Throughout my internship at MWW, I was in constant communication with my fellow interns working on a collaborative project. It was a great team effort—we all brought unique perspectives and experiences to the table to create an engaging and catchy plan for a client’s PR strategy. Overall, it was one of the more enjoyable group project experiences I’ve had. The only thing about it was that I never met my teammates face to face—as they were all working in offices thousands of miles away, I was only ever able to communicate with them via phone and email.

MWW has nine incredibly interconnected offices spread out over seven states spanning coast to coast. Long-distance collaboration is the norm, and it is rare not to hear cross-country calls being conducted here in the Chicago office. Teams work as cohesive units despite the challenges of remoteness. Modern technology makes amazing things possible: not only can one converse across the country using a telephone, but can also have video conferencing, real-time presentations transmitted to offices over the web, and screen sharing for real time collaboration on projects. Easy air travel makes it possible for team members to fly to different offices and different events to conduct business in person. The more time I spent at MWW, the smaller the country seemed to become.

MWW’s interconnected office strategy makes a lot of sense in today’s world. I have experienced firsthand how easy and important it is nowadays to overcome distance. My extended family has never lived in the same city as I have, and recently we have been flying to Colorado to visit my Grandfather. None of my high school friends live near Chicago, where I now live and attend school, but I have regular Skype sessions with all of them to stay connected. This summer, many of my college friends did not stay in Chicago, but I was able to chat with them on the phone, via email, and over Skype. They are now a core of people I can look up if I find myself visiting different cities.

Naturally, it’s not ideal to be far away from people you care about, just like it’s not ideal to be far away from colleagues with whom you’re collaborating. In the modern world, distance isn’t so bad. There are a myriad of ways to overcome it that can enable one to stay incredibly connected, whether that connection is work-related or personal. Furthermore, there can be advantages to distance. Having offices set up across the country enables MWW to better serve clients in regional markets. Having friends who are living in different cities enables me to explore the world and share my friends’ local experiences. It makes the world smaller, and more accessible.