19 September 2024
As much as there are a lot of advantages to living in the countryside, such as better quality of life, better air quality, being closer to nature, and eating newly harvested vegetables and fruits, there are also a lot of disadvantages too, such as being distant to the city, offices, and malls, and inconvenient transportation. However, there is one thing I hate the most about living in my province: unstable internet connections and power outages that often happen, especially on weekends and in bad weather conditions. I guess many Filipinos here are aware of these challenges of living in the provinces.
Although I am already aware of these circumstances, it is still disappointing, especially when I wake up on the weekend and the power is off, which is supposed to be a perfect time to do a movie marathon with my siblings. Moreover, I sometimes have unfinished tasks to do on my freelance side hustles.
However, instead of looking at it negatively, I find ways to make my day worthwhile while disconnected from technology. I remember what I wrote two years ago in response to one of the engagement topics on HL community, it was related to disconnecting from technology. I stated there that once I get back home, I'll disconnect from technology and do some things on my list. Although I couldn't do some of those things, at least, I was able to disconnect from technology. Thanks to the power outage, I guess?
It is undeniable that there are a lot of benefits when we are disconnected from technology. One of those is an increase in creativity and productivity. Since I can't connect to technology, I use the opportunity to reconnect with my hobbies for arts and do other more valuable things. Here are things I usually do when there is a power interruption.
Cross-stitching
I've been keeping this unfinished cross-stitch pattern for years, as in since 2019. Can't you believe it? I got busy online when I found some side hustles, and abandoned my cross-stitching hobby. I should say, I chose earning online over making art, lol. Then I started traveling to different places in Hong Kong, which made my cross-stitch even more forgotten. After five years, I finally have time to continue cross-stitching. It's the Last Supper pattern, which I planned to frame and display in the kitchen once done. Since that day, I spend a small amount of time each day doing it so that I could finish it soon. I am even more excited to see it displayed on our kitchen wall next to our dining table. I also want to order some more patterns online once I get more time.
Art Scratching
I have this night view scratch set gifted by my boss's daughter a few years ago but has only been scratched when I had a vacation last year. I wasn't able to finish it, though. Now, it is finally done! I could do whatever I want to it after. I am planning to make wooden frames and display them in my room. I love any form of art because the process of doing it feels satisfying. And at some point, I tend to forget whatever unfinished task or problems exist in reality as I focus on doing art.
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I love this art scratching specifically because the views are beautiful. While doing so, I became more inspired to visit Paris and the whole Europe someday. It has been one of my dreams! I want to see, especially the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and feel how romantic it is being there. I want to visit some iconic landmarks in London and England and some palaces in different parts of the UK. I want to visit different tranquil parts of Europe and hopefully settle for good in one of those places. Otherwise, New Zealand is another option. A big dream, isn't it? Hopefully, I could make it someday.
Visiting our farm
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I thought it was a perfect time to visit our farm since I had nothing to do anymore. It was my first time visiting the farm after seven long years. We recently harvested some rambutan fruits, so I opted to join my siblings. I'll give you a small tour of our (messy) small farm in a separate article one of these days. You know me guys as a nature lover, and this can't be taken off the list of things I want to do when disconnecting from technology. Oftentimes, I would simply walk by the river and feel the warmth of the sun while enjoying the natural views. Doing so is also good therapy for my eyes and body.
Last but not least...
Playing with little niece
If the power is out, my little niece is in. She is too adorable and always wants to catch anyone's attention at home. She likes to play and go outdoors; of course, her auntie likes going outdoors too. It is such a view seeing her chasing ducks sometimes. This adorable kid has been my source of entertainment recently. She likes taking too much of my time, and I can't resist her charm. No one can resist her charm anyway. It's always worth while spending time with her.
So those were the things I've done when the power is out. It's not really bad to experience power interruption when you have other ways to enjoy the day.
What about you? How do you disconnect from technology?
Thanks for your time.
Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can. Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. ©All Rights Reserved 2024 (Unless Otherwise Stated)