This summer I spent 4 glorious days off grid in East Sussex, with no electricity and the internet turned off. It was just me, my partner, and our little sausage dog Nelson. It’s the first time I’ve done a trip like this and I can’t wait to do it again (there's lots of little cabins popping up all over the internet now). I’d like to share with you what I learnt from this experience, because there truly is so much joy in escaping the everyday.
“The appeal of the cabin lies in the rituals of living closer to nature and living with less.”
“The simplicity of purpose at the cabin serves as a remedy to the excesses of contemporary life and as a necessary counterpoint to the intensity inherent in our digitally connected world.”
“Our material possessions are pared down to the essentials and as such we connect to nature, time and ourselves in a different way.”
A few beautiful quotes about going off grid, perfectly summing up why life in the cabin is so special. Now let’s dive into my personal joys…
1. I loved the feeling of not having to do anything, or be anywhere. There’s no to-do lists or appointments to attend. The day is completely yours to do with what you want, with no outside pressure. We live in a world where our diaries are always packed (anyone else struggle to get a date in with a group of friends!?). Imagine having a few days where there’s absolutely nowhere to be, and that even includes dinner reservations on holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I love going out for dinner on holiday, but it was also nice eating exactly when we felt like it and not having to cut our day short to get ready for a reservation.
2. You learn what it’s like to go back to your primal roots, with no electricity and just fire to cook with. We ate some incredible meals all cooked over an open flame or in the wood-fired pizza oven. We also had to use oil lamps when the sun went down. I felt like I was in one of those old movies where they go bed holding an oil lamp to find their way in the dark. It felt like a little glimpse of what life would have once been like.
3. You feel less guilty about your carbon footprint. I love to travel and I definitely take more flights than I should, but knowing that I was having a much lower ecological impact here made me feel good, and also inspired to do more for the environment. This trip has made me think more about my own personal impact on the environment.
4. You stop comparing yourself/ your life/ your happiness to everyone else. You’re in your own little bubble and your happiness is completely yours, not to be judged by anyone else and not to worry about whether it stacks up against what everyone else is doing. Without the internet I had no idea what everyone else was up to, and I found that so refreshing. I was having the best time and it didn't matter what other people were doing.
5. You become more creative and ideas start to flow more freely. I’m a big dreamer at the best of times, but I let my mind wander even more here and I’ve got even more plans and ideas for the future. Without the distractions of everyday life you’re free to just dream. The world is full of endless opportunities and sometimes we need to get out of our confined worlds and diaries to feel it.
6. You become more in touch with nature. Nature is incredible, and the more time you spend in it the more in awe of it you become. During my time here I’ve been reading Braiding Sweetgrass – a book on the wisdom of plants. The more I learn the more fascinated I become. We are all connected and we need to protect this beautiful planet.
7. You learn to just be. We live in a world where you wear your busy-ness as a badge of honour – it makes you look popular or like you’re doing something with your life. But we’re human be-ings, not human do-ings – it’s important to know how to just be still and present, sitting with your thoughts and watching the world. We don’t always need to be doing something.
8. You can have fun without the need of expensive gadgets, fancy restaurants etc. Reading, swimming in the refreshing lake, stargazing, playing table tennis. All of these are simple things, but all brought me so much joy.
9. I feel more connected to my partner. We spent quality time together without the distractions of everyday life like phones and TV, and actually just sat in each others presence and talked. I love human connection, I love just sitting and talking and feeling like I’ve got someone’s full attention.
10. That I want to do this again! I’ve had a taste of life off-grid and what life used to be like hundreds of years ago, and a part of me wishes I could have lived during this time. Life would have been much simpler. But I also love so many things about the modern world, so I guess a few days off-grid every year will have to do.
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