It's been twelve days. Twelve days since I checked my Facebook profile, my Instagram likes, or my Pinterest boards. The only social media that I've used was for my internship or my professional page on LinkedIn (with which I've become surprisingly obsessed). I'm looking forward. I'm taking the GRE, I'm looking at jobs, and I'm thinking about next July. Who knows where I will be then? That's what I want to know.

What has this time of no social media taught me?

The discoveries: I have more time to hang out with friends, read, and paint. I've renewed my love for digital photography on my Nikon and not just on my iPhone (though I still enjoy that too). I've added hundreds of songs to my Spotify account. These are just a few of the hobbies that I'm experiencing without my social media accounts.

The connections: I realized that I still enjoy having a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and this blog. I really love creating content, even though it's difficult. I even had an opportunity at my internship to write a few blog posts, and I missed writing. I love Instagram and its ability to share photos and captions that I have fun with and can use to interact with other people.

My goal for social media in the next year is to keep in mind the positives that I've found and continue to cultivate active relationships. I want to make sure that I'm using my accounts not as a way to waste time, but a way to enhance time. This is why I love taking pictures for Instagram because I enjoy the aesthetic appeal, the connection with local businesses, and the interactions with other people.

Pondering my phone obsession with a colorful wall in Germany over spring break.

How do you use social media in your daily life? Is it automatic? The first thing you wake up for and the last thing you do before you go to bed? That was me, and that's not to say that it won't become me again. I just want to be more aware of my presence on social media and my own personal brand.

In our world, we are not only the interactions that we have in reality. We are also the interactions that we have online. Why don't we each make a conscious effort to make sure that the two are aligned? If a person is a Venn diagram, then we should be in the middle of the "personal" and "social" circles. Where are your circles?

Lucky Strike of the Day: Today, I adventured with a friend to Due South Coffee and the Taylors Farmers Market- I highly recommend both of them!