[Disclaimer: I actually wrote this with pen-and-paper] 

This is also known as “fear of missing out” syndrome. Continuing with the theme that “knowledge is power” and my unrelenting habit to know all things…

here’s me on my phone, photo credit goes to Sadia

FOMO syndrome. At least that’s what Mashable calls it. Here’s the article. It’s funny and sad how much I can identify with the statistics. I am definitely guilty for looking at my phone right before bed and turning to it first thing in the morning. BUT I’m trying to cut back, I really do feel that it hinders a good-night-sleep. Today’s post is actually a transfer from paper to digital because last night I was challenged to a night of “no Internet”. And sure, it’s easy when you’re out doing something…but I didn’t have any plans. It was just me in my apartment, and I already painted my nails. It’s weird to say that I felt lucky that I was interning this morning and that meant an early night. Isn’t it also weird for me to think that it’s weird that I had to have a brainstorming session to come up with what to do for the rest of my night?
Here’s what I came up with (it took me a good 30 minutes):

Read, write (obviously), draw/doodle, find new word of the day, clean, organize, dance, sing, singing & dancing to vinyls, work out, shower, bake, write a poem, think, try to write a poem, think of what to wear tomorrow, paint toenails, throw away frivolous paper/food, clean bike, come up with my own quote and a plan to coin it, look the orchid in my room very closely, ride my bike (too hot…), make cocktail w/things in my house, see what could catch fire (but I shouldn’t), try to fill the last page of my Moleskine with something important, look up random words in the dictionary, think of names for other people’s kids, count coins, fold paper, try to find black construction paper…DO SOMETHING

And that was the end of my pen-and-paper…I ended up listening to my vinyls, baking, taking more-than-enough trips to the grocery store, and delivering my baked goods to some goofballs. I survived and I didn’t miss out on anything. That’s the thing: the Internet and it’s information (or whatever you’re going to call it) is always going to be there, I can always scroll through my FB newsfeed. But I can’t go back to intangible moments. Those moments are fleeting. This isn’t goodbye to blogging and social media, it never is. I just need to opt-out from time to time and to stop looking at my phone to start/end my day.

You are only truly missing out when you are not wealthy in moments.

Also here’s a shameless plug: if you have time and like to read about 3D printing, please read this blog post I wrote for the company I blog for here. I got some jokes in there too, so thank you in advance for reading it!