Workspace

If you ask any student, grad student, researcher, or general seeker of knowledge what the most important element of their investigation is, chances are that the answer is workspace. Forget books, computers, calculators, sharpened #2 pencils, if you don't have a decent space to work in, you will probably be lost. Some people are lucky enough to have their own office or home office, but for the rest of us, finding a great workspace that we can concentrate in is like the holy grail to ending writer's block and getting shit done.

As I mentioned in previous posts, there are two factors that make my home workspace unusable. The first of which is a rambunctious puppy that thinks she is helping me by shaking throwing her toys at my feet, gnawing on my computer chord and farting in the office. The second factor is that someone who shall remain nameless punched two fist-sized holes into my new ikea desk in a fit of assembly frustration. Couple that with the fact that I have never ever been able to concentrate at home (I get easy distracted by any minute task that could lead me away from my work) and thus begins my desire to search elsewhere.

At the beginning of the year, my advisor was gently pressuring me to take advantage of the special room in the library reserved for doctoral students and becarios. It was a logical choice, since it was reserved for students just like me and there were never more than three people working there at a time. The room is equipped with three computers, nice tables, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the campus and it is an offshoot of the humanities library, meaning that all of my reference material would be more accessible. I went there a few times to read, but just couldn't get comfortable there for a few different reasons. Number one, for some reason I need other people around me to concentrate. It's the same reason I always choose a treadmill at the gym with other runners next to me: it keeps me motivated. Also, when I'm working, I need refreshments. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I wouldn't say no to a tea, bagel, mini-mufffin. Also, with a puppy in the house, I didn't want to be too far away from home during the day just in case.

With all of these factors swirling in my head, I stumbled upon my Zen of workspaces: Starbucks.

Let me preface this by saying that the Starbucks marketing slogan is "third home." Your first home should be obviously your home, your work is your second home, and Starbucks is designed to be your third home: a place with plush couches, friendly staff, work tables with outlets, free wifi and more. There is a Starbucks five minutes away from my apartment right next to a dog park, so you can imagine what an idea workspace this has become for me. Let's just say that the staff knows my name, my drink, and basically my entire life story. I usually come in the morning for a little chai and breakfast and work for several hours at my designated table (designated by me, of course). It'd been coming here throughout the years to read and occasionally write other products for my program, but never have I been a regular.

It feels great to have a place where I know I can get shiz done and be home in five minutes if I want. I think that my thesis will have a special dedication to the staff for keeping me sane.