>I am curious to see if using a desktop as a primary driver will clean up my work life balance

Will it though? I'm unconvinced. Besides not being able to get up and move yourself and your primary tool for working to those other locations, I'm not entirely clear about how working on a desktop will be any (if at all) different from working with a laptop.

That said, please post a follow up in 30 days or so. I'm very curious to learn about your experiences.