Victory! Vacation without Email, Web Access, or Cell!

By startupprincess | Published July 7, 2008

I did the impossible. I LEFT MY LAPTOP AT HOME. I didn’t check email for 13 days. I didn’t blog. I didn’t twitter. I didn’t call anyone, not even my Mom. 

I desperately NEEDED a work-free vacation and I got one. I didn’t even borrow my husband’s laptop and write posts for publishing upon my return. It was WONDERFUL. FABULOUS. After the initial nervousness faded of “letting go”, the only thing I missed a little was reading your comments here, (fortunately they’re all saved and I can read them now!)

It helped that we were in an RV for 2 weeks traveling to remote parts of the US and Canada (Waterton National Park) where access was very very limited and rare, so it was a great time to release myself from my addictions and thoughts about work. I indulged in reading, watched movies with my kids (Elf in Spanish is quite hilarious, by the way!), SLEEPING, coloring with my girls, playing “princess”, games, etc. etc.

How did I let go and “trust” it would all be fine when I returned? (1) Auto-responder to my emails letting people I was gone (and you know what? nothing burned down (except my brother house sitting did catch the microwave on fire) (2) The darling, talented, web savvy Sarah Bray, I paid her to manage new comments and she did a few checks on the site to make sure it was going well… what a life saver to have her! While I did pay her a little, really she did it as a friend, thank you soo much, dear Sarah! ;)

If I can help it I won’t be traveling with my laptop again!

How do you go on vacation? With or without email? laptop? etc? What do you prefer?

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6 Responses to “Victory! Vacation without Email, Web Access, or Cell!”

  1. Heather Allard on July 8th, 2008 10:33 am

    Kelly,
    Bravo! Good for you. It’s awesome to not be a slave to electronics, isn’t it? I’m so glad you experienced first hand the joy of taking a break from email, blogging, phone calls and laptops!

    As you know, I’m a BIG fan of the auto-responder. It can literally change your life if you give it a chance.

    Keep up the great work!
    Heather
    http://www.TheMogulMom.com

  2. Sarah Jane on July 8th, 2008 9:05 pm

    Kelly! I just went on a 2 week vacation, and my husband made me agree that I wouldn’t touch the laptop. I put my email on auto reply, and contacted anyone who I for saw needing to work with while I was gone and let them know that if they needed to get a hold of me, it was now or never.

    I had the jitters at first to, but to be honest, I didn’t miss a beat AND I was full of more energy, more ideas and more clarity upon returning. Being creative is ESSENTIAL when you are the fuel behind a business, but the first things that squelches creativity are pressures and deadlines. Letting yourself take a break from all of that is KEY to success. Stepping away only lets you step forward!

  3. sarahbray on July 9th, 2008 9:34 am

    Yay for vacations! You were definitely missed, but I am so glad it was such a refreshing one for you!

  4. Michelle McCullough on July 9th, 2008 12:51 pm

    Good for you, Kelly! I haven’t been on a vacation without my laptop for a long time, but I did it last week as well. We went to the Oregon Coast with my husband’s family. My brother-in-law brought his laptop and I wasn’t even tempted. I guess I would say that I needed it. It was important to me and my family and I knew that it wouldn’t be a vacation unless I pulled the plug. I’m better for it. I came back renewed and refreshed and I can think clearly again. I’m back into the swing of things and that feels good too. When I mix the two I never really feel like I’ve had a break.

  5. Janet Meiners on July 10th, 2008 1:25 pm

    Kelly,
    I just returned from my honeymoon last night. We were online a total of 2 hours in 4 days. Almost no one called and no text messages. It took a few hours to adjust to relaxing but once I did I enjoyed the slow pace of each day. We had a great time, recharged and are excited to now be home (which is a new home for me) and setting it up together.
    I actually put off getting online until now, almost 2pm.
    Missed you at the wedding but I’m glad to hear you had a great vacation too!
    Janet

  6. startupprincess on July 10th, 2008 3:03 pm

    Hello Everyone, thanks for all the great comments here and sharing of experiences.

    I was completely overwhelmed with the after-vacation To Do’s that I had to take a break for a bit from here… so glad to see other people are agreeing it’s good to disconnect while on vacations and to REALLY be away. I was at a party recently where one friend asked another friend to go camping and she wouldn’t commit until she knew if there was internet access for the weekend. It was so sad!

    Congrats to Janet, now Janet Thaylor (I hope I spelled that right!) we’re so happy for and your new marriage. Wish I could have been in Canada AND at your wedding, bummer that I missed it! Love to you.

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