Not Thoroughly Thoreau

Some of the most influential men had the most impressive rooms in which to work. Mark Twain had a small, octagonal "writing hut" on the edge of a mountain that allowed him to see for miles. Hemingway had a writing studio on Key West filled with mementos from his adventures around the world. Thoreau had his cabin in the woods, Thomas Edison his library, and Darwin his study; with books that reach from the floor up to the ceiling and then spill over onto the desks and floor. 

I do not have such a magnificent space, but, then again, I do not do such work that is deserving of it. But I do have somewhat of an office, which is quite posh, indeed.

Before this luxury, I would come home from school, sit down and try to do homework. The only trouble was that my current residence consists of only one room, with a small loft above half of the space. I would work downstairs, which means I would perpetually get distracted by other things, like doing the dishes, playing with my daughter, or talking to my wife. Often I would wander the kitchen, scouring the cupboards for food. "We'll, this won't do," I decided after the second week of classes. So instead of coming home from school, I would walk to the college library and do my work there.

That was effective for a while, but it was cold and I was forced to sit in a 2x2 make-shift cubicle. It was quite silent, though... except for all the conversations from other students, the janitors in the bathroom yelling about what a mess people make, and all the general bustling of a college campus. Worst of all, I can't watch Doctor Who in a library without feeling like someone is watching right over my shoulder (What? I can't take a break? C'mon...)

So, today, I have established myself a brand new office space in the loft of my lodgings. The loft is also a workout room, storage facility, and closet; but it is quite a fantastic upgrade, none-the-less. My desk chair (a converted workout bench) faces the upper window, which provides a fantastic view of the trees, a nice breeze, and a window sill for my cup of coffee. My back faces the majority of the house, which allows me to work without distractions.

Ah, yes... now I can finally watch Doctor Who get to work.