Breaking News! My office is reopening, effective hours before the memo came out on Monday afternoon. I haven't commuted there for work, since February of 2020. I have been there three times in 15 1/2 months, for 2 or 3 hours to pick and drop off things. We were expecting a gradual, capacity limited return with lots of new rules reopening, and there are new rules, 14 pages of them. What we got was, if you are fully vaccinated, carry on as you were. But, take your computer home each night just in case we go back into lock-down.
I will go in one day this week, I need a day to clean up the desk, make sure the technology is working, then next week I will start back probably three days a week. I have been struggling a bit with work life balance, it is all too easy to work early, all day, and then check in with the office before going to bed, when the office and the bedroom are the same space. I am looking forward to going back - but I noticed I didn't run to the office the first day it was possible. I think the ideal balance for me will be two days a week telecommuting, three days in the office. Writing and editing is easier to do at home, producing online training is easier to do in the office.
And we are free to resume business travel. For the first time in 15 months I have pending airline reservations. I have been trying to get permission to book travel for a conference in October for weeks. Suddenly it is on for real.
So the report, I went to the office on Wednesday. I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went down to the swamp for my daily walk, came home, showered, dressed - in a starched shirt and real pants (trousers.) I walked to the station, missed the train and had to wait 12 minutes. Arrived at the office in little over an hour. There were a few IT issues, mostly resolved, and I had a long and productive day. There are about 250 people in the DC office, there were 6 or 7 of us there today. It felt somewhat normal. The day before I was having second thoughts, and then I read the news report of the Delta airlines pilot who left a note in a plane parked in storage back in March of 2020 that read, if you are reading this we must be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I needed to go for the light. It was good.
I hope you have safe flights. I have three friends who have said the flights have turned into the wild west on the plane. That is NO PLACE for that kind of antics. Next thing you know, planes will go down.
ReplyDeleteI will NEVER understand why someone can't wear a mask for a few hours for Christ sake. Will it kill them?
I understand the airlines are banning people from flying for life! About time.
DeleteGlad things are appearing a little more normal recently. Hope everyone stays safe. Good you’re seeing the light.
ReplyDeleteSlowly the new normal emerges
DeleteWe went back to work, slowly, last fall because we are a small band of workers, but I worked from home at least two, sometimes three days a week, and I will be continuing that into the foreseeable future.
ReplyDeleteGood luck heading back in.
PS Love the note from the pilot.
I expect that the return to the office will be slow, we need a lot less office space, but our lease runs another 6 or 7 years.
DeleteSeems a little freaky to have normalcy resume, doesn't it? Like coming out of hibernation.
ReplyDeleteAnd putting on real clothes
DeleteIt sounds like you have been taking work from home too seriously with early starts and late sign offs. Work life balance. Remember that phrase. But you have a plan. That's good. The plane note is nice.
ReplyDeleteI did well on balance, but work creeps up on me
DeleteIt's getting closer and closer to normal every day.
ReplyDeleteYes
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