I'm actually sitting here in Midway Airport in Chicago getting ready to head on to my hometown for a couple of days before finishing off the weekend in North Carolina. It's going to be a good change of pace to what I'm used to. As of right now, I'm planning on taking on a few extra projects and may have a couple of surprises along the way. Like many social media enthusiasts out there, I find that it's hard to completely "unplug." It's an addiction (as the below video from Chris Brogan describes), turns into more than just work or play (or for lucky ones like me...a little of both) but a borderline biological need to connect into the rest of the universe. We're designed to be social creatures and we all crave interaction.

However, I have several new things that will be coming my way here soon. A few new responsibilities in my day job and a few other side project ideas I want to organize my thoughts on before diving headfirst into them. Staying plugged in and reading every new Mashable article or post in my reader won't help inspire interaction. A few days away from the network will do some good. Focusing on outside-of-my-professional-life interactions will help clear my head, recharge and get things ready to go when I return to my normal work life on Tuesday. None of those other distractions are going anywhere...they'll be there when I return.

So aside from the random tweet here and there, you really won't hear from me the next few days. Any other posts you see from me the next few days are most likely automated. We all need time to get away from the cyber world and focus harder on the simpler things in life for a bit.

How do you all unplug?