The time has come. I’ve ignored it, reconsidered it, dreaded it, and prepared for it. Now I’m ready to stop talking about it.
To be clear, I’m not trying to start a revolution against the Internet. The Internet is great. I love the Internet. Thank God For The Internet.
I’ve just always wanted to unplug and let the weight of the silence move me to something. Maybe it sounds silly, maybe it will just move me to the couch to lie in despair with a box of Oreos, but at least it will be something new.
Am I already annoyed I’ll have to use an actual cookbook? Yes. Do I worry that on June 1st, I’ll log on and everyone will be talking in straight acronyms? Sort of. Mostly I’ll just miss you. I’ll miss the daily affirmation that we’re all here together; sharing our stories, laughing about postpartum poos, figuring out if it’s normal to blow your nose in the shower.
I will admit that at times I’ve looked forward to May; a hiatus from social networking and the daily fear that I’m the girl at the party still talking about herself. No one wants to be that girl.
Also, let’s not forget that it’s just a month. No need to be too dramatic (I’m talking to myself).
May Goals
Go one month without using the Internet.
May Fears
I will miss something awesome on The Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.
My brain will explode from unrelenting curiosity about what you are doing.
I will have to walk to the library to find out how to make buttermilk (and other things I always forget) instead of use The Google.
I will lose my connections.
I will lose my readers.
I will turn into one of those people who wrinkle up their nose and say, “What’s a Beiber?”
See you in June.
***
More details about the 2012 Project HERE
I’ll miss you and pics of Waylon but I look forward to hearing all about your month of May when you return! :) Much love and respect!
Thanks Trina!
I agree with Trina! So glad you’ll be working on your book. I’ll be first in line when it’s out ;)
I already can’t wait for you to come back and tell us all about it.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE MISSED!
But I should be clear that I will be texting you…and you can always text me to use the google for you. (cheats) And if anything big happens I will let you know.
Anyway, go forth and enter the brave vintage world of 1992. I don’t think I had internet then and I remember it as a pretty good year.
Also – we will be here when you get back for sheez.
Thank you for saying all of these things.
i’ll miss you.
but at least i get to see you this weekend, which equiv to a whole year’s worth of internet communication, i believe. :)
Yessss.
Way will love the extra time you have to place puffers in secret places for entertainment. Utilize your printer like it’s your job today. Create “The Google-Hard Copy”.
So many things to print. I considered making a binder. Too much?
Even though I love and am slightly addicted to this blog, I really appreciate and commend this May goal. A month is a long time. Most people don’t even do that when they go into the jungle or backpack across Europe. They still check in! Enjoy the break. It will be über weird at first, but I bet you won’t miss it that much when it’s all said and done. Can’t wait to hear about it.
Thanks Mary!
You are brave. This is brave! It really proves your commitment to this year. Good for you. Take notes! We will be here when you get back.
This is an awesome plan and it is going to be awesome. I fear saying awesome twice makes it not awesome, but I’m not backspacing now.
Book recommendations:
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
A Homemade Life, Molly Wizenberg
Hungry Monkey, Matthew Amster Burton
Loaves and Fishes, Dorothy Day
See You in 100 Years, Logan Ward
Live large, KB. Live large.
No need to backspace.
Loved The Red Tent. Copying down the rest right now.
Thanks Erin.
Hi Kate,
I am also addicted to Waylon’s sweet face and your wonderful and honest writing. It’s true I will miss your wisdom, but whenever I disconnect for a week or so from the interwebs, I find myself refreshed! And also, can I say how amazing it is that you also love Mary Oliver? My Dad introduced me to her work years ago…and I have never been the same.
I also love to give out book recommendations:
I have recently enjoyed: “Cutting for Stone;” “In the Garden of Beasts;” and “Ann American Childhood” by Annie Dilliard. (If you love Oliver I think you will also enjoy Dillard).
See you in June!
Mary Oliver. Yes. “Wild Geese” and “Journey” are my favorites. A true inspiration.
Adding your books to the list. Cutting For Stone is great!
Thanks Sarah.
I’m not prepared. I’m not prepared.
I guess I was secretly hoping you would post a 300 page novel of your writing to hold us over. too much? I understand.
Enjoy yourself and Waylon. Giving the two of you this time will be a memorable milestone in your lives. I wish I was brave enough.
Waiting for your return, starting now.
