Maui, Hawaii
A few days ago I received an email from Travaasa Hana anticipating my upcoming arriving and dropping one piece of information on me.
There is no internet anywhere in the resort
except for the lobby.
This is a very good thing to know in advance for someone addicted to the internet. Someone like me. But with my mother arriving only a few days ago I had already been minimizing my time online, cutting way back by only checking email 10 times a day instead of every 5 minutes.
I know I have a problem.
But I also know I can beat it. In Peru I hung out with the Hare Krishna for nine days and wasn’t online once. I have felt the immediate, panicky withdrawal symptoms. I know they will go away. I know that life will go on if I am not on Facebook.
It’s hard but it’s not so bad when you are in Maui.
And after landing in Travaasa I realized the no internet thing really fit the vibe you get there. Hana is not like the other side of the island, it is a lush, rainforest and incredibly small. There are no big resorts or tourist restaurants. Travaasa is the biggest resort but it’s been owned for generations and has changed very little. It’s a throwback to another time and feels like I should be in Dirty Dancing with the little cottages and activity sheets for the next day.
You can bet I was looking out for my Patrick Swayze.
So there was no Patrick Swayze but I did find something else. The joy of having nothing to do.
The sun woke us up at 6am in plenty of time for our 7am yoga class.
We ate breakfast on our patio looking out onto the ocean.
We walked into town to find a fruit stand so we could get snacks and breakfast for the next day.
We took a green juicing class from our yoga teacher Ruth, drinking each vegetable raw and then combining it with fruit to see what we would actually stomach at home.
We spent the afternoon reading, not interrupted by the beeping of iPhones or wondering if someone had emailed us. To break things up we went to the Travaasa spa for a massage.
We had a great dinner at the Hana Travaasa restaurant where my mother wondered how I would make this diver scallop dish. It was amazing but even I couldn’t dissect the ingredients.
We read some more and then went to bed knowing we’d be up with the sun again.
I had a lot of time to do nothing but think, write in my journal and think some more. After a few days of this I didn’t miss being online and really liked the lack of connectedness I had to the world. It made me realize, exactly what I learned last time with the Hare Krishna.
My addiction to the internet burns me out and drains my creativity.
But have no fear, I’m not announcing the end of Bacon is Magic but I am making the decision not to work on weekends. I figure people get a break from their jobs on the weekends so I will not be working on the blog. I’d love to say I go completely Internet-free but let’s start with baby steps.
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I'm Ayngelina and in my mid-thirties. I left an amazing job, boyfriend, apartment and friends to find inspiration in Latin America. I'm creating a new life choosing what I want instead of what other people think I should do.
I was just researching this resort for my upcoming anniversary. You have confirmed that is looks as wonderful as it sounded
Annette | Bucket List Journey recently posted..A Proper British Afternoon Tea in London
Annette this is a perfect places for couples, you can walk everywhere and things are so peaceful. The little cottages are so nice and there are hot tubs on the back patio.
This place looks wonderful and part of why you appreciate so much is you have the time to appreciate it – and the ability to focus on just being there.
I’m a huge proponent of getting way from the computer on the weekends. This summer I’m hoping for at least three five day periods with no service. That is now my idea of BLISS.
Leigh recently posted..Discovering Elk Island National Park Over A Long Weekend
I am really starting to see the value in it, but it really is an addiction and I become afraid something will happen and I won’t be there – it’s all so silly.
Oh that sounds lovely! Sometimes it’s really, really nice to just disconnect, whether for a few hours, or a few days.
Amanda recently posted..The Golden Gate Bridge: Still Awesome at 75
Let’s see if I can keep it up!
This resort looks like a place I would really enjoy since I love good, fresh food, yoga, and natural beauty. I like your idea of not working on the blog on the weekends. I need to set limits, too, but it’s hard because I squeeze in online time whenever I can since my kids take up most of my “free” time.
I really enjoyed it, I think I may look into doing some kind of wellness resort or yoga vacation in the next year.
Of course there are tons to choose from, but if you love funky and gorgeous (and I think you do), I would highly recommend Esalen on the Big Sur coast of California. When I was there, I never wanted to leave. They have nice work options if you can stay for a little while and want to get discounts.
Well if you never wanted to leave that is the best kind of recommendation.
I *completely* agree about the computer burning us out. I just sold my internet business after 10 years of having my chi sucked dry by these silicon monsters. By the end of summer I intend to begin travel with no return plans AND you can be assured that the internets will be a low priority
Where are you going first?
