the value of time off-grid?

In 1988, I went on a camping trip to Isle Royale, in Lake Superior. We got dropped off by the ferry at one end of the island, and the ferry picked us up at the other end, 35 miles distant. We saw maybe 3 other parties of 2-3 people in our 7-day jaunt. I thought there would be lots of time in the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other routine for sustained contemplation of my life, my goals, and my path. In reality, I looked at scenery; I thought about how hot and achey I was; I slapped at bugs; I dreamed of my next meal: and there was very little contemplation of the ethereal in favor of the material.

(To this day I don't eat Rycrisp, or drink Wyler's powered drink mixes, because of how much of a staple those items were on this trip and how very tired of them we became.)

Yesterday, I was out of town and without Internet for about 24 hours, and hoo-boy did it make me twitchy. I hear a lot about the value of shutting out all that electronic noise, but really, I think I thrive on it. It feeds me and stimulates my mind. I need that: I don't achieve much without it. No, that doesn't make me a digi native (too old; and I prefer the term digital SAVAGE (thanks, B)) but there is something au courant about the constant stream of information (and most importantly what we make of it) that defines this time.