When you work at a marketing communications and advertising agency, you are afforded the opportunity to do a rather diverse spectrum of work. And this summer, I had the opportunity to step away from my usual two-monitor setup and work on-site for Celebrate St. Louis – 250, a two-day celebration along the river in downtown St. Louis featuring live music, fireworks, a drone show and plenty of predictably unpredictable Missouri weather.

My role was focused primarily on capturing content and supporting social media throughout the event. While working an event of this size comes with its fair share of moving pieces, long days and last-minute changes, I walked away from the weekend with a few reminders about why I enjoy the work I do.

1. Sometimes, Work Is Fun

Of course, working from home has its perks. However, apart from not moving my body nearly as much as the American Heart Association probably recommends, I spend most of my workdays in front of computer screens and a growing inbox.

Working on-site was a welcome change from my usual office. It gave me a chance to stretch my legs, get many steps in and tap back into my photography skills while capturing content for our client’s social media channels.

More importantly, it reminded me that it doesn’t always have to be a grind. I got to be outside, surrounded by people enjoying themselves, camera in hand, capturing moments as they happened.

I even got to witness what goes on behind-the-scenes of an event of this size. Not a bad day at the “office.”

2. Don’t Let It Rain On Your Parade

In this case, the rain quite literally canceled the parade.

It also caused a series of changes to the day’s run of show—including, sadly, my opportunity to drive around in a golf cart.

But events rarely go exactly according to plan, and watching the entire crew adjust in real time was one of my favorite parts of the experience. Despite the weather, everyone kept their spirits high, communicated quickly and worked efficiently to get things back on track once the rain clouds cleared.

There wasn’t much time to dwell on what should have happened. We just had to figure out what was happening next and keep it moving.

3. I Love Connecting With St. Louis

It was an absolute pleasure working beneath the Gateway Arch, surrounded by my city, while also connecting with people virtually through our client’s social media channels.

Throughout the weekend, I had access to photos and content sent in by community members, along with comments and messages expressing excitement, positive feedback and genuine gratitude for the event.

There’s something especially rewarding about seeing the impact of your work in real time. After weeks of planning, meetings, content calendars and preparation, we finally got to watch people experience what everyone worked so hard to create.

And what can I say? I’m a words-of-affirmation gal.

4. Coworker Camaraderie

My coworker Collin and I really tag-teamed not only the event weekend, but the weeks leading up to it.

While I was on the ground capturing photos, videos and updates, Collin was behind the screen ready to get content out as quickly as possible. At times, I felt a little like Kim Possible in the field with my tech-savvy partner ready to make a post as soon as I gave the signal.

Will that reference land on LinkedIn? We’ll find out.

Either way, it was a great reminder of how much easier—and more enjoyable—fast-paced work becomes when you trust the person working alongside you.

5. I Did A Great Freaking Job

There. I said it.

I left the weekend feeling really proud of the work we did and proud of myself.

I already spend an arguably unreasonable amount of time on social media, so being responsible for capturing content and helping manage social coverage throughout the weekend felt surprisingly natural. I got to attend an incredible event, take photos and videos, interact with the community and help tell the story of what was happening in real time.

We saw incredible engagement. We answered questions quickly. We received great feedback. And despite Mother Nature throwing a few curveballs our way, things went pretty smoothly.

More than anything, the experience reminded me that I can step into something new and figure it out. I don’t have to know exactly how every moment is going to unfold before I get there.

I just need to stay patient, stay curious, trust the people around me—and remember to have fun.