I used to scoff silently at the people who would spend an entire evening at a coffee house, tapping away on their laptops. “How can they possibly get anything done?” I always wondered. I figured it must all be for show, so I dismissed them as a bunch of poseurs.

Well, tonight I’ve joined their ranks. Partly out of need (my wi-fi-sharing neighbor is still out of town) and partly out of convenience, I find myself sitting at the Barnes and Noble bookstore near my house.

To my surprise, it’s not at all difficult to concentrate—even with the constant traffic and the noisy barista behind me. And to my delight, I’m actually enjoying being among others who are studying, working, or maybe penning the next Great American Novel.

I feel like a whole new world has been opened to me. And I feel a little sheepish for having thought less of the laptop-toting masses who got here before me.