‘Desk-ination’ diary: Becky Barnes
Living alone and working from home during lockdown was pretty lonely so, when restrictions eased, I was keen to flip a negative into a positive. I spent a good chunk of 2020 in a one-bedroom flat without a garden in London, which left me craving open space, greenery and the sea.
The flexibility of being able to work from anywhere meant I had considered renting somewhere away from the city. Instead, I joined a house-sitting site that offered accommodation in exchange for looking after pets.
That meant I spent the summer working from cat-sits in Bristol and Guildford, with visits to friends and family in Stroud, Devon and Kent in between. With a laptop and internet access, my office could be wherever I chose. When restrictions eased after this year’s lockdown, I was off on more pet-sits in places including Bath, Brighton and Clevedon.
Rather than the same loop walk on my lunch break, I’ve been able to swim in the sea, try new places for lunch or play with a cat. The various backdrops and inquisitive animals have also proved good conversation during video meetings.
Getting out of the same four walls with just a suitcase of possessions gave me that holiday feeling that travel restrictions have prevented during the pandemic. Yet I’m still working and earning. Being in different places gives me a renewed sense of energy and I have a fresh appreciation for nature and the joy of exploring somewhere new.
