Widget Central (workplace name has been changed to protect the innocent;) ) tried to bring its employees back last July – but then omicron. So we went back home. Now, like many places, we are trying again and this time it feels real. We’re hybrid to start, so I’m doing a couple days a week for now and will see how that goes.

So this week I did my first two days back and it was – okay. The commute wasn’t quite so bad as it has been in years past and it actually felt good to be out of the house. I bought a new Fjallraven laptop backpack. I packed in my meals and snacks, water and coffee. I replaced the 2-year old toothbrush and toothpaste I keep in my office desk drawer. I evaluated my somewhat dusty work wardrobe (feeling super relieved that despite a weight gain, everything pretty much still fit) and realized I need to make serious (purging) changes as my entire aesthetic has changed. I want a basic uniform that I can go to without thinking. Simple, classic, nothing tight or restrictive or high-heeled. We’re allowed to wear jeans but I’d prefer to look a bit more professional even if it’s just black pants with a basic sweater or cardi.

It took a bit of getting used to – my office feels dark, and it was initially distracting to hear people’s conversations. Still, I was productive, had several in-person meetings, gave my first in-person presentation in 2 years, found myself smiling hard when I saw someone I hadn’t seen in a long time, and it was sort of like riding a bike. It felt like I hadn’t been away. And I felt my mental health brighten perceptibly.

I’m a bit “ride or die” when it comes to my workplace. I have misgivings about going back full time but in the end, if they tell me that’s in the cards, I will go back without a squeak. When the situation with Covid was scary and unknown, Widget Central sent us all home, let us protect ourselves and our families, and I never had to worry about having to make a choice between taking care of myself or my kid and a paycheck. That’s a huge privilege and one that I do not take for granted. It’s made me more loyal than ever, at least to my current executive team.

Still, I was also very happy to round out the week here in my home office, with a candle burning, WRCJ on the radio and at least one of the cats sleeping nearby.

I hope you are well and safe and looking forward to a nice weekend. I’m hoping the weather is decent here in Michigan (it has NOT been). Brandon is going to see Jack White tonight, we have theater rehearsals and a home show, and a big new front door installation. And I’ve barely touched any knitting or cross-stitch in over a week, so there will be that.