Working remotely is challenging but growing a remote team into an office brings its own set of challenges. Intercom's APAC team, which initially operated as a distributed team across multiple time zones, grew to almost 20 people across four countries before opening their first office in Sydney, a 12,000km away from the company headquarters in San Francisco. This journey taught them about the challenges and rewards of remote work, likening it to being in a long-distance relationship where direct contact is limited and human connection is more difficult than in-person conversations. After initially onboarding new hires through video calls and screen sharing sessions, they found that working together face-to-face brought a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their customers. The team experienced the benefits of remote work, such as focused work time and being able to rock pyjamas all day long, but also faced challenges like difficulty in getting to know colleagues personally and learning from each other. After flying the entire APAC Alliance into Sydney for a week, they realized that being together brought them closer to each other and the company culture. The team is now enjoying their new office life, which offers opportunities for collaboration, knowledge transfer, and serving local customers. Despite some teammates still working remotely, the team feels like a startup within a startup, committed to honoring their remote origins and making their new office inclusive and accessible to all.