With both me and my partner working in the world of computers, it’s not surprising that our house is a haven for devices and technology. Nary a room doesn’t have some sort of plugged in knickknack (yes, even the bathroom).
So it’s surprising to many of our friends and family that we love the cottage so much. Our place is off the grid, with no power except a single solar panel to run some LED lights, no water except what we carry up in buckets, and definitely no internet connection or cell service. And it’s a relief. Anyone who has a smartphone knows how difficult it can be to turn it off for the weekend, ignore the email beeps, and leave business until Monday. It’s so much easier when the messages just go into a queue for you to download when you’re back in range.
For emergencies (when we’re up for a long time or expecting an important email), there is a small pocket of cell service, about 30 feet offshore. One cousin of mine is notorious for taking the paddleboat out in the morning and standing, very carefully, waving her Blackberry in the air, trying to catch her emails like butterflies in a net. In our fast-paced world, unplugging isn’t always practical, but the silence sure is nice.
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