The Best Place to Write!

Working at Barnes and Noble

You've seen my random pictures - Have Laptop Will Work,  so you know that I am all about being able to work from anywhere at any given moment.  When I first began packing up the laptop for a day of writing at the Barnes and Noble, the park or other "authory" location of choice, I thought it would be cool and...well..."authory." I imagined myself sitting at a secluded table with a paper cup filled with some kind of gourmet coffee, dressed in a pair of jeans and a cozy turtleneck with super-long sleeves, black framed glasses adorning my face, looking quite creative and busy as I tapped next novel onto my keyboard and screen . . . ahhhhh!

Well! That's not exactly what my experience has been . . . not quite.

First of all, there's almost no such thing as seclusion in my local Barnes and Noble. Don't even mention available outlets to plug in my laptop. The seats near the outlets are almost always taken by other computer users, and sometimes by this ONE lady who ONLY reads books - taking up valuable outlet seating space (insert twisted face here). If you're gonna sit there, at least have the decency to have something to plug into the wall!

Working at Panera Bread

Secondly - I'm not a big coffee drinker, but again, trying to be like the "me" I saw in my imagination, a grande  Caramel Machiatto, stirred with whipped cream soon became a daily must have. I mean why sit in the cafe as a writer if you're not going to look the part, right? HOWEVER... that mess is expensive!!!  $4.37 for eight ounces of coffee???  Was I crazy?? Let's not even talk about if I was a bit hungry (or just undisciplined) and wanted one of their scrumptious sugar cookies, or spinach quiche thingies.  We're talking ten bucks a day! (Yes, there were lots of cookie and quiche days). That's a whopping $300 a month!  Geez Loo-weeze!

And finally - I've concluded that Barnes and Noble has a gas heating system, but they refuse to pay the bill (back before summer arrived). They only pay the electric bill for the lights and to keep the cafe going, but as for heat (when it was colder) no such thing. It would be FREEZING in the cafe - cozy sweater or not. And with the limited amount of hair on my head, I just couldn't take it.

Working at Chick Fil-A

So . . . I packed up my laptop and tried another location - Panera Bread. Just as expensive (I LOVE their quiches and Cobblestone pastry and if it's lunch time, that Turkey Artichoke Panini  is sooooo good!) and they will make you get off their wi-fi if you've been on it too long.

Alright how about Chick-Fil-a?  We have a great CFA here - it's always clean, the staff is super-friendly and they have free wi-fi. Now you know what my downfall is there . . . the food.  Ain't no way I can walk in there and not get a Chick Fil-a Biscuit with American cheese and a large sweet tea, or their signature sandwich with provolone if it's afternoon.  Money and calories (fried chicken first thing in the morning? Tsk-tsk!) Plus y'all know Chick Fil-a STAYS packed. People everywhere! The lobby, the drive-thru, the kiddie park - people all over the place.

Working at Newport News Park

Next location - the park, which doesn't have Wi-Fi by the way, or expensive food to purchase. Sounds good right? That's until you factor in the dirt from just being outside, the sun making my screen harder to see, the ants crawling up on the laptop to try to read what I'm typing, and the wasps who feel like you are invading their space - and they ain't having that. And oh yeah . . . the bathrooms...or lack thereof. Enough said.

Working in my vehicle

Okay well how about the freaking car??? Strangely this has been one of my most productive work locations. No distractions, no coffee, no chicken, cheese, quiches or calories, as a matter of fact, I get to bring my own food.  I have a constant internet connection (via my own aircard) even if I decide to go somewhere, I have a portable outlet so I always have power, and it's perfectly climate controlled. I get to choose and adjust the music, no one asks me to put on headphones if I need to "run audio" or watch a video tutorial, and I don't have to go find a quiet or discreet corner to take a phone call. It's almost perfect! Space is a challenge of course, and there are definitely no bathroom facilities, but I can always run into somewhere like Barnes and Noble, Panera or Chick-Fil-a for that right?  :-)

Where is your favorite place to write?  Leave your comments, maybe you can help me find another place that works well for me!