A day in the life of a remote Software Engineer

I scrambled out of the bed, regretting every single thing I did last night. Chiding myself one more time for not having self-control, I dashed into the bathroom to quickly make myself presentable enough for dropping off my toddler at daycare. My eyes looked terrible. Still burning. Still tired. The eye bags only get deeper. Why in the world did I read two science fiction on the same night? Anyway, welcome to my blog – here’s a glimpse of the life of a software engineer working remotely.

I managed to get my little one ready after bribing him with Booba and Police trucks. The drive through the Sydney suburbian streets helps me to quieten the chatter in my head. My neighborhood is lovely – with hilly terrain, a glimpse of the Blue Mountains, and a long road covered by a canopy of Eucalyptus trees. Although, the morning rush hour traffic can be frustrating at times.

Morning

I reached home just in time to attend the morning stand-up call with my teammates. We shared a little bit about our life, back pain and eye pain, and a horde of other medical ailments that come with our profession. Then we discussed the work we did the previous day and what we plan to do next.

Have you seen that-girl-life aesthetics that is quite popular in social media, definitely ain’t me. There’s no lighting up the candles or slowly topping off drinks with an enormous amount of cream. Or gently tapping lotion on the face. My aesthetics are more like hurried-worried-mom life, where I brush at a speed just safe enough not to bleed. Slap sunscreen on the face because when the morning Australian sun hits you through the windshield, it burns. A very hungry mom too because I don’t get to eat until 11 am, after finishing all the calls and morning work.

I am very aware that I could change my life if I wake up an hour early, but who could resist Netflix right? Or even reading late into the night? Or being 2am poet? Yeah, even I thought I would be better at adulting!

In contrast, my husband goes to the gym at 5 am. Like what!!!

Breakfast

My breakfast is very simple and easy. Usually, I make mocha (coffee with hot chocolate) and crackers topped with avocado or a slice of bread with fried eggs.

Today I wrote acceptance test cases for functionality I pushed last month. I took over the development of that functionality from the previous team so I had to hit the ground running. Lots of coding, collaboration with clients, and even worked overtime. These days I am busy backfilling integration test cases. Followed by testing, and assisting colleagues with their queries. More meetings. On days when I am having trouble focusing on work, I like to time-box my tasks. I start a timer for 30 minutes and stay focused on the task. This productivity tip has been very helpful to me this year.

I get a lot more done when I am not multitasking. Seriously!

Afternoon

I usually make a quick lunch, but today I wanted to be fancy. So I prepared stir-fried Tofu and Shitake mushrooms in Oyster sauce noodles. Well, this is all the fancy I can get. 🙂

Followed by more coding and meetings.

I take breaks in between to stretch, do a little bit of reading or learn from online courses. I work till 5 pm if there are no high-priority issues.

Learning and Growth

This year I have set goals to improve my tech skills. I am brushing up my Python knowledge through a Harvard course that’s available for free till next year. I don’t code in Python at work, but I find it interesting. I also use chatGPT to write fun python programs.

I am improving my AWS skills through free AWS courses. Currently learning AWS Lamba foundations. I have already worked with both AWS and Google Cloud services on different projects. It is always good to know more about upcoming technologies and familiarise yourself with the terminologies.

Evening

Evenings are very busy with chores and family time. I go through the whole routine of cooking, cleaning, toddler bath time, feeding, and sleeping in a matter of a few hours. In between that I will sneak a look at my Instagram reels and engage with people.

Today I exercised in the evening. But most days, I just do it whenever I find the time. It could be during lunchtime, before eating, or just after work. I have started tracking my workouts in FitOn app again.

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I haven’t worked at the office since 2019 (when I went on maternity leave for a year). And by the time I was back, Covid had already started spreading, resulting in us going into lockdown. Last year, I went to the office twice, only because there was an event and a lot of food was involved. Although I do miss the office environment, I don’t miss traveling by train during peak hours. All the time that I get after clocking off at 5 pm, I don’t want to trade that with anything.

On days when my husband offers to drop the kid at preschool, I drink my coffee in the garden, watching the sunlight filtering through the trees. My feeble attempt at that-girl-aesthetic. I also take lots of pictures which I would post for the next 6 weeks as #thatgirl

I practically raised my kid through Covid years, working from home. I do not know how things will be if we were called back to the office. That’s what my nightmares are made of.

During my remote life, I welcomed new colleagues, and bid farewell to many. Some I didn’t even get to meet. Got a raise, a promotion, received a bonus, and appreciation for my work.

We have a Bravo award system where employees can appreciate each other by giving them points. Eg: successful production release, helping with tasks, resolving issues, etc. These points directly convert to dollars. With the points I had collected over time, I was able to buy this Kodak mini printer, something I had always wanted for journaling.

If you are still reading, thank you for being here. This wannabe #thatGirl needs to go and make some Matcha Latte. { I promise I will stir slowly and not churn it like Lassi.}

Related Post – How I spend my half day friday

First day at work – When I got lost in the office