SD 450–455: I worked in the office yesterday for the first time since March 13th, 2020 and today Illinois and Chicago fully reopened. Does that mean it’s time to stop numbering my socially distanced days? Masks are still required on transit and in medical settings, but I’m guessing most of the retail holdouts will be dropping requirements shortly.
What a strange quick turnaround the past month has been after the last year. In exciting news we’ve stalled out around 50% vaccination and variants are still raging across the world!
Being in the office was surprisingly normal. But also weird. Reverse culture shock is the model I’ve gospel I’ve been preaching. I booked a desk that didn’t have a monitor so my tech setup wasn’t good, but I’ve had so much on my plate this week I couldn’t really help but get things done. I did like the energy of being around my coworkers and I’ve missed just being able to walk over to someone’s desk to figure something out. Actually would’ve liked to talk to coworkers more. Going in is still completely optional, but maybe I will go in occasionally over the summer. Wearing a belt and pants is not fun tho. Shorts forever!!! Maybe we can break that taboo in our workplace.
Went to brunch for the first time Sunday. That was also my first inside restaurant. Matt and I went out to dinner Wednesday night at Revolution for the first time. Then we had a big inside table for our team lunch at work yesterday. Stumbling back towards unprecedented new abnormal in no time. Society and the environment are still collapsing. Head empty thoughts banal.
When we went into the office the building had just stopped requiring masks in common areas. There was no lobby furniture in the morning but when we came down for lunch it’d been put back. What an odd fortuitous coincidence. Where will we be next time I write?