I haven’t had a cellphone in 2 years, and this Morocco trip is the first I’ve brought my laptop with me – and I use it sporadically. I opted to give it up – I don’t have an addiction – I love being disconnected and noticing the little things occuring around me. I feel more connected but to real life. Horrah for your baby steps!
Chrystal McKay recently posted..Photo of the Week: Palace of Westminster Silhouette
I need to be more like you. I didn’t have a phone until after a year of traveling, I had too many local friends that were annoyed they couldn’t reach me. When I was in Playa del Carmen I did that week with just my iPhone but not my laptop – that was a huge step for me.
That was a great place to unwind…you moreso than me as I am technically challenged with gadgets….but don’t forget the hottub right out side our patio door! Everyone should get to experience a weekend like this.
Yes the hot tub was definitely a nice touch.
WOW!!!! That is a huge decision. I can’t wait to see if you can keep it up. I would love to do something like that. Or cut myself off at 8PM.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Macau: Day 2 (Part 4)
Yeah I should also do a nightly cut off, sometimes I am on it far too late.
Great post! It’s so easy to get addicted to the Internet when it’s available but also such a great blessing when it’s not!!
It’s weird because we would never sit at the television all day but somehow the Internet seems acceptable.
Woohoo! Good for you, hun. I’m pathetically addicted to my computer and love having days that force me to be away from the online world. It makes me feel like I’ve actually done something as opposed to sit around staring at a screen all day.
Ceri recently posted..Joining the Circus (Part 1)
Yep no one looked back at a wonderful day and said they were happy they spent the entire time online.
Sometimes, we need to disconnect to reconnect. I am feeling a bit of internet burnout lately. I need to control my internet usage T_T
I had felt it for a while and knew I needed a break but just couldn’t do it, when Travaasa said it was part of their philosophy to help people disconnect I went with it and am glad I did.
The Internet makes me fat. I sit on the computer when my butt ought to be exercising. The Internet also makes me anti-social; ironically, I’m usually on social media sites or blogs. What a time suck. I love to hate you, Internet.
Good luck with the no weekend thing. I’m not going to even pretend to stop any more than I’m going to pretend to train for that half marathon I promised I’d do.
Leah Travels recently posted..Inside the House of Waterford Crystal (Part 1)
Leah – I have begun to solve the “makes me fat” problem by raising my desk by about 11 inches (23cm) and standing in front of it rather than sitting. After a couple of days I can feel it in my butt and legs – since they are constantly activated keeping me upright they are a little tired. One also moves around a little more, and it’s not so tempting to just sit and waste time – since one isn’t sitting!
Anyway.. so far so good. I think I may have to raise it a little more, and perhaps get a spongy pad for the floor to lessen the load on my feet a little.
It doesn’t help with being anti-social, though. :<
You and I have mirror relationships with the Internet, I definitely have a love/hate relationship although even before blogging I was addicted to it.
Sounds like a plan. I pretty much have a hate hate relationship with the internet. I need the connectivity for work and planning my various non-work activities, in addition to just wasting time.
Disconnecting on weekends sounds like a plan.
My sister disconnected from Facebook for 30 days and I would love to do that but honestly with the blog it’s not really an option for me.
It is very good sometimes become disconnect from internet
I absolutely adore unplugging ~ and I’ve gotten good at doing it 3-4 times a year. Life is too short to be glued to the internet.
JoAnna recently posted..Images: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park | Utah
I know! All along I knew I should be doing it, I heard that Internet entrepreneurs call it turtling. It really does help us but there is a sense of withdrawl when you aren’t connected all the time.
Looks like a great place to relax! I’m probably addicted to the internet as well, so I know what you mean about that panic. But it is nice to disconnect now and then. I think it’ll work out well for you to have a no blog on the weekends rule, that way you can still get your work done during the week and you know ahead of time you’ll have the weekend off.
Ali recently posted..Thoughts on One Year of Unemployment
I think knowing we can always work makes us less efficient. I read once that you should set time limits to work and you become much faster at completing them.
So you didn’t use the internet in the lobby? I actually like having just internet in the lobby area while traveling otherwise I have to catch myself spending too much time online when I should be out exploring. Taking the weekends off sounds like a great idea. I may have to try that sometime.
Christy recently posted..President Hotel Splendid in Taormina, Sicily
I decided that I really needed to take a break so if I scheduled things in advance there would be no need to use the lobby internet. Emails don’t need to be responded to the same day, they can wait a few days.
Once you get over the withdrawal symptoms, I find it can be really liberating to unplug and go without internet for a few days. That’s the kind of resort I can get behind… the one that my husband and I ended up at in Puerto Rico that had no air conditioning, and had huge holes in the screens on the windows, and rolling brownouts so that our overhead fan kept failing? That’s a bit too unplugged for comfort!
