I didn't think that I would enjoy working remotely, or excel at it. But, over the past year that our department has been remote, I have decided that this really is the best option for me, and those I work with.
Besides saving the wear and tear on our vehicles, gas consumption, tolls, and unnecessary purchases (like Starbucks coffee and a Danish every morning), it does give me more opportunities to spend with Jeff. I now get to see him when he comes from work in the morning, and he knows that I am not halfway across town. He feels better knowing that I am safe at home working, and won't have to traverse the crazy roadways during rush hour traffic.
It gives me the opportunity to put in orders for the grocery store and pick up early in the morning, or order supplies from Amazon, and know that I will be at home when it arrives, so I don't have to worry about it getting snatched off my front porch. Whenever I have a few minutes, I can start a load of laundry or clothes. I've been able to decorate the house for the holidays in the few minutes I've had here or here.
The downside to working from home is that for one, Jeff sometimes forgets that I am actually working, and wants me to watch tv with him during the day. I have to remind him of that. Also, since I do not have a drive to or from work anymore, there is not an opportunity to decompress at the end of the day, like I used to do on my drive home. And finally, since I am actively up and working, there are more lights on and appliances being operated (looking at you stove and coffee maker), so our electricity bill has been higher. I've been working with Jeff to make sure we keep all lights turned off in areas of the house we are not actively using.
It actually has been quite nice. We still have meetings, I still have lots of interactions with coworkers, so there isn't a lot of things being missed work wise. I'm glad we made the move over to remote working!
