Unplugging

It's the night before Spring Break and I'm about to unplug. Disconnect. I'm headed off to the Navajo Nation, an American Indian Reservation, on an alternative break. We'll be flying into Albuquerque, New Mexico and sort of road-tripping through the Nation, mostly in New Mexico and also in Arizone. We will also briefly be in the Hopi Reservation. In order for everyone to get the most out of the trip and really be in touch with what is happening around us and to connect to the group, we're unplugging. No cell phones, no Ipods after the planes (....except I might cheat to fall asleep at night....), and no computer/internet. I'm excited to really disconnect and be out in a new place and in nature. Lately I think I've been too connected- constant refreshing of my Facebook homepage, working on countless Google docs for my internship (I dislike that I can access these from home and so am capable of working from home...), sending hundreds of emails for my internship, and, hate to say it, even learning about the web in class. It's just alot of technology and it's hard to take a breath sometimes!
In parts of the Navajo Nation, so I've been told so far but I hope to see, there are areas and homes that could be wired to electricity, but simply choose not to be. I've been without electricity for camping trips, etc. and I've been in and seen very rural and poor areas while studying abroad in South Africa, but generally these communities wanted to have the resources of electricity but simply could not afford it or gain access to it. These people choose not to have it in their lives, and I find this intriguing. So for this week I will disconnect and take a breath of fresh air...and then hope to return to the connected world a bit refreshed (haha internet pun!)

Have a good break everyone!