Off the grid

Going off the grid sounded like a romantic notion

But when I was off the grid, anxiety was my predominant emotion

The reality of being unreachable appeared

Unsettling at the least – I feared

What would happen if there was a catastrophe

And my family needed to reach me urgently

Or if I had an accident in the wilderness

How in the world would help I access?

I looked repeatedly at my phone in dismay

The signal bars absent seemed to stay

I did not realize how much I had come to rely

On the internet, on omnipresent wi-fi

*

I ended up doing what I should have done anyway

Devoid of technology, I focused my attention that day

On exploring unspoiled nature with my family

My photographs could not be posted on social media obviously

I realized how the day’s travel experience

Was different from usual in every sense

I found I had freed up more mental space

To take in the beauty of a picturesque place