Whether you have some words to get written for the 50K challenge, or a specific task to complete, being in The Language Portal at the top of the hour will be time well spent. You'll also be the first to hear about my contribution in Cheat Codes.

Before 2008, vacations were real. (The year might be different for you, but can you recall when that vacations stopped being a time to disconnect from your job or the online world?) Vacations were respected time away from the hustle and grind of corporate life. A time to refuel. To relax. To return to work relaxed and get back ready to it. Even then the first day was "oh my goodness, I need the day to get through all these emails." LOL. How true was that!? When I moved from Toronto to Kelowna in 2002, I had just bought my first cell phone. My boss said, "Oh good, we can call if something happens with the website." I said, "No, Bill, I'm on vacation for three weeks and moving my family across the country. My cell phone is for emergency purposes only. And my counterparts in the U.S. can handle whatever happens." He never did phone me. That was a special time with my family. An adventure that we fully enjoyed. There were no emails. No cells. No need to react to outside influences impinging on your sacred time. No expectation to reply while sitting by a river, on a beach, or walking along Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Today, more than ever, I appreciate turning off my phones to disconnect from the constant interruptions, the messages that are a priority for someone else, but not necessarily for me. The addiction to my phone is real. This weekend the Star Link was down, and other than a quick trip into town for supplies and a pub lunch, my cell was exclusively for photos and videos. Being off-grid was refreshing. My stomach told me when I was hungry. My body dictated when it was time to crawl out of the warmth of my multiple blankets and sleeping bag. The rest of the time was pure enjoyment with my best friends under the full moon, watching the river rise from the mountain spring run-off. This time reminds us of what genuinely matters: Belly laughs. Silly quips about nothing. Connecting with the forest. Batting around ideas. Brainstorming about business (even though we have an unrealistic "no-work talk" policy).