When I started at my current place of work 3 years ago, my office was in the Tech Center, the infamous Tech Center! It is a building with no windows at all! Imagine in the winter time: I'd get to the office when it's still dark and leave when it's already dark. So, if I don't get out of the building during the day to walk to another building, I would never see daylight. You can't even tell what the weather is like, rain, shine, snow, windy, etc. It was dreadful.
We call the Tech Center a maze, because you could really get lost with the so many corridors that can only accommodate one person at a time and offices along both sides. Really, people do get lost, I did couple of times.
First, I was in office 209, then moved to 219, then 229. I thought back then that my next move would be 239 and I even located office 239 to familiarize myself with it. Well, my subsequent move was to the CSB Building in Spring of 2009. The building had open space with cubicles and high narrow windows that let the sunlight in. They were not much or many of them, but we could see the natural light. The other nice thing about the CSB building is the lounge downstairs that had benches. My colleagues and I got in the habit of eating our lunch there instead of at our desks. It gave us a nice break from work and provided a fresh start to the rest of the day.
I moved office again this past Thursday. And guess where to? Yep... the dreadful Tech Center! My manager told me I'll be in an office and I was not thrilled about that. I liked being in an open space in a cubicle. And there are now big rooms in the Tech Center that were recently created and remodeled with cubicles. Well, my manager was treating me to an office, so I took it unwillingly.
The move was needed for my group, Supplier Quality. We are part of the Purchasing organization and that's where Purchasing is located. It's also the building where Engineering is located and we do interact with them constantly.
Settling in my new office had a surprisingly pleasant effect on me. It's like walking into your home after a long period of absence. Same feeling I used to get when we go back to our house in Benghazi after being abroad for many months every summer. But of course, there were no flipped cockroaches in the Tech Center like the ones we'd find in our home in Benghazi.
It was nice to be back there. I almost know everyone in the building and was part of that group 2 years ago. Colleagues and friends kept stopping by my office to greet and welcome me back. I got a couple of office-warming gifts :) And I took a stroll around to let others know that "I'm Back!"
I finished unpacking in my new office yesterday. And around 5 I packed my computer, portfolio, and other things to take home with me. I'll be working from home starting Monday because of chemo and radiation. I changed my voice mail on the desk phone so people could contact me on cell instead. I taped a note to my door saying I'm working offsite and how I could be contacted. I turned the lights off and shut the door. I felt gloomy and sad leaving the office knowing I might not be back there full time for at least another 6 weeks. It is amazing how you could react to things and how your mind or psych surprises you with a different reaction. I really like the new setting and wished I didn't have to leave now. Well, I will be back and I might find pictures like the ones below to transform my office!
I left the office with get-well wishes and offers of support and help. I enjoyed a get-well-soon lunch with my colleagues at the Indian-Greek restaurant.
Essence of this tought: Always keep an open mind... Things might not be what they seem to be... Embrace change and anticipate to be surprised!
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