Fasting from Electricity
The steady breeze from the river almost knocked me over as I was walking across the bridge. Sixty pounds worth of camping gear strapped to my back made me rather unstable. I’m a clumsy walker too, so that added insult to injury.
People were laying on the horn as they drove past me. I wasn’t even 3 miles into my 17-mile walk and I was dripping with sweat from head to toe. I stopped in the closest spot with shade and looked out over the edge of the bridge; I was a second away from walking back home and throwing in the towel on the whole trip.
Why did I ever consider walking to Koreshan State Park? I must be insane.
So, I opted for Lovers Key State Park on Estero Island, a waterfront state park that has free camping in a very small area about 200 yards away from the beach. Thinking this would be a little bit closer, I forced my sweaty self back into walking mode and slowly walked to Estero Island.
How do you disconnect from the digital and electrical powered world that we, including myself, rely on so heavily?
By spending a full 48 to 72 hours without electronics out in the wilderness. So that is exactly what I forced myself to do.
No vehicles allowed of any sort either. That would make traveling way too easy.
Telling my boss, colleagues, family, and girlfriend that I wouldn’t be available from Friday night to Monday morning because I was going “camping” by myself was kind of rough.
My mom and girlfriend were worried sick from the minute I told them. My dad was excited for me and asked if he could tag along, which made me smile. My boss was upset but understanding after I explained to him why I was doing this.
They all assumed I was going out to “find myself” in the wilderness, which, in hindsight, is pretty close to the truth.
A few weeks ago, a hurricane wiped out the power grid in Southwest Florida, which forced many Floridian residents to live without power for weeks.
While planning this electronic-free trip I got some great interviews by talking to people who were without power for weeks on end. Being without power turned out to be a blessing in disguise for quite a few folks around the Lee County area. It was also a good practice run for myself in regard to this no-power experience.
Arriana Pavone, a hairstylist and resident of Fort Myers, was without power for seven days after Hurricane Irma barreled through the west coast of Florida and worked its way up in Georgia and the northern states of Carolina. She said that having no power was very revitalizing for her and her entire family.
“It was really nice to disconnect for a little while, and it forces you to be around each other more and get your face away from the screens,” Pavone said.
“We were forced to go outside, and it freed up your mind up from added chaos.”
Speaking to Pavone got me super excited for my trip. I knew it was gonna be tough but it would be well worth it in the end.
After some much-needed practice of setting up my tent, hours spent buying nonperishable food and time spent preparing my fishing gear and tackle box, I was ready for the full experience of no power for the weekend.
Koreshan State Park, in Estero, Florida, has a massive camping site with banyan trees surrounding the entire campgrounds. Estero River flows directly through the park so sounds of birds chirping and water flowing can be heard 24 hours a day and seven days of the week.
Lovers Key ended up being three miles farther than Koreshan State Park but a much more preferable location for myself because I feel most at home when I am near the ocean. I figured, if I am going to be in the wild, I should spend the time closest to my favorite place anyway: the ocean and the beach.
If you have never set up a tent in the sand, I recommend not doing it unless you really have to. I practiced setting up in my yard since the original plan was to hit the campgrounds of Koreshan, but since I changed my mind very last-minute, I had not planned for this rather sandy “bump” in the road.
The stakes did not hold the tent down whatsoever in the sand, and the tent collapsed on me the first night because a gust of wind tried to steal the tent from me. Ever tried rebuilding a tent with dim candlelight? It wasn’t happening.
So, I threw on my jacket, stuffed myself into my sleeping bag and slept underneath a moonlit sky. I think the tent collapsing was a sign that I was supposed to witness the moon and the sky in the way they are meant to be seen — away from all the city lights and as bright as spotlights shining at you from the clouds.
I was very much at ease while sleeping outdoors. It was more than just camping since I did not have any electronic items with me. No flashlights, no portable fans. Nothing besides camping gear, food, water and fishing gear. The breeze flowed through my salty hair, and my pillow was made of piled-high sand, which was more comfortable than expected.
