The New Zoo

I haven't worked in an office in two years. Since the pandemic started, I got a new job at a new company. I went to my new office for the second time ever today. The first time I visited was for my first day of work a year into the pandemic. Today I went in because I scheduled an appointment to prove my employment eligibility to the HR people. When I started the job, I had scanned my citizenship documents, but now they need to see the original. So I did that today. 

Not only was I figuring out a new space, I was figuring it out alone as the office doesn't officially open until April 18. I drove around the block a few times to find the entrance to the parking garage down an alley. I had to see if my temporary badge could get me into the garage. I had to find my new desk in a maze of cubicles. I had to find tea and coffee and water fountains and kleenex and the bathroom. I had to log into the system. Brian, one of two people on my floor, set-up my monitors and docking station.

The office is beautiful, but my only complaint were the lights. My delicate eyes hurt from being around fluorescent lights all day. Maybe my monitors were too bright or too far away. Whatever the case, it was different.

I went to lunch as a place was described as "bougie." I figure I'd squeeze getting in before everyone returns to work and then not find a seat. One of my favorite fabric shops is town is kitty-corner to the office. Good for the business. Bad for my budget.

I didn't get much actual work done as I spent a lot of time walking around trying to get my bearings, which part of work. I felt like all of sense were firing at full speed. My eyes were aching. My ears were picking up infrequent and quiet footfalls and a phone call in the distance. My nose was tickled by dust that accumulated in cracks and cervices. I burned my tongue at lunch on baked eggs.

I was talking to my team lead, filling him in on my experience. 

"I feel like an animal in new surroundings, and I am trying to make sense of this," I said.

"You are in a new zoo," he said.