Happy Monday friends!

How was your weekend? Mine was a wonderful escape and break from work and technology. Yesterday, Will and I chopped down trees all day in Northwestern Virginia. Together we cleared a space to plant apple trees in a few weeks. It was my first time driving a tractor and using a chainsaw. What a workout! There’s a video on Instagram of some of the action if you are curious.

Saturday entailed of a morning run into D.C., cleaning my apartment and hanging out with some friends for a game night. We played One Night Ultimate Werewolf, which I had never played before. It was quite fun, if you’re looking for a new game to play.

Sunday was extra special too because it was Maddie’s 14th birthday. I got her a peanut butter flavored Frosty Paw to enjoy and she absolutely loved being outside all day Sunday. She followed me and Will everywhere. For a ten pound, 14 year old dog, I was impressed by her stamina and happy to see her smiling throughout all the outdoor activities. Maddie has crashed today and is rating more than usual, but I can help but feel like that fresh, country air was just as good for her soul as it was for mine.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in front of computer screens, laptops and my cell phone recently, so I was craving some quality time outside. Unplugging on the weekends can be so valuable for my mind, eventhough I love social media and blogging. I have found it is really important for me to turn off the electronics or put them out of sight and just enjoy exactly where I am. If you haven’t done that recently, I highly encourage you to try it and let me know how it goes.

It is truly amazing what our highly connected world is capable of, but it is also very important to have face to face time with people we love. I recently read in the New York Times that people are becoming increasingly lonely. I was shocked just how many people live alone or live isolated lives. It is quite sad. I can’t help but feel that is due in part to the facade of connection that is fostered by social media.

People feel “virtually connected” to friends and family but they aren’t as connected as they would be if they were with each other in person. FaceTime, for example, lends this false sense of connectivity in its name alone. The name FaceTime suggests that we get a face-to-face connection when we video chat on that platform. I know that FaceTime can make us feel more connected than a text, email or standard phone call, but I still believe that true face time with someone is unparalleled. I worry that people are supplementing faux-connections through social media or technology and not getting the quality connection with others that they deserve (and are probably craving).

Do any of you crave time away from technology or true face time with your loved ones? I’d love to hear if you’ve had similar thought or completely different ones.

Cheers to a great week ahead!

Sarah Camille