Working from home has me constantly looking for ways to eliminate distractions and focus on my work. However, sometimes I find that a good strategy is to give in to those distractions strategically. For example, I reward myself for high concentration periods by watching something while doing tasks that don’t require my full concentration. In writing this particular post, I had to turn off the television because I was unable to type beyond the first sentence.

So today, I was watching videos of footage traveling through Japanese railroads. These videos were footage shot from a camera fixed to the train’s front as it traveled through Japan. There is no dialogue, commentary, or any music. It is just the raw ambient sound aboard the train. I love staring out the window when traveling regardless of transportation mode and try not to sleep so as not to miss any scenery. Working while glancing at the unfolding scenery made me feel like a dedicated professional committed to his work even while traveling abroad. For a moment, I was reliving that thrill of traveling abroad and looking at unfamiliar places. It has made me consider traveling to Japan–once it is safe to do so–to ride on these trains and get off at random stations in the countryside and either walk around the immediate area for a bit or sit at the station to contemplate the scenery around me while I wait for the next train.