The first time I experienced a significant change, I was ten, and my home country was falling apart. The year was 1991 and the country that gave the world the first human in space – the USSR – was quickly sliding into oblivion. At the time, I was too young to fully comprehend the consequences of undergoing change, but not even my parents understood how the collapse of the “evil empire” would affect us all. Almost a decade of hardship ensued, but fortunately, we all survived.

The next significant change for me happened in 1996 when I, under pressure from my teacher, transferred to a different high school. This time the change was deliberate, but still, it was terrifying and uncomfortable. My parents nor I could predict the consequences, and instead of being one of the top students in my old school, I became just one of the many. While I struggled to adjust to much higher academic standards, I was invigorated by all smart and exciting people surrounding me. It was hard, but after graduating in the top 15 of the class, I was very grateful to my teacher for encouraging me to switch high schools.

Then in 2003, after a few turbulent and indecisive years, I undertook the most significant change in my life – I moved to the United States. This time around, I was not scared, as it all felt like a big adventure, and I was extremely excited to be a part of it. Nonetheless, it took me years to adapt: first through the college, then through my early career in tech and education, and then through learning how to be American. For a while, I hated driving in American cities; I was constantly freezing from AC in every restaurant that I went to; I struggled to identify various American accents and misused countless English words; I couldn’t appreciate or understand American humor; I hated cilantro, and I was clueless about American politics. Once again, I managed and even learned how to make America my home.

Fast forward to 2017, after graduating from 2 universities, working for three different companies, changing five addresses, visiting 20 different states, and meeting many amazing people along the way, I was hungry for change again. In May 2017, I quit my job, packed a suitcase, and moved to Europe. Only this time, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that this was just another adventure, it felt more like switching high schools again. It felt very uncomfortable. I barely knew anyone in Berlin and I couldn’t speak any German. I only had ten years of professional experience in the US and a resume I could send out to a bunch of companies in Berlin in the hopes that something matching my skills would transpire. Once again, it took me a little while to adapt to the change (and I’m still adjusting). Yet, now, after 2.5 years living in Germany, after switching two addresses, working for two companies, and visiting 13 different countries in Europe, I am hungry for a change again. Now that I can understand some German and as I’m starting to have more days where I feel like I’m in control vs. the days where I have no clue what is going on around me, I’m willing to pack my bags and leave everything behind and move once again? Have I become a change junky? Or is there something else at play?

Stay tuned!