No, not one of those virtual vacations where you look up the place you wish you had the money to visit on Google Maps. I’m talking about the vacation I took away from the Internet over the last week and a half.

I was house-sitting for the family I usually babysit for while they took a trip. It was just me and the two giant dogs in an empty house. Considering this took the place of my normal work week, I had a lot of free time. Usually, I would spend said free time messing around on the Internet or playing games on my iPod over the internet. This time, though, I didn’t have an Internet connection.

It was actually wonderful. I still used my computer a lot, but I got things done on it. I learned how to use Flash, I wrote almost 5,000 words on a story I’ve been trying to get started for a long time, and I did a lot of reading. Finished three books in a week. Then there was the just plain creative time I had. I knit two pairs of gloves (which you will see on Thursday), drew my first fashion illustration in a while (coming next week), and spent a lot of time singing and practicing on my guitar.

It got me thinking about all the things I could get accomplished in the afternoons when I do work  if I were to limit the time my Internet connection was running. So, for at least the next two weeks (because then I am supposed to be without Internet again for a week), I am going to try turning off the Wi-Fi connection on my computer until 4pm*. That’s when I usually sit down and start watching TV for the evening, so my productivity is beginning to wane at that point anyway. That way I will hopefully be able to get more things done.

Who’s with me? Does anybody else sit down at the computer to “check something quickly” and then look up to see that three hours have flown by?

*Except when I actually have something to do, like post this. But that is still being productive since it’s something I can mark off my to-do list for the day.