The short answer is that the laptop currently in our home isn\u2019t mine. \u00a0It belongs to the school I work at and I expect they wouldn\u2019t be too impressed with me taking it on a non-school related plane ride. \u00a0But even if I owned my own machine, I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d take it to HLS.<\/p>\n
![\"conference.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.relishments.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/conference1.jpg\")
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7 Reasons I Don\u2019t Bring a Laptop to HLS<\/h3>\n
1. \u00a0I am terrible at packing<\/strong> – With all the different types of events at HLS, I already have too much to bring – running clothes,\u00a0 cocktail dress, clothes for the sessions, stuff to do on the plane, water bottle, business cards, camera. \u00a0Nevertheless I try to pack light so that I can squeeze a spare bag into my carry on. \u00a0On the way there, I carry on all my belongings. \u00a0On the way home, I fill that extra bag with all the swag I inevitably receive. \u00a0Then I check my suitcase and carry on my swag.\u00a0 I’m not sure where I’d fit a laptop in all that.<\/p>\n 2. \u00a0I worry too much<\/strong> – One of the best parts of HLS is the opportunity to explore a new city. \u00a0I\u2019m sure that my laptop would be safe in the hotel room, but I\u2019d be scared to leave it unattended, especially with roommates coming and going. \u00a0Plus I\u2019d probably bring it to a summit session and leave it on the table, never to be seen again.\u00a0 It’s nice to have one less thing to worry about.<\/p>\n 3. \u00a0I\u2019m not \u201cthat kind\u201d of blogger<\/strong> – I\u2019ve never been a daily blogger; it\u2019s all I can do to get it together to post a few times a week. \u00a0Since I\u2019m already free from the pressure of blogging every day, I schedule my posting for the week around the summit. \u00a0Then I don\u2019t have to worry about upkeeping my blog at all.<\/p>\n 4. \u00a0HLS is a mini-vacation<\/strong> – I always learn a lot at the Healthy Living Summit, but I also view it as a little bit of a vacation. \u00a0I\u2019m with my friends, in a new place, eating great food and seeing new things. \u00a0Vacations are much more relaxing without the call of my computer.<\/p>\n 5. \u00a0I like to take notes by hand<\/strong> – \u00a0As much of a tech geek as I am, I love to take notes with pen and paper.\u00a0 As a result, I don’t have much of a need for a laptop during the actual HLS sessions.<\/p>\n 6. \u00a0I have a smartphone<\/strong> – My phone can take care of most of the technology I need over a long weekend. \u00a0Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram? \u00a0Check, check, check and check.\u00a0 I can connect and make plans with my friends at the summit and make sure Brian knows I landed safely.\u00a0 Smartphones are wonderful things.<\/p>\n 7. \u00a0The phone isn\u2019t that great<\/strong> – I have a fine phone, but there\u2019s only so much I like to do on it. \u00a0Reading blog posts? \u00a0Not my favorite. \u00a0Writing emails? \u00a0No thanks. \u00a0As a result, I check my accounts quickly on my phone and then feel okay with putting it down for a while. \u00a0If I had my computer, I would be constantly distracted by Facebook and Twitter, which wouldn’t do a lot to help me meet new people.<\/p>\n With all that said, thanks to Heather<\/a> loaning me her laptop, I will be involved in a couple extra HLS activities this year. \u00a0I\u2019m looking forward to being able to participate without losing all the benefits of being laptop-less.<\/p>\n Want more tips for the Healthy Living Summit? Check out my other Healthy Living Summit posts<\/a> from 2010, 2011 and 2012<\/em>!<\/p>\n