Taking work outside

There were days it was glorious. I sought out sunny spots on my front porch and back deck. Some mornings, I watched the mist lift off the nearby mountain and the play of plant shadows. In the interstitial moments between computer tasks, I observed tiny snow specks drifting through the air or basked in the sun. I listened to the magpies and mourning doves, the drips from the roof, and the rustling of dry leaves.

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Over the weeks, a funny thing started happening. I began to genuinely long to be outside during the workday, even in crappy weather. From inside the walls of my house, I could feel a pull to step outdoors. I’d often take my calls outside and pace around while the crows supervised. During a five-hour meeting with a colleague, I asked if we could take our conversation on a walk around the neighborhood.

Years ago I was traveling and needed to schedule a meeting with a client. Because of logistical constraints I had to take the call outside. Halfway through the call it started to pour, but I was under a porch and safe.

I don’t remember the call, other than it being somewhat stressful. But what I remember is the beauty and fierceness of nature letting me know that a whole world exists outside my laptop screen.

In 2010 I bought my first MacBook Pro. I paid extra for anti-glare protection. This was long before the days of retina. I loved that screen. I could work outside and still see.

Since then every laptop has enough gloss to brush my teeth against. I can’t see a thing when I’m outside. So I’ve given up doing anything in the sun—ironically my storm meeting was fine, being outside in overcast conditions isn’t the problem.

Now I’m finding myself curious about the latest MacBook Pros with their new/old anti-glare. It’s going to be years before I upgrade, but when I do I might take a stab at taking things outdoors again. That and the iPad would be a dream to use against the brightness of the sun.