Friday, May 10, 2013

Working Away

Today is the last day I'll be working in New York City. For a month. Thanks to technology and a very understanding boss, I'm packing up a bazillion files - well, just my work laptop, really - and moving my office to Atlanta. The reason for my temporary relocation is so that I can lend a couple of hands with GrandBoy as we prepare to welcome his new baby sister, due within the next couple of weeks.

Besides phoning in to all the usual meetings, I am tasked with a handful of exciting social media/multimedia projects. Research and creative brainstorming are high on the list. The day-in/day-out busy-ness of my real-life office doesn't allow a lot of time to slow down and poke around with crazy, fun, interesting ways to engage folks in new ways. I'm being given permission and time to do just that.

Admittedly, I'm the type of girl who needs some kind of structure. That's why I don't mind schlepping into an office everyday with some sort of to-do list waiting for me. While there'll be no office-schlepping in Atlanta, I will be bringing an extensive to-do list with me, complete with work timelines and target dates. That should keep me on-task amidst the not-so-structured GrandMary duties. Fortunately, most of the work can be done at any hour of the day or night.

And after my work-month in Atlanta, I'll have a few days of vacation with girlfriends - a little trip to Savannah - before returning to New York mid-June. I'm sure strolling through the city's historic squares and lolling on the beach at Tybee Island will be much needed at that point.

One more thing: lest potential thieves get any ideas, my landlord lives in the apartment next to mine and will be keeping an eye on it while I'm gone. So fuggitabahtit.

Thank you, Boss Anne, and thank you to everyone who had a hand in inventing the technology for allowing me to telecommute at this wonderfully happy time in our family. I'm fortunate to have a job that gives me time to do some creative dreaming that might become reality.

New ideas, new ways of working, a new baby, new family memories. I'm packing lots of vitamins.

1 comment:

Anne said...

Have a safe and happy time away, Mary. Enjoy those beautiful grandbabies!

I will confess that I have a selfish motive in all this - I am guessing that being with family at this moment might be quite inspiring for your work. The chaos and sleeplessness and intense togetherness created by a newborn can be great for creativity. It shakes up all your normal thinking.

Until we all recognize that family and career should not be mutually exclusive but rather mutually supportive, we won't be fully productive or life-giving to either.

I'm expecting great things from you and the new grandbaby. See you in a month or so!