mobile offices
"when constantly on the move one remains harder to pin down, which renders evidence of the agent’s actions and intentions available only to those in direct communication or with highly advanced intel. Continual movement therefore offers an attractive possibility for refusal of clear or direct information."
In my travels during the two years spent at OCAD, I did a lot of work in transience, which was important to me (see above quote). Here are a few of the places where I set up a “mobile office” (basically me, a laptop, some coffee).
The pilot house of the S/V Denis Sullivan. This photograph was taken while docked in the Welland Canal after leaving Toronto a few days before; we had just arrived with the ships Pride of Baltimore II and Bluenose II, and myself and only two others spent about 30 minutes taking in all sail in the rain (I was also wearing my pjs). We arrived around 6:30 am, and I subsequently took a video call to the Thesis Proposal class at 8:00 am while the third mate shows one of our passengers something interesting at the chart table.
My bunk was narrow, but just enough space for me to store my personal articles and still fit. It was a nice place to work during the day, especially if it was raining (the overhead was not leaky at all yet it was directly below the deck so I could hear the rainfall on deck quite well - a peaceful sound in the background).
I also loved to work on the train. I took Amtrak (plus ViaRail) as often as possible because no one else does for long distances, especially Toronto - New York (a 10 hour ride). It offers a calm and constantly moving view, such as this snowy scene on the way back from New York City.
A short example of the mobile office leaving Albany/Rensselaer on a rainy morning. I used this time to edit video for my colloquium presentation.
When I needed internet, I could work outside behind the mainmast or on top of the pilot house. I usually hooked my laptop up to a mobile hotspot on my phone, but when I didn’t get service I would ask to use the ship’s phone. It usually only worked when we passed land in the distance, so it was saved for truly desperate times. While working on deck, I preferred projects like crochet or drawing that were easily portable if the weather began to turn.
This man across the aisle from me was using the train as his mobile office as well, but he appears distracted by another train passing across the Hudson River, seen out the window. I was able to use my laptop if needed, but I could also complete small projects, such as crochet squares, book layouts, tape recordings, or drawings.
The only slightly annoying thing about the mobile office is interruptions. But that is part of working in transience, it’s still unexpected and unpredictable. Here, the train coming back from Albany, NY is stopping in Buffalo, note the large Buffalo cutout as the train passes. I would make notes of these odd instances by flagging them on a maps app that only allowed for short descriptions. After my constant train, bus, and car traveling from Toronto around the Northeast U.S., I have trails of little flag labels marking the strange things I have observed while “on the road.”
An example of the map I have been keeping. This location is at the sight of two cool bridges. Other observations are less permanent, dependent on the season like an incredibly red tree, or even more fleeting such as flocks of birds or deer spotted next to the highway.