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5 Lessons I Learned From My One Week Insta Fast

January 18, 2016
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5 lessons cover photoWallet, keys, purse and phone.  Bam.  You’re out the door.  The four things you need to survive a day in the life of you.  But just think: fifteen years ago, that last item on the list barely made an appearance.  Now it’s like the back of a hand.  Phones station themselves in the restaurant booth, lunch table, family dinners, vacation, travel time.  And boy, am I guilty of each and every one of those?!  Phones are wonderful for jamming to old school Miley Cyrus (guilty again), checking blog stats, sending the fun little monkey emojis to friends, calling your mama (who kinda, well, gave you life).  Yeah, yeah, we get it. But oh, the drama…  What in the world is the meaning behind the kissy face emoji he just sent me?  Why does this girl feel the need to comment on every one of my posts?  Why didn’t they follow back?  Only one favorite?

Sometimes we get fed up, and by we, I mean me.  This not-so-little thing called social media sucks us in faster than Lilly Pulitzer’s line for Target sold out, and boom, before you know it, your thumb has a mind of its own, eternally going straight to the Insta app like 80 million times a day.  And when you should take a step back or when you’re forced to (no Wi-Fi abroad seems like a crime, I knowww), it’s virtually impossible. But when my friend S suggested deleting Insta for a week, I was like, Ehhhh no.  But then I thought about it.  With a new year it might be a nice cleanse.  And hey, a week?  I’m no wimp; let’s do this!  While I completed this challenge sans travel and only deleted Instagram (and not all social media), these one week Insta fast lessons apply to visiting a destination with limited or totally without Wifi.  And you may even enjoy the break from social media *gasp!  Here’s a list of 5 things I learned from my Insta fast:

1. The world depends on social media

I noticed on Facebook that one of my friend’s birthdays was coming up, and naturally I wanted to put up a birthday post on Insta.  Oh, wait… I can’t do that.  That one person you bumped into and desperately want to creep on?  Nope, can’t do it.  Maybe I should follow back now?  Huh-uh.  The world around us is so, so dependent on it; I really don’t know how we used to wish each other a happy birthday via social media aka an outlet to tell our 605 friends (Am I really that popular?) about our trips to Taco Bell, political views (well, maybe not…) and family pics.

windblown

2. We waste so much time on social media!! 

The first day was rough.  I’d sit down after finishing some work and open my social media folder on my phone.  And stare at the more vacant little rounded box.  Like, a lot.  Are we programmed to pick up our phone when we’re bored, trying to avoid work or attempting to look busy and wanted?  I was a little embarrassed at how many times I picked up my phone to open up Insta and realized, Oops!  T minus 6 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes and 36 seconds left…

assisi

3. We have so much time for other things without social media

Wowwwww.  That’s a no-brainer.  This is a gimme, but the amount of energy you have for other things also increases.  You have time to relax.  You can watch TV (and by watch TV, I mean actually having both eyes on the screen and not spying on the party going on tonight via Insta posts).  You actually have conversations with friends that include eye contact.

ocean

4. Life feels simpler without social media

Lol bc it sounds like I’m going without electricity or a refrigerator or coffee.  I promise it’s not the Stone Age.  You go about your daily routine, hang out with your friends, have dinner with family.  It’s much easier to not compare your mediocre weekend plans to your seemingly much more interesting friends.

boat at sea

5. Social media easily becomes a chore

My typical routine includes coming home, grabbing a snack, plopping down on the couch and plowing through social media.  Umm, excuse me?  PLOW?  (I’m not a sun-beaten farmer trying to harvest crops and provide a living for my family.)  For me social media becomes a sort-of check list.  Double tap, scroll, double tap, scroll, keep scrolling bc that selfie does not do you justice, sweetheart, scroll, scroll, check ratio.  By the end of it all, you have a headache, feel like you have no life and still don’t feel relaxed.

My week started out with me feeling like a starving kid with eyes glued to an empty pantry.  You know something is supposed to be there–you can almost taste it.  You long to be filled.  Oh, wait, we’re talking about social media for crying out loud!!  Take a step back.  Yes, I’m 110% guilty, but our tendency to fill our lives with more and more Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc is really is astounding.  But at the end of the day, L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.  (Thanks to noah and the whale for this fun, catchy song that you won’t be able to stop singing for months on end!!)

new versailles

Don’t get me wrong.  I love Insta, cute pics with my gal pals and keeping up with friends.  And hats off to my friend S for aiming to stick with this challenge for a year!  At the end of the day I’m sure Insta isn’t a sin; it’s not going to send you to hell.  But this week did teach me how I fill and fill and fill to the brim of several minutes here, several there, repeat x 5.  And how quickly that adds up!  Whether you choose to take a break from your social media outlet of choice or are forced to for an upcoming trip abroad, realize it can be wonderfully refreshing.  When you’re strolling down the Champs-Élysées, you’re not so focused on your phone that you miss the Arc de Triomphe.  You’re engaged with your fellow travelers.  You don’t waste the precious minutes you paid for in Versailles scrolling through Twitter (even though it’ll still be there at the airport or heck, back home!).  Deep breath!  Don’t fret if you won’t have connection because you may fall in love with unplugging for a week!

