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Farmhouse 1820

DIY, Home and Garden, Food

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Little Bit of Country, Little Bit of Wifi

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I always liked to think that I was a country girl.  Of course I would be – I live the part.  We live in an old farmhouse.  We have some land.  We are surrounded by farm animals, and horses that ride by on a regular basis.  I love the choir of crickets and the morning songs of birds.

Yet sometimes, I still crave even more of a slow down, and I wouldn’t be truly honest if I didn’t include a little peace and quiet as well.  I’m in good company, I know.

A few days ago, I set out to visit my parents down in Georgia.  I left our countryside (which is about an hour north of New York City) and headed down to their countryside in the north Georgia mountains.

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My sister picked me up at the airport and we were on our way, with iPads, iPhones and laptops in tow.  Two and a half hours north of the airport and we were in the country.

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After all hugs and greetings, by habit, I went to check my email.

No wifi.

Me:  “Daddy!  What’s up with your wifi???!!!!”

Daddy:  “It’s hit or miss.”

He said it like it was nothing.  But to me, those words were so foreign.  It was a statement that I just couldn’t comprehend.  I tried to convince myself that I was there for a family visit, not to pour over social media.  Instagram and Pinterest could wait.

But not really.

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Day one passed, and it was fine.  I had that slow down that I was craving.  And boy, was it a slow down.  Then came day two.  I was texting Sean with one foot out the door and my arm extended up toward the sky, desperately trying to keep that one bar of wifi juice.

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I couldn’t get my email.

I couldn’t check out Instagram.

Pinterest – forgetaboutit.

I was wifi stooged and in a panic.  Here I was, a so-called country girl who was in the country and desperately wanted to stay connected.

But to no avail.

Anxiety was kicking in, and maybe even a little panic.

It forced me to think about just how much of a country girl I was.  ‘

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True, my idea of country is the choir of crickets, the birds greeting me in the morning, and the owls keeping me company as I lie awake at night.  But I like all of this with the comfort of knowing that I can stay connected.

Like one hour north of NYC.  I found that is about as country as I get.

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Though I had a lovely visit with my parents, and solidified my strong bond with my sister, I found that I am definitely a little bit country and a little bit wifi.

Comments

  1. Jen Y says

    I laughed as I read this, I do the same thing except I really want to take time to live without the connections(well, connection..I only have wifi at home because I don’t use a cell phone).

    I’m in northwest Arkansas & though I’m rural I’m not so rural that I don’t have dependable service. I do wish I had the discipline to do more screen-free days. I’m good at leaving it a home but I still connect every day.

    I just read another post about this from one of my favorite Canadian bloggers: https://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2016/03/a-soundtrack-free-for-the-taking-inspiration-daily-junk-mail.html
    A motivating short read.

    –Did you know there’s an area in West Virginia where it’s illegal to have wifi? I grew up south of there so maybe I’ve inherited some of their independence & curiosity! 😉 https://www.yahoo.com/style/the-west-virginia-town-where-wireless-signals-are-illegal-191901444.html

    Love reading your blog & the pics in this post are beautiful.

  2. Joyce says

    Hahaha I love this. I think I am the same! I once spent time in rural Australia and couldn’t actually sleep because the sound of silence was too loud. Also, I kinda need my wifi. 😛

  3. Shannon says

    I adored Georgia when I went… except I was more in the city areas, Savannah and the area surrounding. The choir of crickets is my absolute favorite thing about the country!!! I find that on my phone in the winter to meditate to or if I can’t sleep because it’s that soothing to me. And don’t feel bad, I’m sure any of us bloggers would get a little bit of panic from no wifi!! *thegoodthingscomin.wordpress.com

  5. Lindsey says

    My sister’s farmhouse has no wifi as well. It’s so weird not having it whenever I go out to visit but they just don’t get coverage out there. It’s amazing how different they live with just one simple difference.

  10. Rachel Kaly says

    Haha! Its so sad how dependent on it we are. It is really nice to just unplug and ignore it for a couple days though. It gives me a great sense of peace, but its great when you get to reconnect after a bit!

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