Bye bye home office!

This is the first blog post that I have put online working from an office. It was weird this morning, after my morning run: I showered, got completely dressed, put my computer in a bag along with the files of stories I’m working on at the moment, and closed the door of my apartment behind me.

I’ve been working from home for ten years: seven years in the Netherlands, more than three years now in Turkey. I love it for many reasons: you can work in just underwear if it’s hot like it has been lately, you can lie down on the bed with a book when you need a break, you are never bothered by traffic when going to the office, well, the list is long.
But the disadvantages were getting on my nerves. No colleagues to have a coffee and chat with, no other journalists nearby to talk about the events of the day, no encouragement to work because others around you are working too. In short: I needed people around me.

I found the office I dreamed of on the European side of town. Around ten journalist colleagues from several different countries, working all together in a big open and light space, air conditioned and with a view over the Golden Horn and the Marmara Sea. And for a very reasonable price.

Isn’t it a bother to go to the other side of town every day? people ask me. Not at all: the traffic still doesn’t bother me, because I only have to walk, take a boat and walk a bit further. The only thing I really need to think of is always taking all my note pads and files with me to where I need them. I predict that I’m going to often fail on that one. I’ll find a way to deal with it, I’m sure. For now, I’m happy: bye bye home office!