Peaches & Cream

Dogpoet (whom I have envied from afar for picking up and moving to NYC) makes an interesting comment about his new life in NYC.

In some ways it was a relief to finally admit this to myself, to stop pretending that my “new life” was one exciting thing after another, rather than admitting the truth; that my new life was an exhausting, overwhelming, homesick-inducing series of days and that, for as seldom as I left campus, I might as well be in Houston. Some days I feel the same way about the changes going on in my life. Admittedly, leaving Canterbury to work for Creative Commons isn’t the change that moving from the west to east coasts is, but it was a big deal to me. And while I appreciate everyone who expresses how happy and excited they are for me, if I have to hear one more person say “You’re so lucky you get to work from home! Must be so tough!”

Look, I know you mean well, and I know you have no idea what you’re talking about. Yes, I love what I’m doing, and yes, in many ways I have my dream job. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss the social aspects of the office. It doesn’t mean that because I can work in my pajamas that I do, or that if I did I’d do any less work. And just because I work from home doesn’t mean life is perfect or that I don’t take my work seriously.

In short, just because someone makes a move to follow a dream doesn’t mean their life is peaches and cream.