Remember a while back when I pondered a purchase of an iPhone? Well since then I have kept pondering. I’ve researched the yinyang out of the topic, and as the new iPhone 4G came out, I was sold. I mean, it’s basically got everything on it – a 5mpx camera, HD video, iMovie, Bluetooth, and of course all the ‘standard fare’ bells & whistles Apple is known for. I hummed and hawed an awful lot, but I was even prepared to pay the steep no-contract price and forgo a digital camera purchase since I figured the iPhone could do it all.  At a logical level, I was ready to take the leap into the i-world. So much so, that I even went on the US Apple site today to try and pre-order a nifty new 4G so that I could have one in hand before I left on my trip. I was even prepared to make a trip to Buffalo to pick it up too. I was verging on crazy.

And then the big question hit me. I think it happened somewhere between hitting refresh on an otherwise overburdened Apple site, and the realization that all of this had left me an anxious stressed out mess. “Will having an iPhone (or any constantly available web device) help or hinder my ability to lead the life I want to lead on this trip?”

I then did what I always do when paralyzed but daunting tasks – I made a list. Two in fact.

The first list had words that I associated with the me I want to be: “Freedom, presence, creativity, joy, adventure, connection, and independence” were all on there. You may notice that “techno-droid” didn’t make the cut.

The second list read “Current Paradigm,” reflecting on my state of mind at that moment, and included “research, stress, overwhelmed, safety, control, and comfort”. “Techno-droid” could have fit in here easily I think, given the amount of screen time I’ve been taking in lately.

Although tough to swallow, the answer to my quandary was obvious: I didn’t think I could live the life I wanted to live while having the internet tethered to me at all times, so to speak.

And so I took a big breath, closed the 10 techie tabs I had open, and resigned to the fact that I would, in fact, be able to do a bike trip without the use of this futuristic gadget and a permalink to the world. I hear people once used maps, advice, and intuition on the road. Most curious indeed…

All in all, I’m feeling much lighter now! This was a big juncture day for me… my whole trip will now take on a new course as a result of my decision to take the lower-tech road. I wonder how many others shared my epiphany whilst pressing Refresh on the Apple webpage for the umpteenth time today.