Hopefully when you're reading this I will be feeling happy and relaxed on our first family holiday.
One of the things I'm most looking forward to while I'm away is some time away from the computer. Since I started blogging at the end of last year, my time spent online at home has sky-rocketed. Writing blog posts, commenting on blogs, and spending hours on Twitter now take up most of my free time in the evenings. A few people have blogged about the problems this can cause, such as Josie at Sleep is for the Weak, who thinks she needs to live more and blog less, and Karin at Cafe Bebe who wrote about how blogging has caused tension with her husband.
I feel I'm gaining a lot from my time online, including forging some great new friendships, and rediscovering a love for writing, but I'm losing out too. I can't remember the last book I read, craft projects are gathering dust, and I rarely find time to cook anything new and interesting. But the biggest thing I think I'm missing out on is quality time with Young Daddy. It's hard enough when you have young children to find time for your relationship, but when one of you has their face stuck to a computer screen all evening, it's even harder. I know he understands that the blogging is a form of stress-relief and enjoyment for me, but I think he wishes I would cut down on the time I spend doing it.
While I expect to feel slightly twitchy for the first few internet-free days on holiday, I can't wait to spend my evenings reading, chatting and playing games. I've packed a couple of books, travel scrabble (Young Daddy and I get super-competitive playing this) and my long-neglected cross-stitch and I hope it's warm enough to sit outside in the evening with a glass of wine and my husband (notice which one came first - sorry husband!) and put the world to rights.
The cross-stitch project I've been working on neglecting since Christmas
I find being online a bit like a constant buzz in my head, so some quiet time to reflect will probably be the most relaxing aspect of our trip.
What has blogging caused you to give up? Have you had to sacrifice other interests? Do you feel you spend too much time online?
