The Disconnect Effect: 5 Lessons I Re-Learned When I Went Offline

Just back from a week in Barcelona, where I somehow ended up living life as I no longer know it — single (hubby stayed home), car-less (ok fine, I admit I did take quite a few taxis, but I still walked more than I have in ages) and… wait for it… INTERNET-FREE (GASP! It’s true! Well, for the most part at least).

And you know what? It was pretty friggin’ awesome!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m actually very happy with life as I know it. But sometimes you really just need to disconnect and get some distance in order to discover (or maybe re-discover?) things that immersion in the instant Internet lifestyle can cause to blur over time. Here are 5 that really hit home.

1. Exercise. It’s good for you.

As obvious as this might be, I’m afraid it’s something I have to put at the top of every self-help list I will ever make for the rest of my life, because it’s a lesson I seem to refuse to learn. And O.M.G. it’s a painful one. 

I live most of my life seated at a desk, thinking I move around a lot because I zip through time zones and websites in the blink of an eye. NOT! Upon arrival at Barcelona, after a very long trip through 4 airports that required more walking and carrying than I’d done in quite a while, I stepped into a cab and suddenly… Madre de Dios… LEG CRAMP! Gaaah!

Naturally I was too cool to let my agony show, so I had to grit my teeth and grin while chatting in my mostly-forgotten Spanish to the cab driver who had no idea I was actually screaming inside my head. 

Add to that awesome experience the succeeding days of muscle aches and joint pains earned from traipsing through the streets and shops of Barcelona, and I think the lesson finally became clear. I really need to get off my ass more. 

2. Good things come to those who wait. 

Admittedly, bad things come to those who wait too.  The point is, there are times you have to wait. And more often than not,  the wait is worth it. 

Living inside the Internet as I do, I’ve gotten used to instant gratification, and I’d forgotten that. 

Patient anticipation makes a lovely meal even more luscious.  Wrenching hangers of tightly packed clothes apart as you browse through store racks makes each incredible find a thrilling victory. Standing in line to see something beautiful may suck — but you forget all that when the sight you see takes your breath away. 

Waiting = not such a bad thing.  Actually having enough time and peace of mind to enjoy the wait? Even better.

3. Listen to the locals.

Oh Tripadvisor and other similar sites, I love you, but I’m so glad I ignored you and just asked around instead. 

This wasn’t my first time to Barcelona (it was actually my 4th, I think?), but the last time was so long ago, I really had no idea what was what anymore.  There’s a wealth of travel information and reviews  to be found online, but the info overload can often be more stressful than helpful.

The solution? Just forget about the web. If you want to know where to go, ask the locals.

Going the offline “leave it to the locals” route helped me choose the perfect hotel to stay at for my strategic shopping weekend (the Barcelona Hilton on Avda. Diagonal, right smack in the middle of L’Illa & the Pedralbes Center (malls) and an El Corte Ingles! Squeeee!), and took me to some really awesome, off-the-beaten-track restaurants that I enjoyed immensely.  (Writeups and pics to come in future posts,  promise)

4. When it comes to conversations, IRL will always win.

Chatting in any form is fun, but web convos and comment exchanges will never beat time spent face-to-face with a friend, over a drink or good food. Ever.

As much as I missed my Twitter pals and the constant stream of status updates I’ve gotten used to, one of the absolute best things about my trip (and web disconnect) was the laughter and long conversations I was able to have with both new friends and old. Lovely.

I enjoy every conversation I have — online or off —  but given a choice, I’d rather have a mug of coffee or a Mojito than a mouse in my hand … and I’ll take a real smile over a smiley emoticon any day. 

5. Being “connected” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

I think this is the lesson I probably needed to learn the most. I’m not quite sure how I ended up living the exact opposite of my regular life while I was away, but I’m glad I did.

Being “connected” online (through anytime-access Twitter, Facebook, IM or whatever) might make you feel like the world has gotten smaller, but the truth of the matter is that it can leave gaping holes in the real life just outside your window — or even two feet away from your desk.

If you’re in more constant contact with people in another country than you are with the ones you’re actually in — there’s something a little off there. And it’s something you probably need to fix. 

And that’s what I saw when I stepped away — from my computer and my life — for a few days. What I was missing out on, what I had and didn’t appreciate, and what I had to do next.  Without the disconnect effect,  this would never have come to light. 

Care to try “the disconnect” out for yourself? I highly recommend it. 

Photos (top to bottom): My friend Vera at the Casa Battló, Vera again at the stairs of CB, Tita Rose with stuffed calamares at Restaurante Galaxó,  the bar at Restaurante El Rus, mojito & martini at Dry Martini, little window view of  the Passeig de Gracia from the main room of Casa Battló