我在办公室住了500天

By+Terry+K++汪亚群

现代社会中，随着生活方式的多样化，人们观念里对“家”的定义也在发生着改变。家的形式不再限于拥有一所大房子、一个稳定的住所。有些人蜗居在小房子里，有些人住在房车里，有些人甚至以垃圾桶为家，下文的作者就体验了一把住在办公室里的生活。无论家的形式如何，只要你喜欢这种生活方式，过得开心快乐，不用为了房租、房贷而放弃梦想，那四海为家又何尝不可呢？

I was asleep when I heard the door rattle against the frame. My eyes flashed open and I sprung upright in my under-desk sleep space. Was it all over？ Had someone come to work early？ I peered over my desk， afraid of what I might see. The morning sun burned through the chicken-scratch1） graffiti of the offices front door， spilling across the labyrinth of desks spread out before me. There wasnt a soul in sight. I breathed a sigh of relief. Probably just paranoia2）. Or maybe not—a breeze blew the front door against its frame， the pygmy3）-like rattle of a loose door jamb. It was the same sound I heard moments before and would hear countless times in the future but never quite get used to.

A little paranoia goes a long way4） when you live in a 10-square-foot workstation. I stood up， stretching my limbs toward the sky like a thawing， cryo-preserved humanoid， neck kinked and back stiff. I bent down to deflate my air mattress. The clock read 6：45 a.m. Under normal circumstances Id still be asleep， but these circumstances were far from normal.

Earlier that week， I had moved into my office. Secretly. I rented out my Venice Beach apartment for the month， packed a few duffels5） with my clothes and prized belongings， and started taking up residence behind my desk， carefully using each square inch of out-of-sight real estate to store my stuff. Not everyone aspires to have their co-workers catching them at their desk in their tighty-whities6）—at 6 in the morning. Believing the best-case-scenario reaction to my being there would be supreme awkwardness， I kept the whole thing to myself. Every morning Id neatly pack away my personal belongings， turning the lights back on and lowering the air conditioning to its too-chilly-for-me 72 degrees—the way they always left it overnight. Id leave for a morning workout and shower， simultaneously keeping clean and in shape while ensuring I wasnt always the first to arrive. Occasionally Id even make myself late to work， blaming the awful L.A. traffic. Just to fit in.

If living in the office seems like too much effort， it was a cakewalk7） compared to making monthly rent payments.

It had been two years since moving to Los Angeles and， like many Angelinos， I was broke. I stretched the definition of affordability by taking a studio apartment8） within 20 minutes of work， cramming my belongings into 250 square feet of glorified tenement9） housing while my savings vanished like a roach10） in the daylight. I put my dreams of traveling and writing on hold11） so I could stabilize my living situation. I figured I could suffer for a bit in the meantime.

By the summer of 2012， those dreams gave way to12） a nightmare. Id been working two jobs—60 hours a week to keep an apartment I rarely had time to enjoy. Then， disaster struck. Company raises and bonuses were frozen. My identity was stolen. I got a hefty13） hospital bill for a surgery earlier that year. With existing student loans， a car payment and my rent set for its maximum-allowable annual increase under the California law， I started to wonder： What happened to my American Dream？

I had little left to sacrifice. Without money， I had two choices： Give up my dreams of working creatively or surrender my time working even more. Either way， the outlook was gloomy. Until I remembered my ace in the hole14）.

A few months earlier， I stopped by the office on a late-weeknight assignment. Everything around the place was closed. The land of business plazas was a veritable ghost town， a blank spot on the map， stripped naked from the daytime bustle. Around that time， the news was filled with stories about an influx of U.S. congressmen taking up residences in their D.C. offices. They were converting perfectly livable， neglected space into their own white-collar Walden15） for the working man. I wondered if I could do the same. But before it became necessary， it seemed impossible.

Yawning myself awake in an empty office， that impossibility disappeared. So what if there was sacrifice？ Waking up with a pumping adrenal gland16） wasnt ideal， but it was better than lying in bed knowing your hours were auctioned off17） to a status quo18） you never wanted in the first place.

Living at the office remains a unique solution to overpriced housing woes. But there are alternatives. Many working folks， balancing skyrocketing cost-of-living with grounded wages， are employing their own varying degrees of minimalism19）. From starving artists living in their vehicles to the middle class moving into tiny homes， from dumpster-dwelling20） college professors to Volkswagen van Major League Baseball players， how Americans are defining “home” is changing at all levels of the socioeconomic scale.

The traditional definition of home isnt always friendly to the neo-minimalist middle class. The Oxford Dictionary defines the term in a variety of ways， with its fourth listing providing perhaps the most progressive description： A place where something flourishes， is most typically found， or from which it originates.

For folks like me， this essence of home is fundamental to our existence. Instead of “homeless，” I prefer to use the term “home-free.” It champions choice without undermining the challenges faced by those without it.

