life {without} facebook

I deactivated over six weeks ago, and I can honestly say I haven't looked back... The first week I noticed a serious abundance of free time.  I also noticed that when I was bored or avoiding an activity (say, cleaning the bathroom), I would unconsciously click on the Facebook tab either on my phone or the computer.  Then I would see the prompt asking if I was Josh, and I'd be like, "Oh yeah! I'm not doing this anymore!"

After that I stopped accidentally clicking on the blue f that ran my life, and moved on.  I have missed some announcements (pregnancies, people moving, engagements), but if I don't hear about it in real life (aka a phone call or letter) does it really matter to me? I mean, if I never took the time to maintain a relationship with this person outside the internet, how important could they be?

If there was one thing I would have to say I miss about Facebook, it's being able to plug my blog.  I used to have over 200 views per post. Now I'm lucky to hit 50.  But if that's all I have to sacrifice to gain so much free time, it's worth it to me.

Plus, I am hoping to gain more readers when my "True Story" about raising my kids in rural Alaska is posted on Sarah's blog, Yes and Yes in June.  True Story is a series that Sarah does about people doing interesting things. 

My favorite three?

True Story: I waited till marriage to have sex

True Story: I chose to get sterilized at 23

True Story: I'm an egg donor

I have had a few people mention my leaving Facebook, saying they've considered it and wondering how it's going.  I would say it's going great, and the hardest part was clicking the 'deactivate' button.  After that, it was smooth sailing.  

I would also encourage anyone contemplating leaving, to do it for just one week.  Log off Sunday, and promise yourself you won't log back in until the following Sunday.  Leaving for one week is less daunting than leaving for good, and will give you a taste of what life can be if you're Facebook free.