We've all become painfully dependent on the Internet. Tasks that we used to do routinely before connectivity are now difficult if we don't have CAT-5 (network cable) or Wi-Fi at our calling.

I just got back from my annual trip to Deer Valley, a lovely camp run by the YMCA in Fort Hill, Somerset County, that helps overburdened, overstressed business people (sound like somebody you know) get back to a healthy lifestyle. A trip to Deer Valley means days of exercise, socializing and restful activities -- the kind we can't make room for in our normal lives.

In most years, I see several people who bring their cell phones and computers trying to get work done while their families take advantage of the real Deer Valley. My normal attitude is: "Get a life. You're here to get away from work." This year, my attitude changed -- because I felt compelled to be available to my staff during a time of extremely tight deadlines. (I run a technology-based company in addition to my media work.)

The week before arriving at the camp, I thought through my alternatives. Where could I get connectivity -- by Internet (for e-mail) or cell phone? I knew from previous years that cell service meant rowing out to the middle of the lake, or hiking up to a few of the other nearby spots that could get a cell signal. So a friend helped me map out a plan to go to a nearby luxury hotel to take advantage of their wireless hot spot.

Then I heard the good news -- Deer Valley has a Wi-Fi hot spot in the dining hall. So I went to camp with high hopes that I wouldn't have to drive 30 miles to that luxury hotel.

I arrived to find that Deer Valley's Wi-Fi hot spot even reached as far away as our cabin. Hallelujah!

Not so fast -- literally. The hot spot was painfully slow and timed-out more often than it worked. As I sat in the dining hall with my laptop, frustratingly trying to send an e-mail, a half-dozen people stepped up to the one desktop system in the corner and successively tried to access the Internet. Each one, after finding that it wouldn't do their bidding, stepped away. Other people sitting near me with their laptops would sigh occasionally, until one-by-one, they gave up and went back to other activities.

The staff members I asked told me that this is common. The connection works -- but only sporadically. So it was my turn to give up -- for now. I instead jotted my notes for this column.

Deer Valley belongs to a world of "get away from it all." So it shouldn't disappoint me that the access was spotty. But it proves a point: The Internet has become indispensable.

When I knew I couldn't use my cell phone, the Internet would be my lifeline to my company's activities. In normal situations, I could check on progress, and give feedback. Teens can check Facebook and anyone can find directions to new places. But not in Internet-free zones -- whether they are free of connectivity on purpose or by accident.

I hope that my next jaunt to the camp is free of all the stress and anxiety of those tight deadlines, allowing me to take full advantage of the amazing things the camp has to offer. In fact, my recent trip still was mostly in the realm of "get away from it all" for me. But it also had that hint of you can't go home again. Not to a time where connectivity didn't matter. For most of us, it's no longer possible.