After Months...The Home Office Is Finally Up And Running

When we were looking for a new home, we needed a few things. We wanted a room for each child and because there were three left at home, that didn't seem that big of a requirement. And we needed a home office. I had been telecommuting almost two years when covid hit and I made the decision long ago that if I can help it, I don't want to work away from home again.

The home office was what we needed.

The home we chose did not have the rooms, but it had room to grow. No problem--I can work in the garage. I knew this because I worked in an unfinished basement for over two years. And so I worked in the garage. And things went well until it got cold. 

Too cold.

Since the basement was not yet finished, I moved into the master bedroom. This had its advantages--warmth, for one. And, I could literally roll out of bed and log on. And so I worked in the master bedroom.

Last week the basement was finished. The boys moved downstairs, my daughter moved out of the smallest bedroom in the house into the larger room next door, and I hauled in the big desk from the garage and set everything up. This morning, I rolled out of bed and went into another room and worked my shift.

I know it's not the biggest journey, garage to bedroom to office, but it represents a months--even years--of transition, a lot of changes. It's not a room built specifically for an office with double doors and built-in shelving, but I don't care. It's a place dedicated to providing for the family. Many have helped us reach this point and I'm grateful for that help. Tomorrow, it's off to work I'll go...only now, to the right room.

From Boom...To Bust

 With no power at home, I had to dress professionally (collard shirt, no jeans...), get in my car, and drive to the building where I once worked, where I used to dress professionally, get in my car, and drive every work day.

It's been a while.

And, boy--how things have changed.

My first thought, as I turned at the traffic light on my way to the office is, "I'm going to have to park in the far lot." I was several hours late. We hoped the power would come back on, so I waited a few hours in the morning before I decided to drive into work.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I realized I didn't have to park far away. In fact, I could park almost anywhere. The lot was practically empty. And when I went inside, the shock continued. The place was a ghost town.

That particular call center and I have an interesting history. Back in the day, we could work in local offices, so I worked in Woods Cross, the office closest to me. Then, I moved to Clearfield--the office next closest to me. After executive changes were made, we had to choose to work in one of the newly-created call centers, in Ogden, Salt Lake City, or Provo. Since I live equidistant from Ogden and Salt Lake, I chose Ogden. I had visited the Salt Lake Call Center only a few times and the place was a zoo. So many workers were packed in small cubicles--and the noise. It was just so busy.

Those days may be gone forever.

It was so strange to be in a building that only months earlier was active, busy, involved...basically alive. Now, they even had the lights dimmed for most of the floor. There were a few people working there, but row after row of cubicles were empty. The weirdest thing was passing a cubicle where the worker left all their personal items on their desk and on their walls. The only thing missing was their computer and monitors. It was like they just vanished.

Almost like a corporate rapture had taken place.

Part of what I love about telecommuting is the serenity, the quiet, the peacefulness I experience at home. I've got to say, working in an empty building matched most of those qualities. Still, I don't know if I could get used to it.

It was just too weird.