Indeed， what started as a temporary financial solution turned into a lifestyle. I grew to prefer it. Impending debt morphed into growing savings. Sleepwalking through two jobs to squeak21） by gave way to a wealth of free time. My spending habits ground to a halt22）， my savings ballooned. I gave up my apartment entirely， shed a great deal of my belongings， and committed to a life of salaried simplicity.

My routine became more essential， flustering less and less about meeting the lowest levels of Maslows hierarchy of needs23）. I took off to the Caribbean for two summer weeks to film a movie. I celebrated New Years with a lovely lady in South America. I started reading again. Started writing. Living this way forced me to engage my passions. I socialized more often， spent more time outside. My day-to-day—once orbiting around keeping an apartment—now held gravity to my passions. I was happier.

Living in the office had many unexpected perks. But it was far from a permanent solution. I lived in the office for 500 days. Ultimately， the company went under24）. I was part of the first round of layoffs. I lost my job and my home all in one， but I saved over $20，000 in living costs and 216 hours of commuting.

Recently I found myself waking up before sunrise， but this time it happened slowly， taking care not to hit my head on the low ceiling above me. I looked out the passenger-side window. The moon reflected off the water as the sounds of the swells tickling up against the rocky shore echoed past my Pacific Coast Highway roadside parking space.

I was in the back of my truck， atop a twin-size memory foam mattress edged between a mini bookshelf and multi-functional cabinet. This is my new place of residence， a custom-built tiny home on four wheels， great for overnighting at a series of vista points and national forests along the way to Oregon.

I finished building it before I left the office. Everything I needed—a tiny fridge， a portable butane stove， a sturdy water jug， a paper towel rack—I was fortunate enough to purchase while money was good. Mostly I stay local， picking up odd jobs while writing， pursuing the career Id always wanted but never had the time to try. Its a different routine from the office. Its Henry David Thoreau meets Henry Ford25）.

Its not for everybody， either. But Im happy. On the average week， I pack 20 hours of work into a few days， leaving the rest of my time to write. It lacks the material benefits from my full-time days， but the benefits outweigh the negatives. Now I take my home with me wherever I go.

What more could I want？

我正在睡觉，忽然听到门碰到门框发出的嘎吱声。我猛地睁开眼睛，迅速从办公桌下睡觉的地方坐了起来。这下完蛋了吗？有人提早来上班了？我从办公桌上提心吊胆地瞟过去，对自己可能会看到的东西感到害怕。透过办公室正门上鬼画符一样的涂鸦，清晨的阳光火辣辣地照了进来，洒在面前迷宫般的办公桌上。眼前连个人影也没有。我松了口气，可能只是我疑神疑鬼了。或许又不是，一阵微风吹来，门板打在门框上，松动的门框发出鬼叫一样的声音。我刚才听到的就是这种声音，今后也会听到无数次，可一直适应不了。

当你住在一个十平方英尺（约一平米）的工位里时，多疑一点还是大有益处的。我站起来，使劲地伸了伸懒腰，就像一个正在解冻的低温储藏的人形机器人，脖子酸疼，后背僵硬。我弯腰放掉充气睡垫里的空气。时钟显示现在是早上6点45分。通常情况下，这个时间我应该还在睡觉，但眼下的一切跟正常情况相比还差得远呢。

那周一开始，我就搬进了办公室住。谁都不知道。那个月我把自己位于威尼斯海滩的公寓租了出去，简单地打包了一些生活必需品、衣物和一些值钱的东西，就这样开始在我办公桌的后面住了下来。我小心谨慎地利用人们视野外的每寸空间，把个人物品储藏好。并不是每个人都希望被自己的同事看到在办公桌旁穿着白色三角裤，还是在早上6点的时候。若他们看到我那个样子，相信在最好的情况下他们的反应都是极为尴尬的。所以，整件事我跟谁都没透露。每天早上我都会干净利索地收拾好个人物品，把办公室的灯重新打开，把空调调至让我觉得冻得不行的72华氏度—同事们头天晚上离开办公室时就这个样子。我会出去晨练，然后冲个澡，这能让我在保持干净清爽和好身材的同时，还可确保自己不总是第一个到办公室。偶尔我甚至还会故意迟到，并抱怨一番洛杉矶拥堵的交通状况。只是不想与众不同。

如果说住在办公室看起来不容易的话，那跟每月交房租比起来，这简直是小菜一碟。

那时我来洛杉矶已有两年了，和许多洛杉矶人一样，我仍身无分文。我在距离公司20分钟车程的地方租了间带厨卫的单间公寓，勉强也算是租得起房的人了。房子250平方英尺（约25平米），美其名曰经济公寓。我把所有的东西都塞了进去，而同时我的那点积蓄就像大白天的蟑螂一样唰唰地消失得比什么都快。我把旅行和写作的梦想搁置一旁，以便能让生活状况稳定下来。我认为在这期间自己可以稍微吃点苦。

到2012年夏天，这些梦想变成了一场噩梦。为了保住我那几乎没时间享受的公寓，我一直干着两份工作，每周工作60小时。之后，灾难降临了。公司涨的薪水和发放的奖金被冻结。我的身份信息遭窃。年初做的一次手术还有一大笔手术费没付清，再加上还没付清的学生贷款、买车款以及我那每年都以加州法律所允许的最高年度涨幅往上抬价的房租，我不禁开始怀疑：我的“美国梦”到底怎么了？

