Whenever I come back from overseas, I like how much clarity I gain about what’s important and what’s not. I pack light, so sometimes all I have is a book to entertain me – sometimes not even that, so I’m forced to watch and listen to what’s around me, be present and to think.
I also make it a point to check and respond to email minimally if it’s a work trip, and to not use the internet at all if it’s a holiday. It’s refreshing how all the information that clamors for my attention, which seems so essential back home, just fades away into the background without consequence.
It makes me wonder again, how much of my digital clutter is really essential. I’ve become more keenly aware that there’s a real line between consuming and creating, and while I’m doing one I can’t be doing the other.