Thursday, February 19, 2009

You, too, can survive without the Internet.

For the last five days I have been Internet-deprived. And I'm here to say that I survived! It's so funny to think about what life would be like without the Internet, now that the world is dependent on it for business, communication, and LIFE. I didn't think I could imagine it until I fully experienced it.

I've been hanging out in the desert since Sunday, also know as Las Vegas for the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International convention (WPPI), without my good friend, the Internet. Now you may be asking, "Wasn't there internet at the hotel?" My response would be, "Why, yes, there was, but I'm also thrifty to the core and $15 for internet was not worth my hard-earned pennies." And while there was a FREE Wifi Lounge in the Trade Show sponsored by The Bui Brothers and FastTrack Photographer, I hardly had a spare moment to kick back in those incredibly comfy looking LoveSacs. Alas, I soldiered on.

My once chance encounter with the Internet was through an iPhone, which only further solidified the argument of why I should get one. Tuesday morning I had a photo shoot scheduled with Jeffrey Neal of JNP Studios from Orange County. I realized that I had not jotted down his phone number. It was trapped in my email, and checking email requires an Internet connection of some sort.

What did I do?

The MacGuyver in me took over. I had met for coffee with the lovely Kim of It's Just Kim Photography as well as her sister in law Shawna of StyleBerry Home and Emily Griffith of One Lime Photo from Minnesota. We were chatting away, and then it occurred to me that I could just borrow someone's iPhone to check my email. I had exhausted other options of trying to use Elana's LG Dare and calling Cent (all the way in Dallas) to check my email. Yeah, well I couldn't even remember Jeffrey's studio name. Ha! So then, in an act of mild desperation, I asked Emily to borrow her iPhone. She so kindly agreed, and I'm seriously indebted!

Then I also realized that this has been my LONGEST hiatus from Facebook. Yeah, I come from that generation of needing (almost obsessively) to check on what's new. It's kind of crazy. And as I sit here at the McCarran Airport, I'm holding out. I'm going to wait until I get back to the Bay Area. This is taking some serious self control people!

Well, I'm pooped. I'm tapped out. But I'm bursting with inspiration and great ideas for my business! A full recap on my week in Vegas for WPPI is coming up. Be on the look out for a fun night shoot and some familiar faces of the photography industry!!

2 comments:

Dustin and Aimee Hatcher said...

I totally know what ya mean. Didn't wanna pay the $15 daily fee for internet either so I attached my blackberry curve to my macbook over bluetooth and used it as a modem. Gotta do what ya gotta do to get to the internet! [haha such an addict!]

Elana B said...

i didn't last 2 days! good work lady. perhaps i gotta get me one of those new phones too...