Tiny Desk
Since then staying home has and hasn’t been constant.
Over the top of my computer I’ve seen the front yard pile up with snow, I’ve seen it melt, dry out and dew on the morning grass freeze over again. I’ve spent months with a 15 second commute to my computer.
I’ve been into a physical office so infrequently in the last 1.5 years that I’ve had to retrain myself in a morning routine–what time do I need to wake up again? Do I even fuss with eyeliner anymore?
The answer is no. I absolutely do not fuss with eyeliner anymore.
For months I worked in our finished basement, at a lovely built-in office area that we oooh'ed and ahh'ed at when we first bought the house. But when I was the last standing WFH employee of this household I moved to the kitchen table so I could enjoy some natural light.
Since then I’ve parked my big comfy Steelcase office desk chair in the corner of the playroom during off hours. I’ve worked at a folding table in our bedroom, lounged in the rocking chair in A’s bedroom during conference calls, and I’ll admit I’ve even worked seated on the bathroom floor when I needed quiet while the lawn care crew was buzzing loud mowers around our yard.
It’s always felt temporary and pieced together despite the fact that I truly enjoy a hybrid in-office/at-home routine, and despite the fact that I’ve been doing this routinely for 561 days. It’s taken me just that long to finally admit: I’m gonna be here for a while.
It felt oddly monumental when my $40 tiny Wayfair desk arrived for some reason. Maybe because I never had an assigned desk in the 8 years I was at my last job (I was a “remote worker” who always plopped down at a good-for-now spot in the office). Maybe it’s because I’m really enjoying my new role at a new company where I do have a working spot I can count on.
Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten so used to uncertainty and change that planting a 32”, $40 table at the edge of the playroom feels stable, somewhat permanent and nice–feelings I haven’t felt enough of in the last 561 days.
It’s not much, but it is at the same time. I know now I can roll with so many punches, but this little desk is something I can count on, it’s something that makes me feel like I’ve safely landed.