A new job, a new continent, a new chapter

Who would have thought 3 years ago when I took off to Singapore that there would come yet another (3rd!) chapter to this blog, including a third continent? I certainly didn’t!
It’s more of a habit than an exception by now – this update is way overdue, and I apologize. Again.
I know many of you don’t even know what part of the world I’m at or what I’m doing right now. I know it’s not an excuse, but I’ve basically gone through three relocations in the past few months, so now that I’m slowly getting back some rhythm, I have faith that from now on I can really start to do some more regular writing.

So, to tackle that first point: I am in the USA as I’m writing this – Raleigh, North Carolina to be more precise. It’s been quite a ride, but I’m finally starting to settle down and it definitely feels like the right place to be.
I can hear you think: what the hack is she doing in North Carolina and why on earth would she again move across the world?? So, let’s rewind a bit to give a little bit of context. I promise, although it came totally unexpected to me as well, it’s not random at all and there were some pretty great reasons for taking this step.

As you probably know, I was rounding up my development program with Novartis through my final assignment in Basel, Switzerland. So, the hunt for a landing position was on. I knew I didn’t want just any job, anywhere. I wanted something I was honestly excited about, and if that wasn’t the case I wasn’t prepared to move my life to somewhere away from family and friends again. I thought, if I’m not super motivated and excited, why would I live away from friends and family?? Then, I might as well take any random job close to home because let’s be real: life’s too short.
Someone told me once: “Never confuse chances with opportunities, opportunities are hard work.” Fortunately, I had been working hard for years and it was time to see if I could find some fruits.
So, the hunt was on, first mainly trying to figure out what I wanted. Because finding the right position is hard, but it’s even harder if you don’t know what you want. So, I leveraged my entire network trying to figure out what that right next step was for me: many conversations, lots of discussions, coffees, and reflections with many great mentors, coaches, colleagues and friends that I’m so lucky to have. It wasn’t easy, and there were definitely ups & downs in that whole process, but that bumpy road got me to the position I’m in now that feels like the perfect fit. I took a leap of faith and relocated back to the US almost exactly 10 years to the day after I moved to the US for the first time, fresh out of high school, going to college. This time a little bigger and a little bolder. I didn’t just bring two suitcases, but rather shipped a whole container. I didn’t move into dorms with a roommate, but actually settled down: hunted for apartments, bought a car, and all of that good stuff that comes with officially relocating to a new continent. And I can attest now: I’m really happy to be here.

Just some visa paperwork

My container

There goes my bed.

Time for departure.

It’s here!!

But, back to why I moved here. I joined AveXis, a biotech company making gene therapies (for those who are wondering whether I left Novartis: no, technically I didn’t because it is a Novartis company). We’re one of the first in the world to be producing gene therapies, and they are currently building a production facility from the ground up here in what’s being referred to as the Research Triangle: the leading and largest high technology research and science park in North America. Being one of the leaders in gene therapy in the world, it is a really special opportunity to be part of not only that, but also ramping up a site from the ground up. For those who are not so familiar with life sciences: this is the type of cutting edge medicine that used to be in the future section of my university text books only a few years ago (I am dead serious). On top of that, the gene therapy that AveXis is currently producing is literally saving babies, curing a horrible neurological disease. I will let this video about the medicine speak for itself:

So, when the opportunity presented itself to be part of this amazing piece in the history of medical advancements, in a role that appeared to meet everything that I was looking for, I decided to jump on it and make the move.

So, here I am, sitting on my couch in North Carolina, finally finding some quiet time to give you a proper update. It’s been a crazy ride. International relocations are fun, exciting and definitely a big adventure, but there’s also always a lot of unexpected turns and challenges to overcome. Maybe more on that some other time (I intend to start writing some more content, also on slightly more informative topics for others considering similar experiences such as The other side of being an expat and The do’s and don’ts of international relocations).

For now, I finally ticked off most of my relocation to-do list, which means I can start processing everything and really start exploring my new home – which might actually be one of the most exciting periods of a relocation. A few weeks ago, my fantastic parents already visited my new home and helped making my place feel a bit more like home.

Aside from my own personal adventure of relocating, I also survived a hurricane in my first 2 weeks here, as well as some tornado warnings. Not to mention, the historical event of an impeachment inquiry that is unfolding as we speak. Crazy times, and I can’t believe it’s already mid November. Halloween has already passed and thanksgiving is around the corner – a great integration event before rounding off this insanely versatile 2019.

In the meantime, I did start to do some good integration activities: I ran the Raleigh Hometown Relay Marathon (so no – not the whole marathon, I only ran 1 leg of it ;-)). I also went shooting for the first time in my life (what an adventure!) and axe throwing with my colleagues (only in the US …).

North Carolina State Fair

Little proud

Raleigh Relay Marathon

Axe throwing – only in the US

There is of course much more to share, but I will leave it at this for now. To be continued. Remember, if you’d like to get an email when I post a new blog, you can subscribe at the bottom of this page!

Feel free to leave some comments – always good to hear from everyone. Or let me know what you would like to hear more about. Happy fall!

Nienke