Weekly Report #58 - One Year of Remote Work

Preface#

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This article is a record and reflection on the past few weeks of life from April 10th to April 30th, 2024.

After returning from Bali, it was already mid-April. I experienced another major change in life, once again "moving" back to Hangzhou from Beijing and renting a new place. The rhythm of life has also subtly changed. It has been a year since I moved back to Hangzhou last time, so I want to talk about remote work in this article.

One Year of Remote Work#

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In March of last year, I went through a job change, transitioning from commuting to remote work and moving back to Hangzhou from Beijing, where I had lived for nearly two years.

At that time, I was eager to escape from the busy but meaningless work. Leaving Beijing was just a change of mood. For me, Hangzhou is my hometown, but it is only a temporary place. I left this city since high school and only stayed at home during the first half year of the outbreak. Before returning, I hurriedly met with a few friends and colleagues, and my parents drove to Beijing to bring me, my pet, and all my belongings back. In Hangzhou, I only looked at one or two apartments and settled down the next day.

At that time, I didn't expect so many things to happen in just one year. I won't talk about trivial matters, but I want to share my feelings.

In the later stages of my previous job, due to various factors such as the pandemic and work mode, I already had some time when I didn't need to go to the office. However, due to endless meetings and colleagues' working hours, it was only a relief from commuting. It was only after I settled down in Hangzhou that I truly experienced the freedom of remote work. At that time, I traveled to many cities such as Wuhan, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Chengdu, and Xi'an for a whole month, participating in many activities. I often worked late into the night to ensure I had complete working hours.

Just one or two months later, the novelty of free travel had faded away, and I began to lean towards the other extreme, staying at home and not going out. During this time, I spent a lot of time learning interesting technologies, writing blogs, reading books, and playing with my pet. I enjoyed it. However, I gradually realized that although I am someone who relies more on self-dialogue to gain energy, the loneliness and inertia brought about by long periods of isolation quickly depleted the accumulated energy. Although I had more time, it became even more difficult to make good use of the time outside of work, and anxiety followed.

Afterward, as I entered into a relationship, the focus of my life gradually shifted, and I no longer locked myself at home. I often traveled back and forth between Beijing and Hangzhou, and there were more real-life experiences outside of work. I would pick up and drop off my partner from work, take walks in the park when the weather was good, cook together at home, and watch interesting dramas or documentaries while having meals. My work and life seemed to achieve a certain balance due to remote work, which seemed enviable.

However, there are also problems. Just as many people bring work emotions into their relationships or marriages, remote work is more likely to bring the state of life into work. However, life always has its ups and downs, and work, as a social activity of team collaboration, requires more stable states and outputs. I often found myself in such a dilemma recently. There have been many changes in my life in a short period of time, and perhaps I need more time to adjust and think. Work has also become busier as projects go live, and I try to do well on both sides, but I have fallen into a vicious cycle of self-doubt.

To this day, I still haven't found a perfect solution or balance, but I have gradually begun to face and acknowledge my limited energy. I am willing to seek help for things I can't do well at work, and after work or on weekends, I will give myself moments of relaxation away from the computer. Sometimes on Thursdays, I go to the "Crazy Thursday" event in Liangzhu to meet different people. On weekdays, I also arrange some undisturbed time with my partner to read, learn, or do things we enjoy.

I have also gradually realized the need to set boundaries for myself and my life. Without the clocking in and commuting of going to the office, I still need to have a time to wake up. I divide time into intervals to arrange tasks, and I need to give a sense of ceremony to a day's work, such as having a meal or going to a supermarket after work.

I am still exploring the changes in my lifestyle brought about by remote work, and I am still adapting to this new rhythm of life. But this year has allowed me to focus more on my inner self. Life and home are no longer the cold refuge they used to be after work, but an extension of myself, and a series of attempts to approach my true self.

Second Move#

After a year, I "moved" back to Hangzhou again. This time, it was because of my partner's job transfer, and she will be permanently based in Hangzhou. This move seems to be different from the previous one. It feels like moving a home to another place, welcoming the ritual of a new life. I will get rid of many unnecessary items and try my best to squeeze memories into a corner with wine glasses or small trinkets.

I don't really care about the city itself, and I don't have much sense of belonging to a city. Even though this move is still in a familiar place for me, the process is similar to last year. However, I am full of expectations for this move and the future life. Perhaps I have gradually understood the meaning of this quote from "The Little Prince":

"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."

Interesting Things#

Input#

Although most interesting inputs are automatically synchronized in the "Yu's Life" Telegram channel, I will list some of them here, which feels more like a newsletter.

Books#

读库 2400: Started subscribing to "Reading Club." The interview in the 0th issue is quite interesting.

Collections#

Articles#

Videos#

Podcasts#

EP56 The Story Behind Immersive Translation | Conversation with Founder Owen

Movies#

Dune: Poetic and philosophical setting, a worldview combining primitive religion, technological civilization, and feudalism. The dreams and emotions of the protagonist, prophecies, and fanatical superstitions intertwine to drive the plot, creating a grand narrative.
Dune Part Two: After watching the first and second parts consecutively, I was hoping that this part would present more of the worldview and core of the story. However, what I saw was more thrilling battles, tests for the protagonist, and war. It seems to focus more on personal changes and growth, but lacks some narrative. I plan to read the original work.

TV Series#

The Year Earth Changed: An interesting perspective. The pandemic, which is considered a natural disaster in human society, may be irrelevant to the entire Earth and other species. Perhaps without human intervention, they have undergone more positive changes. It is calm and beautiful.
Spy in the Penguin Colony: Seeing the daily lives of penguins from their perspective, their migration, foraging, reproduction, and their struggles with natural enemies. So cute!