Since beginning to work from home, I have found it somewhat isolating. My job requires me to be on the phone all day, chit-chatting with new people – which is fun – but I find that in between calls, I miss being able to walk over to a coworker and convince them to take a coffee break. My solution? I go to Starbucks. It’s my island of salvation where I realize that not everyone exists on the phone. The odd thing is, now that I’ve begun to frequent three different Starbucks, I’m beginning to notice the regular routines of the employees and the customers. It’s almost as if I’m witnessing someone else’s 9 to 5 and the proximity to it makes me feel better – I know, it’s strange! I now know that the manager of one of my favorite spots just recently adopted a little girl named Jane. His partner comes in a half hour before the end of every shift for Jane to help out, even though she has a difficult time lifting a water bottle (Jane is 1). I also know that another Starbucks employee is cheating on her boyfriend with a Barnes & Noble employee and has had to do some fast thinking to prevent them from meeting each other. On top of the employees, the customers are always fantastic to watch. There’s the woman with the mismatched sneakers that refuses to sit anywhere but at this one table in the corner. She likes to come in every Wednesday and Friday to read the same copy of Jane Eyre. I also have been a witness to several painful blind dates, which just makes me appreciate my boyfriend all the more, and also wonder, who is setting up these people? I suppose what I’m trying to say is – if there’s anyone else out there, like me, who is finding it a bit difficult to adjust to the isolation of working at home; go to the nearest Starbucks and remember why the office can sometimes suck. -Carla Guzzetti, account executive