Woman working from her desk
The author now works from her home office and can spend more time with her kids.
  • Alexandra Karplus credits office jobs in New York and Singapore for many of the friendships she's formed over the years.
  • Since she started working from home, her personal relationships with coworkers aren't as strong.
  • She still wouldn't want to go back to office life. 

"I want to invite you guys over to my place for Thanksgiving," I told a few coworkers while enjoying a picnic at the Singapore Botanic Gardens back in 2008.

It had been a month since I moved from New York to Singapore and I felt happily settled in my new life. I was 27, just married, and thrilled to start the next chapter of my life on the other side of the planet.