things I’ve noticed upon returning to the office

Today is my fourth day (over the last three weeks) returning to the office since…the before times. Some observations:

1. Seeing people in real life is good. Duh. But really. Whole different vibe. (There are only about five people here, in 5,000 square feet.)
2. It’s cold. Offices always seem cold. And San Francisco always seems cold. I live now in the Peninsula where, even at the end of the day, it’s usually way warmer than the city.
3. I miss the outdoors. I spend a lot of my working time outdoors when at home.
4. I don’t mind the commute. I never lived as far as I do now and commuted every day. I think that would be a drag. But as a novelty/occasional thing, it might not be that bad. Chance to think, listen to stuff, do phone calls.
5. Moving around helps the brain. The last couple weeks, I’ve noticed that being in the same place all the time increases the chance that you have the same thoughts over and over. Reminds me of when I used to travel for work I often had a lot of ideas, I think because my brain was in a different space.
6. Video conferencing is better all or nothing. Tried to do a meeting today with three of us in one room and everyone else on their own Zoom screen. Problems hearing, fitting in the frame, not knowing where to look. That will be tricky to navigate.
7. The coffee is better at home.