There are a few things out there that I've decided really increase a person's quality of life. Having a short commute is one of them as is coming home to a calm and clean house. I've also decided, after having been in NYC for only a week, that working from home can be a huge quality of life bonus.

I've had it both ways and both have their pluses. I'm not going to lie; when I was working from iFly and workig from home I would have told you it was the most stressful job of my life. I felt like I was always working and always on call taking phone calls from the boss as late as 11pm, answering emails in bed via blackberry at 2 in the morning, getting up at 5am to try to beat traffic if I did need to get somewhere, but working from home definitely had its perks.

First of all, even if you start at 9am in an office or working from home there's a big difference when you're working at home. While working at home, you can roll over at 8:50am, start up your computer, and start answering emails. Then, you can take a quick break to get up, wash your face, brush your teeth and whatever else, but you don't have to change clothes. You can feed yourself when you're hungry, watch news if you want to, take a nap if need be (just make up for it later that night), or go out with your friends for a lunch break whenever you want.

If you have to get to the office by 9am, at least in a big city, you have to wake up by no later than 7am. Get in the shower, pick out clothes (don't forget to dress warmly and appropriately), undress and redress if need be which is usually the case, dry your hair, do your makeup, take the dog out, make the bed, eat breakfast (if you're lucky), walk to the subway, wait for the subway, get on the subway, wait on the subway, get off the subway, walk to work, wait in the elevator and finally, if you timed it right, get into the office by 9. That's two extra sleeping hours wasted physically and metally by having to get to the office.

When I was working at home, knowing that it didn't matter what I was wearing or when specifically I was waking up may have actually been worth the pain-in-the-butt late night calls from the bossman.

This is going to take some adjustment.