I also like what Brian says about using technology, to check in with work, purposefully. I agree with Martin…if something sets me off in an email and I can’t ignore it (I’m a fixer), I probably shouldn’t be checking it while I’m out.

But for those of you who think because I’m on Facebook, blogging, or tweeting that I’m working, that’s not necessarily the case. Usually my vacation time is when I can really think about strategies so it’s fun for me, not work.

I’m reminded of a trip I took with the family a couple years ago. I had given plenty of notice to my boss, make sure my staff was prepared to take care of things in my absence, and brought my laptop along to keep an eye on things from a distance. We landed at the airport, drove a couple hours to the resort, got unpacked, and (having missed a day in the office) I opened the laptop to ‘check in.’ One of the gems in my email was an inflammatory message from my boss regarding my absence, yet I hadn’t even been gone a day. It put me in a rotten mood, and although I was able to recover within a few hours, I wasn’t ‘present’ to be with my family during the start of our family vacation.

I usually take a multi-day backpacking trip each year that requires me to leave technology behind. I know there will be a ton of stuff waiting for my return, so it becomes that much more important to thoughtfully embrace my offline time.

Having said all that, I’m almost always connected. I use my Blackberry to keep on top of things, but I rarely look when I’m sitting at home, and never when I’m at the park with the kids. Opening the laptop when I get home from work isn’t an instinctive thing, it’s a purposeful one.

I approach my technology use during vacation the same way. I deliberately choose when I will and won’t use technology, and am clear for myself about why I’m doing so. If I stray from the purpose, I stop using it. The purpose of a vacation, after all, is to take a break from the office. If I’m just going to work the whole time, I can stay home, save a bunch of money, and accomplish the same result.

I’m sure Costa Rica had something to do with that as well.

Of course, connecting on vacation or not is a personal choice and I wonder if a good part has to do with stress – if you receive an email and your blood pressure goes up when you open it, perhaps that’s a sign that you might be better off unplugged.

It was a plus and a minus. On the plus side, I experienced the farm and my friends more. I made fresh pasta and read agriculture books. On the minus side, I couldn’t do much writing or editing without my reference materials.

Halfway through the vacation a 30-minute window of internet opened, and it was terrific – I focused on the most important replies to make and materials to download. In effect, I had to pack my digital life as well as I had packed my tiny suitcase.

I think that’s what most digitally-enhanced vacations are missing. We deliberate over outfits and shoes, but we bring out entire online existence with us just because it’s not heavy or unwieldy. Well, guess what, it is. And, as with our wardrobes, it pays to pack both lightly and thoughfully.