In 2019, being online is the norm. Smart phone. Portable computer. Connected.

Given that I am 52 years old, I have lived more of my life offline rather than online. Imagine that! The internet did not really take off until the 2000s. When I started as a real estate agent in 1999, I did not have a cell phone. And I did not have an internet connection at home. In 2019, it is almost inconceivable to me that I lived that life in my mid-30s.

When I did get my first cell phone, it was just for calls. Same for my second cell phone. And my third.

I remember at one point purchasing a small device called an OGO. It allowed me to check my email on the go. People used to marvel at my OGO. "So cool!"

I remember, too, purchasing a small device about the size of a credit card that was a portable internet connection for my laptop. Magic! No longer was I at the mercy of finding a Wifi connection - something not always easy to do once upon a time.

My first smartphone was a Blackberry. It had a keyboard. I remember getting my first ever text message. My phone buzzed once. I wondered what that could mean.

These days, I have a computer on my desk and another one that goes with me pretty much wherever I go. I have an iPhone 8+ that can do nearly everything my computer can. I have an iPad in my bag and another one at home. Being online is now a bit like breathing. It just happens.