A chance to get away from technology
Picture this: a tent cabin in the Sierra Nevada. There are four
cots inside. And a welter of clothing, towels, playing cards, books
and water toys.
And cell phones. And iPods. And a laptop computer.
What’s wrong with this picture?
A chance to get away from technology
Picture this: a tent cabin in the Sierra Nevada. There are four cots inside. And a welter of clothing, towels, playing cards, books and water toys.
And cell phones. And iPods. And a laptop computer.
What’s wrong with this picture?
I remember a time, about three or four years ago, when you couldn’t even get cell service in this particular location. It’s a camp that my family has been going to for many years near Pinecrest Lake. It is near the summit of the Sierras, some 30 miles north of Sonora, and while not totally remote, is still pretty woodsy.
This area is all about enjoying the great outdoors – hiking, fishing, swimming in the lake, boating, bird-watching, or what have you. It is about abandoning the trappings of civilization and getting back to the earth.
Or at least I thought it was. Guess I was wrong.
High-tech gadgetry has invaded the great outdoors.
In this family camp, there is now wireless Internet access, extending to all the cabins as well as in the main gathering area.
Of course, cell phones and iPods have been ubiquitous for the past few years. But for some reason, the laptops are more troubling to me.
I guess the difference is that a laptop commands most of your attention and you should be sitting down while you’re using it. At least, with cell phones and iPods, you can hike or do other outdoor activities while putting them to work.
Not so a laptop.
Most of the other people who came to this camp didn’t seem too bothered by the new development. In fact, they were downright happy about it.
There they were, using their laptops in the lodge, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, as they checked their e-mail and caught up on their favorite blogs.
Oh come on, people. You’re on holiday. Can’t you think of something better to do?
Now I have to make a full disclosure here. While I was there last week, I did use my son’s laptop to do a few things, but only because I had a commitment to fulfill – not for my usual freelance writing, but for a volunteer task that I had promised to do, and in fact was overdue on.
I was grateful for the laptop and the Wi-Fi, but it did feel strange to be doing something while on vacation that felt vaguely like work. Not to mention the oddness of simply being able to access the Internet from camp.
I got my little volunteer job done, and then attempted to resist the siren call of the laptop after that. I think I did pretty well, considering that when I’m at home, I check e-mail and favorite Web sites a few times a day. Well, maybe more than that.
Yes, I’m as addicted as just about anyone else in this world, but I did manage to give it up for a little while.
I do like the idea of taking a break from technology every so often. Sometimes, it’s a relief to be away from the television, the Internet, and much of the other noise that is part and parcel of our daily lives.
Sometimes, you just have to get away from it all. Which is why people go up to the mountains. Isn’t it?
