No internet, no cell phone signals...

[ivyblossom]

 I have to do this thing next week, in a different time zone, where I'll be busy all day but presumably have downtime (I have no idea what's involved, but it's a professional thing, development related), but there is NO INTERNET and NO CELL SIGNAL. And the rooms we're staying in have NO TVs. For a WEEK.

I have always held that I am in no way "addicted" to the internet. I don't believe such a thing is actually possible. If you hate your life and you opt to create a new one using online tools (been there), the issue isn't the internet. It's that you hate your real life. 

But man, the idea of not being online for a whole week is making me a bit...shuddery.

It's a reality, I'm going to have to deal with it. I'm replete with every gadget and tool you can imagine, so now I'm in the probably enviable position of getting to choose which of my toys to bring with me.

I mean obviously the iphone comes with. I need it back and forth from the airport at the very least. (Is it technically possible to get 3G if you can't get a cell connection? I'm guessing not.) iPad? It's got books on it. I could read them. I could...take notes, right? I take notes on it all the time. It's currently my go-to semi-mobile computer (semi mobile: I'm moving from seated position to seated position, say, from my office to a conference room, or from session to session at an event. Moving around, but sitting for long stretches). 

Do I bring some media (movies, Sherlock episodes, the entire Avatar: the last airbender, all the Doctor Whos)  on a USB key and bring my netbook? I could watch stuff on that. (Do I really need to do that? I mean, there will be other people. It's like...a retreat. With people I don't currently know. Should I avoid this in order to socialize? Not that I'm unlikely to socialize, I'm totally an extravert, no problem.)

Maybe I could keep a kind of offline diary of some sort. It would be so weird for me to have no outlet to record my various thoughts and experiences. Electronic but not online journal? Could use the netbook OR the iPad for that, I suppose. Even the iphone in a pinch.

Or do I bring my actual laptop? I almost never take it out of my house at this point, given the wealth of other mobile and semi-mobile devices I have. But...what if I wanted to do some writing? Some actual writing, maybe that's how I spend my offline time. Writing reams of stuff I post when I get home. Do I bring a full keyboard for that, or pat it out on the idevices or the netbook?

I am FROZEN WITH INDECISION. PLZ HOPE ME.

Comments

randomly here via Network

[ilyena_sylph]

OH GODS OH GODS.

I did that two years ago, training for my job.

Never Again.

It made me Totally Crazy.

Re: randomly here via Network

[ivyblossom]

WAIL!

Do you have any advice? I'm trying to forestall and crises. IS THERE ANY WAY TO COPE?

[tehomet]

I guess if you feel like you might be wanting to write, bring the laptop. Otherwise, bring the media on a USB key and the netbook. You can write on it in a pinch, for journalling, and watch stuff on it too. And it's smaller and lighter. I know the iPad would suffice as well, but I imagine it's not quite as versatile, and the iPhone would be too fiddly. I'd also bring a book, as your venue sounds quite retro.

Personally, although I loathe not having net access, I never bring anything electronic when I travel, not even a phone. As I don't want to worry about losing/breaking/dropping things or having them stolen, or having hassle with plugs and chargers and so on. But you're going on a work trip, which is a totally different situation.

[ivyblossom]

Yeah, I was thinking about the laptop for writing, but I LOATHE carrying this thing around. And I have a 4 hour flight to get there, so I'd have to check it in my luggage. :/ Netbook is a possibility, though this weekend I've been experimenting with writing on the ipad and it's honestly not so bad. I was writing in docs though, which I won't be able to do without the interwebs.

And yeah, it's a work thing, so I have to bring SOME stuff. They haven't given very clear guidelines about what they're expecting me to have. I've been really embracing the online tools like whoa lately (it's actually my job to do so, the term "emerging technologies" is in my job title), so letting go now is probably the most surprising and unexpected thing I've been asked to do!

[bonibaru]

You can do it! I promise! I've done it before ... you just have to get through the first two days ... and the rest is cake!

[ivyblossom]

I might call you from a pay phone crying...

[bonibaru]

I will be prepared!