Go Big & Go Home

It’s simple. I’m moving to Germany.

Berlin, to be specific, in about 7 weeks.

It’s hard to say when it all started. Hell, I was born in Bavaria, Germany’s largest of sixteen states, 26 (and a half!) years ago. I visited Berlin in 2011, while studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and within a three day visit, the cosmopolitan city struck a heartstring:

I returned in 2015, spending a month in Formlabs’ fledgling office, afforded evenings and weekends to observe the city bit-by-bit. That’s when I came to learn that Berlin isn’t known for its German food and that I could manage to take a different route to work every day and still see Alex, the Soviet’s captivating ‘tv tower’ that caps Alexanderplatz and the city skyline. 

My mere four months in Denmark gave me an itch to leave the States indefinitely someday. “Live abroad again” is the last “long term goal” on the notecard I carry in my wallet. (I guess it’s almost time to write some new goals.)

So, when the time felt right, I told Formlabs that if the need was there, I’d be there, too. And now, it feels right, so I’m moving to Berlin in October.

There’s nothing wrong with Boston. There’s everything right with Boston. Three and a half years here have enraptured me in newfound strength, both physically and emotionally, and a sense of comfort like I’ve never known. I have the privilege to say “goodbye” to many close friends and favorite places. I’ll miss the foggy sunrises of Walden Pond after early bike rides. I’ll crave the flavors of Toscanini’s, Flour, and Rino’s. I’ll long for seeing sunrises on the Charles River, rain, snow, or shine.

I’ll also be challenged to work separated from colleagues who I’ve come to know and trust face-to-face. I’m looking forward to new personal and professional adventures, learning German, and maybe further complicating my sense of home.