My office is tucked on the second floor of 444 Barker Road, just a stone’s throw away from Lake Michigan. My desk had been haphazardly dragged in front of the room’s only window, and upon my arrival only had one singular occupant, a snake plant that was practically begging for some water. And honestly, three weeks later it doesn’t look much different. A flyer shoved in a drawer, a hair tie that had been long abandoned, maybe a water bottle that had been forgotten during a quick departure. It is apparent to anyone who works in the Barker House that I don’t usually sit at my desk, and that’s something that I’m quite proud of. Let me explain.

My arrival 3 weeks ago was followed by a whirlwind of activity. First there was orientation, then an introduction to my coworkers, which in turn was quickly followed by my first staff meeting. I was given project after project, leaving my head whirling and my laptop full of fragmented notes. It became quite clear that the staff at Save The Dunes wore many hats, and worked passionately to keep this non-profit relevant, flourishing, and dependable. And for some odd reason, this shocked me. Not to any fault of their own, but simply because I had forgotten it was possible to work in alignment with your passions. In my mind, my future career and profession (whatever that would end up being) had long been labeled as something that would merely provide me a source of income and perhaps multiple cups of lukewarm break room coffee a day. I didn’t quite dread what was coming, but I certainly wasn’t looking forward to it either. This brought around a question that I had scribbled in my CAPS journal a couple weeks before; where did passions belong in a profession, and vice versa, could a profession truly align to a person’s passions? 

And to be honest, I’m still working on an answer. But seeing my coworkers love the environment enough to advocate for it every day sparked a little bit of hope that maybe one day I’ll work in a place like that too. Where I wake up in the morning (or at least most of them) and I’m actually EXCITED to drive to the office and try to make a difference that the average person can see. And you know what? Maybe one person can change just a tiny piece of the world. 

I don’t intentionally avoid my desk, or leave my desk to get away from my coworkers. It’s just simply that since the very beginning the entire house on 444 Barker Rd has felt like home. The warm, cushioned chair on the sunlit covered porch, the elegant conference room, and the cheery yellow tiles of the kitchen always give me somewhere new and unique to work. My coworkers laughing on the porch or sitting on the couches of the living room are the best company (And truly now feel like family) and the group hikes often leave me content and sunburnt. Why in the world would I ever sit at my desk when there’s so much to learn everywhere else? 

Wishing the weeks would go by slower, 

Heather Elwood, 

PROUD Save the Dunes Intern