I went to the office on Wednesday for meetings and a team lunch outing—the first time I travelled into London since March 2020.
While everyone was happy to see colleagues in person again, I saw no evidence of excitement. The office was too cold, too quiet, and too different to home. The pulled pork feijoada at Cabana restaurant, however, was delicious.
On my way to London, as I plunged into deep thoughts to escape the dullness of the commute, I realised that I had been awake for two hours and still had at least one more hour before I reached the office and started working. By the time I walked through the front door, I would already be tired. In contrast, if I was working from home, I would be starting the day fresh and full of energy. There and then I knew I was never going back to working full-time in an office.
The day would have been uneventful if one colleague who lunched with us didn’t send an email later in the evening to let us know that she had tested positive to COVID-19.