I am trying to get used to my new reality of working in downtown Seattle after being out of it for awhile. I did work downtown at a hotel 4 years ago for a total of 7 years, but a hotel is a totally different truth from a high rise office building.
Where we were before was sort of in the middle of nowhere, so instead of going outside for a walk on my break, I would just eat at my desk and stay in my cubicle all day. Downtown offers a plethora of opportunities to see life unfold and spend money. In fact, this move actually represents a pay decrease. Since there were no convenient meal places near us before, we had quite a bit of food trucked in via Costco on a twice monthly basis. I would eat breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner on the company. Now that our Costco privileges are shrunk to nearly nothing, it can cost a fortune to pick up a daily sandwich at one of the thousand cafes that spread out around me. Plus, the urge to take advantage of the nearby department stores and shoe shops is overwhelming.
We share an office floor with a finance management firm who take corporate dress very seriously. Our dot com casual sheik really stands out amidst the overpriced 3 piece suits and brief cases on wheels that plague the area.
One thing that I cannot quite get the hang of is elevator etiquette. Is it OK to let the door close despite the approaching people who may need a lift upwards? Is chit chat preferred over abject silence while staring straight ahead at the glowing numbers going up up up? If you are closest to the door, is it OK to exit first or are you supposed to let the elderly out ahead of you?
It will for sure be more interesting to be in a place where things actually happen: crazy street people screaming at you to die; persons that appear crazy, but are only talking wildly on their ear-phone; constant traffic accidents and criminal activity. The last time I worked downtown I got searched by the National Guard and tear gas up my nose during the WTO riots. Bring it on bitches, I am BACK!