diff --git a/arbiter/const.py b/arbiter/const.py
index 34a948a..6fe4a3f 100644
--- a/arbiter/const.py
+++ b/arbiter/const.py
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ WEEKDAYS = {'Monday': 0, 'Tuesday': 1, 'Wednesday': 2, 'Thursday': 3,
 
 SRC_DIR = project_dir
 
-DEFAULT_YAML_DIR = '../meetings'
-DEFAULT_ICAL_DIR = '../icals'
+DEFAULT_YAML_DIR = './meetings'
+DEFAULT_ICAL_DIR = './icals'
 # NOTE(jotan): The following publish URL is for testing purposes only.
 # It should be later changed to the official OpenStack Meetings Wiki.
 PUBLISH_URL = 'https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/Meetings_Autogenerated'
diff --git a/arbiter/meeting.py b/arbiter/meeting.py
index d6b743c..88268ee 100644
--- a/arbiter/meeting.py
+++ b/arbiter/meeting.py
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ class Meeting:
 
         if not os.path.exists(ical_dir):
             os.makedirs(ical_dir)
-        os.chdir(ical_dir)
 
         with open(ical_filename, 'wb') as ics:
             ics.write(cal.to_ical())
@@ -111,7 +110,6 @@ class Meeting:
         num_events = len(cal.subcomponents)
         logging.info('\'%s\' processed. [%d event(s)]' % (ical_filename,
                                                           num_events))
-        os.chdir(const.SRC_DIR)
 
     def get_schedule_tuple(self):
         """returns a list of meeting tuples consisting meeting name, meeting
diff --git a/arbiter/util.py b/arbiter/util.py
index a078f32..bd00894 100644
--- a/arbiter/util.py
+++ b/arbiter/util.py
@@ -36,17 +36,16 @@ def publish(meeting, ical):
 def load_meetings(yaml_dir, meeting_list=None):
     """Return a list of Meetings initialized from files in yaml_dir."""
 
-    os.chdir(yaml_dir)
-    if meeting_list:
-        meetings_yaml = [f for f in os.listdir()
-                         if os.path.isfile(f) and
-                         f.endswith(const.YAML_FILE_EXT) and
-                         f in meeting_list]
-    else:
-        meetings_yaml = [f for f in os.listdir()
-                         if os.path.isfile(f) and
-                         f.endswith(const.YAML_FILE_EXT)]
+    meetings_yaml = []
+    for file_name in os.listdir(yaml_dir):
+        yaml_file = os.path.join(yaml_dir, file_name)
+        if not os.path.isfile(yaml_file):
+            continue
+        if meeting_list and yaml_file not in meeting_list:
+            continue
+        meetings_yaml.append(yaml_file)
 
+    print meetings_yaml
     meetings = [Meeting(yaml.load(open(f, 'r')), f)
                 for f in meetings_yaml]
 
@@ -151,7 +150,6 @@ def _read_yaml_files(directory):
 
     """
 
-    os.chdir(directory)
     yaml_files = []
     for file in os.listdir('.'):
         if os.path.isfile(file) and file.endswith(const.YAML_FILE_EXT):
@@ -167,7 +165,6 @@ def _read_yaml_files(directory):
         for schedule in meeting.get_schedule_tuple():
             schedules.append(schedule)
 
-    os.chdir(const.SRC_DIR)
     return schedules