New Office Digs

Over the past week my fellow teachers and I were relocated into some new office real estate. Since I started at the Villa, I've been sitting in a desk against the wall under the exit sign. This week I got to move downstairs into a snazzy new office digs with about three times the space as my little desk against the wall.

My old space--all packed up and ready to go.

As a lover of books, for me the best thing about my new work area is the five bookshelves that come with it. Even the dreariest work space can be made to feel homey if you add enough books. My new location also has the added benefit of walls, which makes it easier to be productive. Also, with the "out of sight, out of mind" work place principal, disappearing into your lair for significant amounts of time and then reemerging makes it seem like you must have been diligently working all that time. Right?

My new location also comes with these lovely adjustable entryway bookshelves. In case you can't tell, the theme is kmt Srjt ("Little Egypt")--appropriate, given my Illinois and Egyptology connections. Plus, let's face it: I have a lot of Egypt stuff, so it's not that difficult for me to pull off.

Since I now have the luxury of space, I have my bookshelves organized into categories: Egyptology, ancient languages and academic journals, Mesopotamia and the "rest" of the ancient world, and museums and gender issues. It's kind of an eclectic assembly of subjects, but they're the ones I work in most frequently, so they suit my specific needs quite well.

A new desk and bookshelves may not seem like something exciting enough to write home about, but for me the more inviting and homey the workspace, the easier it is to be there. Besides, who doesn't like a little change of scenery every now and then? I will certainly not be shedding any tears over the loss of my place below the exit sign!