Bises,
K

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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
learn more about my story

Want free access to my 30-minute travel budgeting course?

Not to be dramatic or anything, but those nine day Not to be dramatic or anything, but those nine days truly changed my life😍 About 7 years ago, I was taking AP European History and heard about a summer trip to Europe with my high school. London, Paris, Florence and Rome.

Yep, we were that group of students walking around Europe with our lanyards and headsets. I got those jitters when I saw Europe in its glory for the first time. And I still do.

If you would’ve told me then that I’d move to France during a global pandemic, I’d tell you you’re complètement fou.

But here’s the thing: that trip with @EFtours stirred something inside of me, and it has yet to settle. It was a longing to see and experience the world with my own two eyes. And it inspired me to start my travel blog, to continue with my French studies, to study abroad and to move to France.

This ain't sponsored (but I sure wish it were!), and I mean with my whole heart those few days in high school set me onto this path. And for that, I am beyond grateful.

🤔What about you? Can you point to a specific moment or experience that set you on the path you're on today, all these years later? Tell me about it⬇️

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One thing you rarely hear about life abroad: so mu One thing you rarely hear about life abroad: so much dang paperwork and many complicated processes🙈

💰I have several bank accounts in the U.S. and France. I'm paid in euros, but I still have recurring subscriptions on my American credit card. I'm also all about growing my savings and getting those credit card points on my American account.

What👏to👏do?👏

❌I tried sending money directly from my French bank account to my American credit card bill. It worked, but there was bigger fee. And it was only to pay off charges, not grow savings.

✅But then a friend introduced me to @TransferWise and now I am set! I can easily transfer between my different checking accounts for the lowest rates I ever did see. Plus,  I'm still able to grow my savings and investment accounts in America.

❓OK but what is it?! @TransferWise is a third-party site that transfers money between accounts from all over the world. They price compare their rates with other companies. Their site is super easy to use and explains the whole process. And the rates were crazy low and not as high as the transfer I made directly through my banks.

🔗Bop over to link in bio for the link to get a free account and the other 5 things every expat needs.

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Have you ever had one of those “it’s a small w Have you ever had one of those “it’s a small world” moments?🌏

☀️Back in 2017, I spent a summer in Toulouse. One weekend, my friends and I went on a road trip to a slew of villages in southwestern France. They were truly some of the best days of my life: we stayed in my friend’s castle🏰(casual), we swam in the river + sunbathed, we drank wine + played games, we explored idyllic villages.

One of my favorite spots with the sweetest of nostalgic memories was in a small village called Laguépie. Population: ~600. Whenever people asked me my favorite place in France, nobody ever knew where I was talking about. It wasn’t in the magazines or travel blogs. (Ahem, it’s on mine!)

➡️Fast forward to 2020. I’m preparing to leave for France and am keeping a close eye on my teaching program’s Facebook page. An American girl posted in the group about her time in Marseille, and we began messaging. She helped me with a million and one things during my move to France, and we’ve stayed in touch and become good friends.

Earlier this month, I visited Albi to see her along with her French boyfriend, who’s from a small village. He never told me the name, but as we were sipping wine and eating saucissons, he said something about Laguépie.

“WHAT?! Did you say Laguépie? I’ve been there and fell in L O V E!” He said, no, we can’t be talking about the same place, no one ever goes to my hometown😂 But after showing him my photos, including ones the village’s castle @chateau_louvielcastel reposted, it was one and the same.

Can someone queue “Invisible String” because what a small world this is that we’re all connected. Do you have any wild stories like that? Tell me in the comments⬇️

#laguepie #laguépie #viaur #franceprofonde #lafranceprofonde #microinfluencer #tarn #garonne #occitanie #frenchvillage #vivelafrance #stmartinlaguepie #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder1k #bloggersunder10k #itsasmallworld #smallworld #jaimelafrance #patrimoine @occitanietourisme
What do you like searching for on Pinterest?📌 What do you like searching for on Pinterest?📌

✈️I love finding travel destinations + itineraries, easy recipes and decorating ideas. My guess is that you've found some blogs and ideas you love through this site. 