I was eaten alive by mosquitoes overnight and torn out of my slumber by fire ants crawling up my sleeves. I decided to take a dip in the ocean to rid myself of the remaining ants and figured that the itchy red bumps from both the mosquitoes and fire ants would be soothed by the saltiness of the ocean. The temperature of the water was cool to the touch and felt incredible.
The second day was brutally hot and humid since it was only the middle of September.
I attempted to spend most of my time fishing. I was also trying keep my mind off of the millions of other things that were happening online.
And then, as I was fighting pelicans for fish, it happened…
My senses, all of a sudden, became much more vivid than usual, and I was finally realizing everything that the beach and my surroundings had to offer. I heard all of the different plants sway and the leaves rustle. I felt the gritty-sand in-between my dirty toes. A sense of focus rushed into my head that I had not felt in a very long time.
Did you ever watch the movie “Limitless” with Bradley Cooper? He takes a pill that gives him the ability to use the full potential of his brain. I looked and felt exactly like he did when it first happened.
It was drug-free for me.
I felt all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and tingle. I felt my pupils dilate to a point where it almost hurt. My sunglasses were the only thing that prevented my eyes from exploding; at least it felt that way.
Dolphins were splashing around about 50 yards from the beach and pelicans were ferociously diving for the fish I was trying to catch from the shoreline. I was in a head-to-head competition for survival with the pelicans and the dolphins because all three of us were just trying to get some fish for dinner from the same spot.
I had a connection with those two different species, and it was like we were all cut from the same cloth for that hour of hunting for our fish.
Using the bathroom was interesting to say the least. I did bring along the basics like toilet paper but there wasn’t a real restroom for at least a half-mile.
I was intent on staying out in nature, even if that meant taking care of business on the beach. I brought along a bucket and filling it with sand before and after you know what was simple enough. The half-mile walk to the closest trash can was a smelly blast and I was lucky enough that no one was around when I made the trips to the trash.
After the first full 24-hours by myself I wasn’t even concerned with the whole no-power thing anymore. There was about a 12-hour period of slight withdrawal from my devices and I know that my family and girlfriend were worried the entire weekend. But I had to pull through with this. I walked too far and committed too much energy and time to this experience for me to bail out after the first day.
Packing up my belongings right after sunrise on the third day was bitter-sweet. I wanted and needed a shower so badly. I wanted to call my girlfriend and parents to let them know that I was fine and everything had gone well.
But I kind of wasn’t ready to leave yet. I had gotten so used to the sun beating down on me all day while fishing from the shoreline. Dolphin and manatee sightings were instinctual after the third day. I knew where and when either one of them would pop up to say hi.
Before my journey, I had made a deal with my mom that she could pick me up at the entrance to Koreshan State Park around 8 a.m on the third day. But I wasn't at Koreshan. These two spots were 3 or 4 miles apart and one was on the mainland, the other was on an Island.
I freaked out and dropped my half-packed bag onto the ground. I needed a phone. Immediately. I should have brought one in case of emergency but I was committed to this experience from the beginning so I refused to take one.
I managed to pick the one weekend where not a soul was at Lovers Key over the weekend besides mine.
I ran up and down the two-mile stretch of the beach and to my surprise, there was an elderly couple from Virginia sunbathing. I felt victorious but also defeated. I had done so great until that point without any form of electricity but I knew my mom was already at Koreshan losing her mind because I wasn’t there.
The couple let me use their phone for just a minute and I was able to tell my sobbing mom that I was at Lovers Key instead of Koreshan. I apologized to her and told her I would explain everything in the car.
That car-ride home was one of the greatest I’ll ever experience. Cold air blowing on full-blast while listening to The Doors was a perfect way to finish off the experience. I felt terrible about worrying my mom more than needed but she totally understood after I explained the walk to her. She said I was insane for pulling through with all of this.
Honestly, I am going to make this an annual thing and possibly do it even longer the next time I go without power for a period of time.
We’ll call it a fasting of the technologies in order to free the mind of hectic and unnecessary thoughts. I imagine that many people would benefit from this and possibly even enjoy it so much that they are able to change their digital lifestyle after their first “No-power” experience.
Until next time, Lovers Key.
