Changing Perspectives

As a primarily remote-working intern at Moosejaw, I split my time between the headquarters and my own home, most of my time being spent at home. Each of these work environments have its own unique challenges and benefits that I have observed over the summer.

The challenges I face at home are mostly what I expected I would run into when I first started in May. It can be difficult to motivate myself to start working when my bed, television, and pajamas are in clear view. Once I get down to business, though, I am pretty good at staying on track. There are distractions, of course: roommates coming in and out, wanting to talk; a party across the street making noise; need-to-do chores that are staring me in the face. If these become too much of a distraction for me, I go to a nearby café or library to hunker down for a few hours. Working from campus is really great in that sense. I had a preconceived notion that Ann Arbor would be a bad place for me to work because I would constantly be tempted to go out instead of stay in and work. However, campus has so many resources that it is hard not to find a place to work.

Working in Madison Heights was not like I thought it’d be when I first started out. I thought I would enjoy the constant activity of the office, but it can also be distracting. In general, I am more focused when I am in the office because I know in my mind that I’m there to get stuff done. But my co-workers frequently take walks around the building, go out for an hour or longer lunch, and talk. It’s not anything awful –I do like the employees and the energy –but there are so many ways to get out of working in the office that I sometimes feel counter-productive.

Despite the obstacles, I am very happy to be interning with Moosejaw. It’s a great company to be with, and I’m sharpening my writing skills every day. The end of my internship is drawing closer, and I can genuinely say I will miss it.