You make me laugh. If I had 300 pages, I’d give it to you. Thanks Megs. Do people call you Megs? I just did.
dude, you can call me Frankenstein if it means this is all one big joke.
hahaha
Wishing you well my friend. I have a feeling you are going to love it. Like, too much. I fear that if I did this (if I could, I mean my JOB is the internet. Well, you know what I mean), that I would love it so hardcore I’d never come back.
I think you’ll come back–but it will change you.
Any haitus I do..whether it be facebook or twitter, etc–I usually end up loving so much.
Have a fun filled memory filled month. I know you will.
xo
It is weird. I feel like my job is the internet and here I am quitting? But not really. I’ll BRB, as the kids say.
Thanks for the support.
I’m so excited for you! I absolutely love your blog and commend you for doing a month without internet. I don’t think I would have that kind of self control! I’ll miss watching Waylon grow and hearing everything that’s going on with you but I know you’ll do great! If you’re a reader, I would highly reccomend the following books, especially since you’ll need something to keep your mind busy!
Room by Emma Donoghue
Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
Bloom by Kelle Hampton
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
And if you’re a Grey’s Anatomy fan, watch it from Season 1. It will keep you busy for a long time! I’m doing that right now just for fun and I forgot about 75% of the things that happened in that show until I saw them again!
Have fun and I can’t wait to hear all about it when you return!
xoxo
Erin
peacelovedecor.com
Thanks so much Erin. Room is the best book I read last year, I tell everyone about it. Most of the others are on my list, thanks for recommending them. Adding Wild, by Cheryl Strayed!
Adding these books to my library list!
I am so proud of you for just taking the plunge and doing the whole month, without anything… I am so curious to hear about your perspective on life after all this… hopefully you don’t like it too much and still come back in June because I am going to miss your posts for sure!
Enjoy every moment, soak up the extra minutes with that little boy and relish reading real books with pages…
…and speed June 1st, for selfish me! :-)
I will do my best. Thanks Hannah.
Oh man. I wake up and half of your last day is already overrr. It will be a long month for both of us. Creepy?
I will miss you here. And on the Twitter.
Never creepy. I’ll miss Girly Notes, too, Debbie.
You won’t lose your readers. At least not me!
Have a good month :)
i’ll miss reading your posts! good for you for doing an entire month, impressive. is it sad that the thought of doing that strikes fear in my hear? i may be addicited to the internet. can’t wait to read all about how it went for you when you’re back in june!
It strikes fear into my heart as well. I don’t know what I’d do at my job if I didn’t have Gmail. Can’t wait to hear about it!
meh. i’m gonna miss motley mama.
Same.
I will be here waiting.
For your writing and for those beyond adorable pictures of Waylon.
Enjoy the month! Although scary, I also think it sounds perfectly refreshing.
Until June!
I agree with Anna! It will be refreshing. I hope you come back (my secret fear is that you won’t!)
you will be missed!
waylon is so advanced- he’s probably going to be running around and talking by the time you post again.
Thanks everyone. I feel the love, I feel it like a big Internet hug (in a good way, not a creepy way)…which makes it that much harder to leave.
See you in June.
I will miss you so much! Thanks for your commitment to Motley Mama so far… I look forward to it every day.
Love the quote. See you in June!!
I’m pretty sure that even people who are in the middle of the desert “experiencing something” are online–so this is crazy! In a good way. A whole month. I sweat just thinking about it. THIS IS AWESOME. Enjoy it. Can’t wait to hear all the gritty details.
We will all miss seeing Waylon’s cutiepie face every day. By the time you are back, he will probably be reciting the alphabet. No joke. So glad you’ll be working on your book!
20 more minutes!?
I just saw your tweets and facebook fan page and I’m cracking up. Googling cat videos, eh? Better take what you can get. I’d be like a crack addict too! LOL
I ALWAYS forget the proportions of how to make buttermilk…thanks Google! But sorry Motley Mama! haha. I hope the library is nearby…
One month without Motley Mama, I might as well give up the Internet as well!
But seriously, I am addicted to this blog. A d d i c t e d.
Hello and good luck from England!
Tap-tap-tap. Is this thing on?
It isn’t even the end of the first week, and I already miss you! Gah!
This is a rough month. My workday has become much more productive. Sigh.
Just checked your blog to see if it was still up while you were on hiatus. I think you might be inspiring me to do the same in June. But, if I do June, then how would I get to read about your May internet shut-off experiment went???
Might have to wait until July for my un-plugging. ;)
Never have I been more excited to see a month come to a close. WELCOME BACK! You have been sorely missed, but I hope the break helped you grow!
I’ve missed her, too! It’s crazy!
Thanks so much guys! I feel the love.