😍I'm even more obsessed with how @pinterest serves to grow my blog and brand.

Currently kicking myself for not getting on the Pinterest for Business train sooner because this site is truly a game changer. I went from a personal account with a wedding board and gluten-free board with recipes I’d never tried to a bustling business board with more than 400,000 monthly visitors. And most of that is not from advertising.

📈I took a free @jennakutcher webinar on how to use Pinterest for Business and saw massive growth. And the best part? You can schedule out content for an entire week in just 30 minutes to an hour. 

⏩Pinterest is my top driver of traffic, and if you want to upgrade your blog like a pro, this is where you need to invest your time, hands down.

Want to learn how you can use Pinterest to grow your blog, brand or biz? Head over to link in bio for my best blogging tips💯

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Best day trips from Nice No. 4: Èze🏰 This med Best day trips from Nice No. 4: Èze🏰

This medieval village enchanted me so much so I almost teared up as we left because I just didn’t want to go. If there are castles, sea views and charm, I’m so there. And Èze checks all these boxes✅ 

😍This medieval village is a labyrinth of cobblestone and windy paths, but the steps are worth it. There are shops and restaurants along the way to the top where you get sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. 

🌵Once you make it to the top, you have to pay to enter the Jardin Exotique d’Èze, and I can't recommend it enough. (Be sure to ask about the combo deal that includes both the garden in Èze and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild nearby.)

🚗🛤️Distance from Nice: 30-minute drive or 15 minute train ride

Craving more photos + day trip ideas from Nice? Head over to link in bio ❤️

#nicefrance #nicefr #nice #southernfrance #eze #èze #ezefr #ezefrance #ezevillage #medievalvillage #seaside #seasidedining #seasidelunch #mediterraneansea #mediterranean #oceanviews #microinfluencer #tapif #tapifusa #assistantsdelangue #assistantdelangue #tefl #esl #eslteacher #teflteacher #teachabroad #teachabroadfrance #jardinexotique #microinfluencer
How's your sense of direction?↪️🗺️I am th How's your sense of direction?↪️🗺️I am the queen of getting lost — and not on purpose😂

When I lived in Toulouse in 2017, I took a day trip to a nearby town to visit a friend. Wanting to get the best deal, I booked the 6 a.m. train. Unfortunately, I didn't think it all the way through🙃

I left my apartment on time, but when I got to the metro, it hadn't started running yet. I was nervous about getting to the train station on time, but if I hurried, I could make it.

Alas, I made it to the metro stop where I was supposed to switch metro lines. I had one job, and I failed🙈

⚠️I went the wrong direction, and once I realized it, I quickly got off the next stop and ran up to the street. I was unbelievably lost, and the sun hadn't even come up. Eventually, I made it to the train station but had completely missed the train.

And defeated, I sat down in the bakery, cried and FaceTimed my mom. Some kind French girl saw my tears and approached me to help me book a new train.

Since then, I've gotten lost many more times😆 But it's taught me to not be so hard on myself because getting lost is part of the journey. (And if it's not a good time, it's a good story, eh?😜)

 #blogginglife #dametravel #dametraveler #blogger #girlswhotravel #travelquotes #quotes #inspirational #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #quotable #eze #ezefr #tapif #assistantdelangue #tapifusa
Have you ever dreamed about making money from your Have you ever dreamed about making money from your hobby?✨

I remember when I first decided I wanted to make money from my blog. I thought to myself, I’m not qualified and no one is going to buy this. I’m just a 19 year-old girl! 

❌Wrong, wrong, wrong! You have expertise, you have knowledge, you have know-how. Blogging isn’t often a get rich quick scheme; it takes a lot of time and effort. But the fact that you can make money from doing what you love on your own time online is the coolest!

📚When I started monetizing my blog, I started out selling my paperback books, and I made money from these self-published books at the ripe age of 19. I’ve found better luck selling digital products such as ebooks as the profit margins and logistics are much simpler.

Tell me about your dreams in the comments⬇️And if you're looking to monetize your blog, bop over to my link in bio on how to do exactly that🤑

#bloggergirl #blogginglife #blog #blogger #girlswhotravel #bloggingtips #bloggingadvice #getrich #sidehustle #sidegig #monetize #monetizeyourblog #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #monetizeyourbrand #monetizeyourpassion
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