. Long - Take more vacations out in the wilderness. Kate and I prefer them 2:1 to larger cities, etc. anyway and they won’t be convenient when we have kids so now is the time. Anyone else have any great ideas?  Side note: If you haven’t read Devil in the White City I highly recommend it. Really looking forward to his new book which is on my bedside table.

This is my brain with hyperconnection. This is my brain on a deserted island.

I just got back from my honeymoon with KCV and despite a couple of days with limited connectivity in Cartagena and Panama City we were off the grid. At no point were we more off the grid then when we were in the San Blas Islands (the location of this picture) and I cannot describe how relaxed my mind felt. I was in the anti-zone, just chilling out and it felt so damn good. This NYTimes article explains the “Joy of Quiet” nicely but for me it wasn’t the absence of techno clutter that allowed for deeper thinking, it was the absence of techno clutter which gave my mind a break to re-charge and come back strong in 2012. I’m so excited about everything right now (even with the omnipresent and soul crushing 2012 elections looming) and I have to think that a lot of this energy and excitement is due to that time off.

I realize that a deserted island isn’t feasible for most people ever and certainly for me on a regular basis so I’m trying to think of ways that I can replicate this experience and a few solutions come to mind in short, medium and long term versions.

  • Short - Pull up pictures from that trip every once in a while (1x a week?) and try to get a bit of inner peace while going through intense days/weeks.
  • Medium - Turn off the computer and phone for a day/weekend to focus more on the people and things around me.
  • Long - Take more vacations out in the wilderness. Kate and I prefer them 2:1 to larger cities, etc. anyway and they won’t be convenient when we have kids so now is the time.

Anyone else have any great ideas? 

Side note: If you haven’t read Devil in the White City I highly recommend it. Really looking forward to his new book which is on my bedside table.