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted..Scanning the Skies for New Japan Exit Plans
Ahh yeah that is far too unplugged for me. But I am really going to try not to work weekends, it just makes so much more sense.
Sounds and looks like an amazing experience. Really cool that you’ll give up working on weekends.
I’d have such a hard time not being on the Internet … friends always complain I pay too much attention to my iPhone. Maybe I should follow this advice too!?
cheryl recently posted..A Day At The Baltic Sea In Sopot, Poland.
I pay too much attention to my phone as well and I hate how other people look at theirs when having meals together yet I find myself doing it alone. It’s like we are afraid of downtime.
I went to a yoga retreat last year where there was no internet and the first day was terrible, but I did kind of get into it. I like the idea of no internet on weekends.
Laurel recently posted..Cap der Formentor: My Favorite Place in Mallorca
Magical Hana! Why don’t I live there? One day I will retire from being retired and frolicking around the globe and Hana is where I plan to end up! Glad you enjoyed your time there!
Alexandra recently posted..Heavenly Hana in Maui
Well that’s what Chuck from Ono Farms did, he had such great stories about traveling and then seemed content to just go back to Hana and start farming.
Wow, those juices look amazing.
Yeah one thing I inadvertently learnt from working on cruise ships is the value of unplugging. I’m now more productive than I’ve ever been.
Roy Marvelous recently posted..How I’ve Used $6186 To Travel Around The World For 8 Years
I hope I am moving in the right direction towards productivity.
What a perfect way to disconnect. I’ve never heard of the place you stayed at, but would love to go there next time I’m in Maui. Disconnecting on the weekend is a great idea, hard to do these days, but I think we should all try it.
You know there are only two locations, Maui and Austin TX – I know how odd. But I really want to go to the Austin one soon.
Ever since I’ve been blogging I tend to forget the joys of having nothing to do! I also hate it when I go do something and all I can think of is: This make for a great blog post! Thanks for sharing this place with us and reminding us that some days, we should just disconnect. Ooppss commenting on a blog on a weekend- not good!
It’s been tough but I am really trying to cut back. I think blogging means you can spend endless hours online and then discount it as “work”
Hana looks lovely. I’m looking forward to a little techno-detox next week when we’re at the Pehrentian Islands. Looking forward to it for my husband just as much as me. He is always half with me and half connected to his laptop. I didn’t purposefully book somewhere without wifi in the room. I was actually a bit worried about it. Now I see it as a happy bonus!
Bethaney – Flashpacker Family recently posted..Exploring Southern Thailand’s Mainland
Omg I know how you feel. I told my fiance that I would live in a cave as long as it had central heating and high speed internet
Jade Johnston recently posted..Beer Tour Of Fremantle
Between the fresh juice, the 7 am yoga and the no interwebs I feel healthier and more relaxed just reading this post. We all struggle with the online/offline thing and I don’t know anyone who’s really aced it. Just saw an interview with some dude who didn’t use the internet for a year which made me panicked and jealous at the same time.
Karen @ Trans-Americas Journey recently posted..Civil War Gets Real – Suchitoto, El Salvador
It’s a tricky one to be sure. Especially when the internet is so intrinsic to running a successful blog. Or maybe it just makes us feel like we’re running a successful blog. Hmm. Balance is the answer
Laurence recently posted..In photos: from the Facebook Page (Edition i)
We’ve had to disconnect a couple of times lately and I love it. So good for the soul and the creativity. I’m aiming to do it more often as well.
This resort sounds divine
Caz Makepeace recently posted..22 Reasons to Cruise on Carnival Spirit
I do not know this “joy of having nothing to do” of which you speak? Even when we don’t have WiFi access, like our trips to the Galapagos and the Peruvian Amazon, our itinerary is usually so packed with adventure that we barely have time to eat. Sometimes I’d love to know what it’s like to experience “slow travel…”
Bret @ Green Global Travel recently posted..DOMINICA- Day 1 Photo Gallery
Your picture of the fruit stand reminded me of a delightful couple of hours walking among stalls in Lanai.
Congrats on making the “100 Reasons To Travel” list by Trip Logic – http://goo.gl/7yH6Q. As a fairly new blogger, I was pleased to make the list as well (# 16).
If you have a moment, check out my admittedly quirky travel blog at http://www.travelbyterry.com. It’s a fun read, or meant to be at least. ;0)
Maui sounds heavenly! Thanks for the tip.
Ish recently posted..Project 366 – 2012: The First Half