I’ve never had an in-person office job. Am I missing out?

I graduated into the corporate world during Covid, so I’ve never actually had an in-person office job. I’ve spent the last three years working my 9-5 out of my bedroom. Most of my coworkers feel incredibly lucky to be fully remote. And I get it, no rush hour commutes and constant distractions under florescent lighting. There are real perks.

But I can’t help feeling like I’ve missed out on things that matter more than I expected. The casual chats, grabbing lunch together, meeting new people organically, the afternoon pong matches (I work in tech). Just being somewhere that isn’t the same room I woke up in.

When your environment never changes, it starts to feel like the days blur together and time just flies by. It doesn’t feel like an ideal way to live my 20s.

For those who’ve experienced both in-person and remote work, what do you prefer and why?