Brian and I just bought a beautiful home in the country, north of Silverthorne, CO.  We are next door (literally) to a trailhead, a creek and have a mountain range in our front yard.  It’s an older home, but we are all set to turn it into the ski lodge of our dreams.  Truly, we bought the place for the stunning views of the Gore Range and the Williams Fork Range.  It’s an amazing place, both inside and out.  With abundant wildlife, easy recreational access for skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, riding motos and hiking, it’s the perfect spot for us.  It’s a true Mountain Happy Place for us!

One thing we didn’t quite count on, however, was the severe lack of internet access we would encounter.  No cable, no DSL… not even cell service.  That is going to leave us with satellite internet, which is expensive, slow and meters usage similar to a cell-phone data plan.  In our very connected world we live in, this is going to be tough to unplug.  We know we can do it.  In our Forest Service days, we would go for months on end without being online.  But this will be a little different, since it’s our day-to-day lives over the period of many years.  I’m actually interested to see how much time I gain back in my life, when I’m not on the computer all the time.

I decided to make a list of some things I love to do that are better than sitting in front of a computer, surfing the internet.  When I’m bored because I’m not online, I plan on referring back to this.

THINGS TO DO BESIDES SURFING THE INTERNET:

1. Enjoy a sunrise with a cup of hot cocoa.
2. Curl up and sit by a fire.
3. Dance party while doing the dishes.
4. Clean the house.
5. Clean and organize the gear.
6. Go for a walk with Scotty. Or just snuggle with Scotty.
7. Go outside with binoculars and look for wildlife.
8. Go running, go to Crossfit or just get a workout in.
9. Read a good book. Bonus points if it’s by the fire.  Double bonus if you learn something new.
10. Play cribbage, cards or trivia.
11. Watch a good movie (on a dvd *gasp* or satellite tv)
12. Watch a bad movie and laugh a lot.
13. Write a letter or a thank-you note.
14. Blog.
15. Attempt to craft or scrapbook. Include photos of Pinterest fails.
16. Work on a garden.
17. Call a friend and catch up.
18. Go for a hike. Short or long, just get outside.
19. Hop on a paddleboard.
20. Plan meals and/or actually cook them.
21. Work on a house remodel project. Painting, bathroom, floors, kitchen… the options are limitless.
22. Do laundry… and actually fold it.
23. Watch a sunset with a cold drink in hand.
24. Go outside and look at the stars. Learn some constellations while you’re at it.
25. Play my guitar.
26. Snowshoe or XC-Ski
27. …Is it a powder day? If so, you shouldn’t even be reading this list and you should be on a chairlift.