Bloggerstock: The story of what is on your desk

In the spirit of Bloggerstock, today's guest blogger is Rie. Read on to learn more about her and her take on this month's topic.


Here it is; my initial dalliance into the fun that is "Bloggerstock." An exercise in creating a blog-ring in which each entry included is written on the same topic. This month's topic is: "The Story of what is on your Desk." While I'm posting here, my blog is playing host to an entry from Katie of "Special Snowflakes." Without further ado, onward and upward...

Since I've been using whatever coffee house, cafe, library, or restaurant offers free WiFi for the past year, the "story of what's on my desk" is more accurately the "story of what I've done without a desk."

Just over a year ago, I was a full time graduate student with two part time jobs in two different cities; unsurprisingly, I was also feeling more than a little burned out. I was spending most of my time at my desk in the shared graduate assistant office--a desk that was covered in piles of things I needed to do, an Indiana Jones Mr. Potato Head, some lego creations, the random textbook, my laptop, and a few dozen doodles. Luckily, my time as a graduate student was rapidly approaching its end, and I was already dreaming of backpacking around Australia for a year....without a desk.

I debated for a good 5 minutes as to whether or not I was even going to take my laptop with me because I was worried I'd be annoyed at having to lug it around and anxious that it was safe from my hostel roomies. In the end, I figured I'd rather have it an be annoyed and anxious than not have it and want it, and I think I made the right decision. It's easy enough to find free WiFi now that I probably saved a good amount of money that would have otherwise been spent in internet cafes using their computers; plus, my laptop is pretty light, and even though you're sleeping with strangers in a hostel dorm, you ended up forming a tenuous trusting relationship.

Anyway...like I've previously mentioned, since I didn't travel with a desk, I ended up using whatever was convenient. McDonald's was the easiest, and they have tasty drink called the "Fruit Fizz" that I find delicious. It wasn't uncommon to find me sipping a Fruit Fizz while catching up with my loved ones back home via email anywhere from Sydney to Perth. On the off-chance I couldn't find a McDonald's, I dropped in on wherever else offered free internet. This meant that at any given moment I could be "working" at a small cafe table, a bar, or my lap while sitting on one of those coffeehouse sofas. That said, this wasn't a frequent or regular occurrence, and I loved it. Unlike the previous 2 years spent glued to my computer (and desk), I was finally able to be mostly "unplugged." Did I mention that I was cell phone free as well? It was sort of amazing.

I've just returned home from my wire-free year, and while I'm loving being home, as I keep filling out job applications and planning thesis meetings, I find myself dreading my return to the desk. What's wrong with only sending out the odd email or typing up a blog entry from my lap on a bus? Nothing is the answer, but sadly enough, I'm not sure if it can be my life. While I don't know what I want out of life, or what I want to do with my life, I think for now my life must involve a desk. Hopefully, a desk covered in things that make me happy and remind me of fun.
 
Big thanks to Rie for writing a lovely post for my blog. If you want to know the story of what's on my desk, head on over to Kris's blog.