Picture from another meeting (one I actually dressed for) in the homeschool room because it has better lighting.
Another night, another Zoom call. In person meetings are a thing of the past. I love it and I hate it. I love the extra time. There's no drive time, only half of me needs to look presentable, I can get more done right up until a meeting begins, I can do a meeting on the go if needed, and my meetings tend to be shorter virtually than in person.
But there's so much that is lost in a virtual meeting. I can't make a random note on my pad of paper and have the person sitting next to me glance at it. Conversations happen much more fluidly in person rather than virtually. Half of the time someone freezers or forgets to turn their microphone on to talk (or turn is off at all) or two people start talking at the same time so no one hears anything. I've experienced all three (or four, depending on how you count it). I miss the camaraderie of holding meetings face to face.
Although, as I sit in my pajamas, in my office, amongst my mess as we attempt at packing, the good far outweighs the bad for me. Extra time is never a bad thing and my extra time is never misused. I booked it like a bat out of hell after daycare closing time. I showered, cleaned the house, did two loads of laundry, and prepped for the next day. As soon as my meeting ended, I was able to put my minis to bed and enjoy a couple of hours of time to myself.
I wonder if the coolness of Zoom meetings will stick around after the pandemic, making in-person meetings a thing of the past? Or will in-person meetings make a come back like the 90's on today's youth? With my calendar filled with virtual meetings in May, in-person meetings aren't quite cool again. Which means I have extra time and awkward pauses to look forward to.