Blocked, and at home

I’ve been blocked from Instagram for more four weeks. (At this point, I’ve actually lost track. It may be five!) I can still log in and access my account. However, I am unable to post photos with a caption, nor am I able to like, follow or comment on other accounts. (What does this even leave me with? Instastories?)

The first week of no access was OK. I learned that this is a frequent issue among active Instagram users and most people note that after 24 to 48 hours — sometimes longer —your account is restored and everything goes back to normal.

That hasn’t happened for me.

In the interim, it has been nice to take a step back and not be constantly scrolling on my phone. I have done more reading, and have ramped up my running since I am currently training for a marathon.

And, I guess of all the times for me to not have access to Instagram, now is an OK time because I’m not doing any traveling at the moment. (Although, I do have a lot of recaps from January trips I want to share, that I am not able to do right now!)

Aside from the “taking a step back from social media” lifestyle, a few weeks ago I dogsat so I was forced to stay mostly home and hang out with my new dog friend. I was honestly a bit hesitant to commit to this because I didn’t want to be “stuck at home” but I was so happy I did.

It was nice to just be home, relax, catch up on Netflix, read — and hang out with our furry friend. Oh, and the weather happened to be perfect that weekend (not rainy, not very cold) so it was perfect for dog walks!

Our dog friend was so friendly and loyal. An older dog, she was very well-behaved and the perfect dog guest. The experience of having a dog around for four nights and four days really made me want to have a dog of my own. (Jury’s still out on convincing my husband).

I know, I know! The downside to having a dog is that you can’t travel as often. Or, if you do, you’ll need to find someone to watch your dog, or you’ll have to pay to have the dog go to a kennel.

For now, I guess I’ll just look back at all the photos I took of my new BFF and be reminded that chill weekends at home can be really great.

For those who know me and know that I usually pack my weekends with back-to-back activities and hanging out with friends, this may come as a surprise. But, my eyes have been open to the perks of just being at home.

And now, I patiently wait (at home) for IG to let me back in.