From around 6:00 a.m. on Friday, October 7 to about 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 9, Illinois Wesleyan’s internet servers were down.
During this time, the only way to get on the internet was to use phone data or go off campus. I lack both a car and a great data plan, so I was left unable to do any online schoolwork. At the same time, I couldn’t access streaming services and social media platforms were unreliable at best.
I felt as though I had time traveled to 2008. A time, for me, filled with Mario Kart, board games and baking. Within the time warp of a wifi-less weekend, I did all three of those activities and it was a refreshing change.
The silver lining of this weekend was feeling the nostalgia of childhood while making memories in adulthood. Now, I am a 20-year-old junior in college and in 2008, I was a 6 year old in elementary school. Though I’m at a very different time in my life, the same activities brought me joy this weekend.
Mario Kart was one of my favorite video games growing up. Although I never made it on the top leaderboard, I always had fun playing the game.
Board games are a classic pastime. I didn’t realize that there are so many games tailored for adults and college students alike. I had the pleasure of playing “Who’s most likely to,” a card game where players vote on who is most likely to do a sentence listed on a card.
I also baked cake pops this weekend. I don’t get to bake as much as I’d like to in college. Although when I have time to bake, it is a good way to relieve stress.
Doing all 3 of these activities were relaxing and fun distractions from the inconvenience of having no internet.
Yet, even without the internet, I managed to have an enjoyable weekend. The world can be chaotic and unpredictable, as evidenced by the wireless weekend. However, sometimes in that chaos there are surprises, like playing new games, bonding with friends and childhood nostalgia. It’s important to always look for a silver lining in life.