SOCIAL MEDIA

I took it pretty seriously—social media, I mean. Pictures, stories, stories about the pictures, stories about the stories, likes, comments… For a few years, I was what we now call an “active content creator.” It became a kind of commitment. Sometimes I posted just for the sake of posting, convinced it was keeping me “connected” with the world.

It made sense while I was traveling around the world like crazy these past seven years. Mostly because of agility competitions, but also plenty of backpacking between events. What better way to stay connected, even passively, with people from Japan, Europe, Australia, and Mexico all at once?

Remember when you’d travel for a holiday, come back home, and gather with friends and family to share pictures and stories? In my case, I found myself doing this less and less because I’d already poured everything onto social media. People who were interested could check my status and location without asking.

I even found myself reaching out to people less because I thought I knew “everything” from their social media. It’s a strange feeling when you haven’t seen, met, or talked to someone for months, but it feels like you’re still in touch. You think you know what’s happening in their life because you’ve seen what they had for breakfast, where they vacationed, their new car, baby, dog, furniture…

And the worst part for me, while living my dream life on the road? Finding myself scrolling through feeds and feeling jealous of people I barely knew, wanting things I didn’t even care about in real life. Admitting to myself that, despite living a happy life, social media could still make me feel like I was somehow lacking—this irrational envy that made no sense.

So I took a break. Originally planned as a one-month pause, it stretched into almost a year and a half. During that time, I thought a lot about coming back, but honestly, once your brain gets over those first few weeks without the multidosing of quick-hit endorphins, you don’t miss it as much. You get a lot of free time to think, read, and talk—especially while sitting on the toilet, waiting in queues, or using public transport.

Sure, there are moments when you’re the odd one out in a group because you don’t know about THE THING everyone’s talking about. You’re not there where all the sharing happens.

Maybe I’ll return, but this time with clear boundaries. We all know how “just checking one thing” can spiral into a half-hour scroll session. There are even apps now that track your social media time—probably because so many of us need that reality check.

I still love sharing my life story, my encounters, and letting people learn from my mistakes—but now I want to do it more consciously, for people who genuinely care rather than those just killing time while scrolling. That’s why I’ve fallen in love with blogging and newsletters. People can subscribe or unsubscribe at will, and these formats let me share less frequently but more thoughtfully, focusing on ideas worth sharing. I believe this format will help me open up more, be more vulnerable, and share deeper thoughts, knowing I’m connecting with readers who chose to be here.

With love, 

Vendula