For the first few weeks of my new life as a consultant, I was so relieved at the prospect of not having to go to work in an office. I’d been working in the corporate environment for 15 years, that too primarily in banking. So the thought of not having a boss or not having reports to file was just exhilarating.
As time rolled by, however, I started to miss going to work in an office. I don’t miss all of it but there are specific instances when I do miss working in an office.
The first thing I miss is the morning routine. I still wake up early every morning to drop my daughter off to school. But I just wear my jeans and t-shirt. I miss the race of trying to beat the clock trying to get through with my shower, drying my hair, doing my make up and walking out the door in a mad rush. Yes, you heard me right, I actually do miss that morning panic once in a while.
I also miss my suit and heels. While I don’t lounge around the house in my pj’s all day, I still miss wearing that nice blue suit and the satisfaction of taking my heels off at the end of a long day. I see people in the elevator in their office clothes and it definitely gives me a twinge of nostalgia.
I do miss the buzz of an office atmosphere. I know I can easily go and work in a shared space but I don’t see any reason to when I have a perfectly nice home office set up. The only time I get to see people is when I go out for meetings which is probably still better than a lot of people who work from home.
The last thing I probably miss about working in an office is the location. Having an address to refer to and telling people where I work. May be it’s just me but, it’s still a little uncomfortable telling people that I work from home and I haven’t rented an office.
I’d also forget to use the word “self-employed” so, I’d often say I have no job, which is silly because I actually have a very busy and important job!! I work for myself!!
Looking through a frosty window... 