Welcome to Offline Time! This newsletter is ideated, written, and edited by me, Lee Tilghman.
You may know me as the founder, writer, and creator of Lee From America, the wellness site that chronicled my life through recipes, self-care, and personal growth. According to the New York Times, I embodied “wellness culture itself”.
I shared everything—what I ate, what I bought, how I healed, and where I vacationed, all with a gluten-free touch.
For years, I lived my life in front of an audience, my every smoothie bowl, morning routine, and personal revelation shared with hundreds of thousands of people. Social media wasn’t just a tool—it was my job, my identity, my livelihood. This “stage”—Instagram, the very thing that had given me such a wonderful life—became such a blurred space that I could no longer tell where it ended and I began.
In 2019, I woke up and realized I needed to step away from the digital gaze. I logged off, disappeared, and slowly rebuilt my life without the need to broadcast my every move.
I said goodbye to sponsors, management, 200,000 followers and a 6-figure salary overnight.
People asked me, “how could you ever walk away from that career?”
But I knew I had to figure out who I was at the core. I swore off social media for years and tried to pretend it didn’t exist. But it felt so black and white.
So, I started this newsletter as a way to share again: the lessons, stories, insights, and tidbits I’ve picked up along the way. I realized: I love to share. It’s part of who I am. “It’d be impossible for you to lead a quiet life,” my mother said to me. And she’s right!
I’m still sharing online, but at the end of the day, what I value most is offline time—it roots me, grounds me, and reminds me who I am beyond the screen. Here, I hope you’ll join me for introspective essays, weekly check-ins, and little nuggets of wisdom gathered from my time beyond the algorithm.
My Book
I am SO excited to announce that my memoir, If You Don’t Like This, I Will Die, will be published by Simon & Schuster on August 12, 2025. The book was a labor of love and I am so grateful that my fabulous editor Sean Manning gave me the platform to write such an important story during a time when so many are questioning their relationship with technology.
The book follows the rise and unraveling of my life as a wellness influencer, how the online identity I built consumed me, the breaking point that forced me to walk away, and my journey to rediscover life offline. It’s a story about the pressures of internet fame, the cost of always being seen, and what happens when you step off the stage to find out who you really are. Pre-orders are open now!
Weekly Schedule
Every week, you get something.
Tuesday or Thursday (paid subscribers only):
Long-form deep-dive covering topics such as post-wellness self care, why I stopped using fluoride, things I like to save money on, why I froze my eggs, and the Dear Lee advice column
Sunday (all subscribers):
Every Sunday morning, you’ll receive a list of 10 Offline Things I Did This Week. This list holds the little joys, realizations, and spontaneous acts that filled my heart and connected me to the world around me. From quirky adventures like making a single-person cookie cake to deeper moments like planning a Friendsgiving soirée or doing breathwork on the subway, this list invites you to pause, reflect, and find beauty in the offline moments of life.
Paid Subscriptions
A paid subscription costs you $5/month or $50 a year and grants you full access to the Offline Time archive. You’ll also:
be the first to see my book cover
be the first to get access to any announcements/events
be able to directly respond to my emails
Your paid subscription helps support me in writing this newsletter—and it’ll also just give you some really good content you can’t find anywhere else on the ‘net.
I hope you’ll join us!
A little more about me:
I’ve been blogging since I was 18. You might have followed me since then (if so, hi; we’re celebrating 16 years together). My previous blogs were For the Love of Peanut Butter (2008-2009) and Lee From America (2013-2020).
I love food, wellness, dogs, cooking, interiors, creeks, and dresses.
I was born and raised along the beaches of Connecticut. Now I live in Brooklyn where I enjoy biking, meandering through the local parks, running, reading, cooking, and hanging out with my dog.
