And Then She was Grateful.

The maze that leads us down to the basement of 560 Beatty street makes me wince a little – are there going to be windows in the office? Being shut up in an office for 8 hours a day that has only fluorescent lighting and no windows probably ranks as one of my worst fears.

But at the bottom of two flights of stairs, through hallways with low ceilings and past an ancient creaking elevator, Mike shows me into the Change Heroes office. There are two big desks formed by tables that are pushed together, encouraging collaboration and teamwork. The are chairs at the right height for working with my arms at 90 degrees, and there are windows. Big ones. There is greenery outside the windows and there is a feeling of openness in the office that I immediately like.

What strikes me from the beginning is the focus of everyone who is here. There is a rhythm in the work flow that I promptly fall into; it matches my own intensity and desire to perform at a level of excellence.

Projects are soon being thrown my way and I’m off. I write thank-you notes, get my own Change Heroes e-mail address, and am let free to contact local media about the possibility of building relationships with the company. I chat on Skype with Evan who works out of Boston, send e-mails to campaign runners all over the world, and find myself immersed in work for hours without remembering to stand and stretch it out. I write this article, set up a test campaign on the website, and learn about how to write the perfect e-mail. I read, then reread, the company’s core values. I answer questions about them, give the whole team feedback about which ones resonate with me, and what they mean to me.

I discover perfect almond milk latte’s at Café Medina above the office, eat kale salad’s at Lost and Found and hit the lunch jackpot when I discover The Dirty Apron on Thursday. In between tackling everything Change Heroes throws my way I head to the Vancouver Axé Capoeira Academy, (a convenient 2 blocks from the office) train hard, and then stay for late night dance rehearsals. We rehearse for Wednesday night, when we dazzle party goers with our flips, feathers, and high heels.

With four hours of sleep under my belt I’m back at work on Thursday morning, feeling the bizarre dichotomy of my life. That day ends with a lovely and hilarious chance encounter that manifests itself into a two hour walk while Jeff and I fall into our easy and habitual rhythm of conversation.

 There is undoubtedly something this past week that has fallen perfectly into place. Whether it’s an introduction to a city that just might be seducing me, an opportunity that is leading to an as yet unknown vista point, or simply the sheer serendipity of it all, I am grateful. Stars are aligning, to what end it’s not yet clear, but it is becoming more and more clear that whatever it is I’m doing, it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Thank you universe.

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