Working Out and About

Today I did something new (for me). I decided to pack up my laptop and head to Panera Bread to work. I have never needed complete silence to work, and sometimes silence is a detriment to me getting stuff done. So a few hours working outside of my office sounded appealing.


I got a lot done. The only problem is the 30 minute internet limit during lunch time. I managed to work around that by saving everything I needed to my desktop before my time limit ran out. I also managed to spend $9.50 on a lunch of a small veggie sandwich, broccoli cheddar soup, a soda, and a cookie. If that’s not overpriced….But I will consider it money spent on getting a few hours of productive and enjoyable work done in a pleasant environment. Next time I’ll have a lighter lunch, forget the cookie, and have a snack at home later.

It’s ironic to me that as I sat working on a research article in the area of gerontology, I was surrounded by older adults. They were not quietly reading the paper, but rather chatting and laughing loudly. I heard a lot of older men making fun of each other for things like being bald and having a spare tire. The women were often talking about shopping, new clothes, and the fitness classes they attend (Pilates, yoga, spinning, etc.). It was fun to listen to. There was an older couple sitting by the window having coffee. They had on identical fanny packs and seemed to be having a nice time. It seems that Panera is a hang out for the lively retired bunch.

A group of three older people sat down in a booth close to me. I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention, but they seemed very quiet after being very boisterous, so I looked up. At first glance, I thought they were praying before their meal. They were all sitting silently with their heads bowed. Then I looked up again a moment later. They were all texting.

One of my new summer goals is to work more and have more fun. This sounds counterintuitive, but it’s not. I don’t feel like I’ve been being very productive. Sure, I work summer orientation, but I could be putting more into my research and academic writing. I also don’t feel like I have enough fun. Although I’m not working full time right now, I’m not really replacing that time with anything enjoyable. I’m not really sure what I’m doing, but I feel like I could do a better job putting more into both work and fun.

I was proud of myself today for working at Panera for a while. I know it sounds like a small thing, but I typically see taking myself to Panera and spending money on food and drink while I work to be frivolous. I tell myself that if I want to work, I can work either at home or from my office for less money and less effort.

I need to find some other pleasant places around here that have wireless internet to park myself for a few hours and get some stuff done.