In the end, this is why we are able to be in Switzerland. For a long background, I told Freddy very early in our relationship (actually driving home from the first Dogsgiving) that I wanted to move to Switzerland. Mostly because these mountains are real. On a clear day from the office, you can see them rise from nothing. It’s never clear during the winter though!! Second, I knew working for Google, it was actually a real possibility. Third, since my life has fully revolved around Silicon Valley and Lake Tahoe, this felt like a big change while staying grounded in my passions and strengths (tech and skiing).
I had perused the internal job board for a while looking for positions at my level in Zurich, found one that sounded like something I was capable of and reached out to the hiring manager. I met with Rebecca a few times, and the job didn’t work out. This was in late 2020, and not getting a job just stinks!! After that, I let my dream lie dormant.
After coming back from our ski trip in the North cascades, I had vowed to myself it was time for a change in the work I was doing. Lucky for me, Rebecca (who continues to amaze me!) had already slid into my inbox about a job. Within a month I had a job offer, Freddy and Conor got into a terrible car accident, reframing both of our perspectives on life, risk, and gratitude. I took the job, and we got married on my second day of work.
It’s been a really steep ramp up at work. I did not have experience working on a consumer facing product but am continuing to learn. I also dove in on helping launch features on the pixel 6 (that has been reviewed really well in the press!). This is mostly to say that I have learned a ton very quickly and remotely, I am so grateful for my coworkers patience, and I feel deep imposter syndrome working with incredibly sharp and kind people.
While I started the job remotely in June, I finally arrived in Zurich on November 9th. Obtaining a visa took a while (it arrived in mid-September). We had to get married, which slowed down the process, but in addition there was a backlog from covid that made the process drawn out. There was also back and forth if Google would provide moving assistance. We found their team not very helpful, so we ended up just moving ourselves and taking a cash-out option.
So what I actually wanted to talk about in this post: I’ve worked everyday in the office this week. The Zurich Brandchenkestrasse campus has been around for a while. It’s a tetris looking building that has a lot of old Google charm: nap room with a bathtub, tons of pingpong, slides, fireman poles, gondolas for meeting rooms etc... It has two towers that you can’t access from each other, making it hard for a newbie to get around! There’s regional train tracks that follow two sides of the building. You have to book a desk right now, and it’s relatively full, though only half the desks are useable so it’s still easy to get a conference room. On Wednesday, I met the whole TPGM team in Zurich, and everyone was so kind. Again I felt deep imposter syndrome looking through peoples’ backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses, but then you meet folks in person and realize everyone is so kind and supportive and don't care where you come from, just that you're here and part of the team. Close to the office are the thermal baths, which is high on my list. I found the laundry room, shower, and the pressed OJ machine.
I feel more productive already just being in this timezone, looking folks in the eye, and knowing more about them. The confidence I need as I continue to learn this space!