我已经没什么可以牺牲的了。身无分文，我只有两个选择：要么放弃我做创意工作的梦想，要么花更多的时间来工作。无论哪种方式，前景都很暗淡。直到我想到了“锦囊妙计”。

几个月前，一个工作日的深夜，我到办公室赶一个工作任务。办公室周边的场所都关门了。商业区集中的地方简直就是一座名副其实的鬼城，成为夜间地图上的一个空白地带，白天的喧嚣全然不见。那段时间，新闻上充斥着各种报道，说很多国会议员将哥伦比亚特区的办公室当做住所。他们将完全可居住却遭忽略的空间进行改造，将之变成白领工人的瓦尔登湖畔小屋。我曾考虑过我是否也可以这样做。但不到万不得已时，这似乎都是不可能的。

在这空无一人的办公室中，我打着哈欠醒来。这时，这种不可能性消失了。需要付出代价又怎样呢？醒来时肾上腺素激增并不是很理想的状态，但是这也比躺在床上眼睁睁看着时间被拍卖换来你那压根就不想要的生活现状要强。

面对高房价带来的痛苦，住在办公室仍不失为一种独特的解决办法。但还是有许多可供选择的解决办法。很多工作人士为了平衡飙升的生活成本与纹丝不动的工资，都在不同程度地践行着他们自己的极简主义。从住在自己车上的饥肠辘辘的艺术家，到搬进小房子的中产阶级，从住在垃圾桶里的大学教授，到住在大众厢式货车里的职业棒球联盟球员，各个社会经济层面的美国人对“家”的定义都在发生着变化。

对于奉行新极简主义的中产阶级来说，家的传统定义并不总是很友好。《牛津词典》对这一词有多种定义，其中的第四个词条可能提供了一种最为进步的解释：生息地；产地；发源地。

对像我这样的人而言，家的这一本质对于我们的生存来说至关重要。与“无家可归”比起来，我更倾向使用“四海为家”一词。“四海为家”一词捍卫了你的选择，却又没有淡化那些没得选的人所面临的挑战。

事实上，最初临时性的财务解决方案后来却成了我的一种生活方式。我渐渐喜欢上这种生活方式。迫在眉睫的债务变成了日益增多的存款。之前身兼两份工作，整天昏昏沉沉地干活以勉强度日，现在变成了拥有大把的闲暇时间。我渐渐地抛弃了之前的消费习惯，存款开始猛增。我把租的公寓彻底退掉了，把自己的很多物品都扔了，全心投入到一种领薪的简单生活中去。

我的日常生活变得更加精炼，为了满足马斯洛需求层次理论最下层的需求而忙乱不堪的情况越来越少。炎炎夏日里，我飞到加勒比海待了两个星期，去拍摄一部电影。我在南美和一位美丽的女士共度新年。我又开始阅读，开始写作。以这种方式生活使我激情焕发。我更频繁地参与社交活动，花更多的时间待在户外。以前我每天的生活都是围绕着如何保住一间公寓，现在我的生活重心转移到自己的爱好上来了。我比以前更快乐了。

住在办公室还有很多意外的惊喜，但这远远不是一个长久之计。我在办公室里生活了500天。最后，公司破产了。我是首批被裁掉的员工中的一员。我的工作和我的家一下子全没了，但是我节省了两万多美元的生活成本以及216个小时的上下班时间。

最近，我发现自己在天还没亮时就醒了，不过这次是慢慢地起身，我得小心点，以免撞在上方低低的天花板上。我透过一侧的车窗往外看。月光照在海面上，海浪轻轻地来回拍打着岩石堤岸，声音回荡在空中，掠过太平洋沿岸公路路边我停车的停车场，飘向远方。

我躺在我的卡车后部的单人床记忆泡沫床垫上，床垫的一边是一个迷你小书架，另一边是一个多功能柜子。这是我的新住所，一个有四个轮子的定制的小家。开着它前往俄勒冈州，沿途在众多的景点和国家森林保护区过夜，真是棒极了。

在我离开公司前，这辆车就已经打造好了。我很庆幸，趁还有钱的时候，我把需要的东西都买了—一个小冰箱、一个烧丁烷的便携式炉子、一个结实耐用的水壶，还有一个纸巾架。大部分时间，我都待在本地，一边写作一边打些零工，从事着我一直以来想做但却从未有时间尝试的工作。这样的日常生活与办公室生活截然不同。这就像是亨利·戴维·梭罗遇见了亨利·福特。

这种生活并不适于每个人，但我很快乐。一般每周我会把20小时的工作量集中在几天内完成，剩下的时间我用来写作。这种生活虽然缺少全天上班时的那种物质利益，但其益处盖过了弊端。现在我不管到哪里去，都可以把家随身带着。

生活如此，夫复何求？