Sometimes it’s hard to say “Goodbye.” About three weeks ago, I told my boss and friend I was going to be saying “Goodbye.” We had worked together to help build his small agency into a pretty impressive creative shop. The catch for me was that I was doing my part from 300 miles away in my home office.

The home office is a beautiful thing and has many, many benefits. And, by using technology like video chatting, instant messaging, and email; you can really do quite well.

But it’s hard to replace regular face-to-face contact. Some of you may be saying “Geez, I’d love to replace my face-to-face contact with some peace and quiet!” I understand.

But, as someone who was to help develop the agency both in terms of new business and internally by developing our staff, it was extremely difficult to do that solely over iChat, email, and phone.

As I wrapped up my work with Morsekode, I finished a couple projects for one of our large global clients. The team on the client side was entirely distributed. Some in the UK, some spread throughout the US, and some in Germany. Some of the meetings we had were quite good, but none as good as when we all got together in one room for 2 days and hashed out what really needed to happen.

Technology can do many things. And, do many things well.

But I don’t think it can completely replace the experience of working together in person.

Not yet anyway.

Goodbye home office. I’ll visit from time to time, but, for now, I’m leaving you for the old-school-gotta-face-the-commute-office-with-a-desk-and-actual-people-downtown.

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(This should have been posted a week ago…but I went on vacation)

I really don’t travel much for my work. Not anymore. I used to. But that’s another post.

The last 10 days have been a bit of an anomaly. 10 days, 4 countries, tons of meetings, tons of new people.

Normally, I work from home. And, for those of you who do this, you know how hard that can be. You know how everyone [who doesn’t work from home] thinks it’s so great, but they never see the challenges, the isolation, and the discipline you have to have (and which most of us do – if you want to stay credible). They also don’t see how hard it is to separate work from your home life. It all becomes one.

It’s all a part of life.

One of my visits was in Germany. My wife and I lived and worked there years ago and that experience will always be one of our favorite times. (I’m sure I’ll post on that more. . . )

Going back to Germany messes with my mind. I love the way of life. The challenge of working in another language. Working/living in another culture. You can NEVER know it all when you are in a culture other than your native culture. It’s humbling.

Even more humbling is working in countries where you really don’t know the local culture or language. I had some meetings in Brno, Czech Republic. What a cool little place. This company I was working with is filled with young, energetic, animated, and hopeful employees. Not what you might expect from the Czech Republic. I love it when my attitudes are shifted to better understanding.

I’m not sure what my point is here. I’m pensive in Philadelphia, waiting for my final flight connection home. The thrill of new people, new cultures and simply touching other lives is so refreshing that it messes with all of my “what I want to do when I grow up” thoughts.

Would I give up “what” I do just to be in a specific type of environment – almost regardless of what it was I was doing to be there? That’s an interesting question.

I’ll ponder that on my next flight. Thankfully, this trip has been smoother than my last business travel.

Maybe I’ll stop all my lofty questions when I get home, hug my wife and kids, and simply be thrilled with all the great things/work/situations I already have.

That would be something.

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