Gwen – did you have individual rooms or cubicles for your co-working space? You make an excellent point about how the fluctuation of co-tenants can impact the experience.

Georgia – I’m curious about your office cart. What does it look like? Is it like a carry-on bag or document case on wheels?

I’ve been working from home for 2 years now, with a brief stint in a shared office environment. The shared office environment, “co-working” space, was nice in that I met some really cool people and it was easy to pop over to the other side of the floor for a gathering or event being hosted in the space. The downside was the commute (I’m rather used to a flight of stairs as my commute!), and many people coming and going. Some stayed for a couple of months and decided it wasn’t for them. Others grew too big for the space. While variety is good, I found I didn’t like the constant variety. The mood in the space shifted as some people moved out and others moved in. And personality clashes were unavoidable.

Working from home has been nice, though it can get lonely. It takes a little more effort to get out and about, especially if you live in the suburbs. I’m used to it now, and I like being able to get up, go for a run and start my work day without having to dress up, get in the car and drive to the train station or an office. I like being able to break up my day, and go visit my nephews and niece, run some errands or have coffee with friends. It does take some effort, too, to not work all the time. There is something to be said for physically leaving an office, getting in a car and putting some distance between it and home. But that, too, can be overcome. It may take some trial and error, and but there’s some semblance of a balance to be made.

And now I’m just rambling. Good post. Looking forward to the next one on geographic location.