Welcome to Only in Kansas. My name is Annie and today I will be taking you on a trip back in time! Are you ready to go way, way back to a time before civilization as we know it? No, I’m not talking about the Mesozoic Era or Middle Ages; I’m talking 15-20 years ago, before smart phones, computers and the Internet took over our lives. It’s hard to remember a time when:

1. We used maps to figure out where we were going.
Flickr/airbus777
True story: During last year's family vacation, we stopped at a gas station for fuel and snacks and confused the heck out of the young cashier when we asked for an atlas... The fact that he had no idea what we were talking about made me feel old.
2. We watched our movies at a theater or rented them from a video store.
Starlite Drive-In Wichita Facebook
Be kind; rewind.
3. We met friends at the Olathe Lanes...
Olathe Lanes East
4. ...and skated the night away at Skate City in Merriam.
Yelp
5. Challenging your friends on Xbox One? Child's play.
Yelp
Video arcades are where it's at!
6. Believe it or not, we didn't always have "Words with Friends."
Flickr/American Advisors Group
Well, actually we did, but it went by a different name.

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7. When we enjoyed the great outdoors, we didn't obsess over getting the perfect Instagram picture.
Flickr/Kansas Tourism
If you look closely, Prairie Spirit Trail State Park doesn't even need a filter.
8. We took long drives through the country.
Flickr/Kansas Tourism
Just us and our trusty atlas.
9. We managed to meet people without the help of an app.
Flickr/Matthew G
...no need to swipe right!
10. Whenever we had questions, we consulted one of these.
Flickr
What is this Google you speak of?
11. We had to call in orders from our native Pizza Hut.
Flickr/David Blaikie
Sometimes, we even had to order in person and wait. : /
12. Finally, we couldn't order our yarn (or anything else) off Amazon, so we had to make special trips just to pick it up.
Flickr/Tony & Wayne
In all honesty, I'd rather buy from the "2nd Friendliest Yarn Store in the Universe" (Yarns in Salina) any day!

What do you miss most about the PI (pre-Internet) era?

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