Last May, I quit my job at Google. I know, it’s the best company to work for according to Fortune Magazine. And I loved it there! Free food three times a day, free massages, offices where you’ll gladly spend a 12 hour day (although I rarely worked that much), and absolutely amazing colleagues. It’s like having the perfect boyfriend. He’s handsome, earns great money, lives in a tasteful apartment and everyone thinks you’ve hit the jackpot. However, there may come a time when you realize that you’re not in love anymore, and that - actually - a crazy artist living in a caravan might be a better fit. I came to that realization earlier this year, and decided to quit my job in Business Development for Google Play to go traveling.
That’s what I’m doing right now. I’m traveling, not the world but to quite a few different places. I started in Russia, took the trans-mongolian railway to China, and spent some time in South Korea and Japan before flying to the United States for a few weeks. Over the next few months, I’ll spend time in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba and Brazil, and then I’m open to new inspiration.
Along the way, I’m meeting a lot of new people, and they all teach me new things. About their culture, their dreams, their ambitions, but also about their daily lives. Since I’m really interested in the way people communicate and the means they use to do so, I’ve decided to write about some of my encounters. I’ll be publishing articles in irregular intervals. Also, there isn’t a strict format - one might be a thought pieces, another one more of an interview. All of them will offer a new way of thinking about a topic, or glimpse at a different way of using media and technology.
The journey begins
Lea Bauer
Lea Bauer ist als InnoLab-Korrespondentin auf der Suche nach spannenden Geschichten zur Mediennutzung, unterschiedlichen Kommunikationsformen und Tech-Trends rund um den Erdball. Ist WhatsApp eigentlich auch in China angesagt? Wie sieht es mit der Digitalisierung in der Mongolei aus? Und was ist die heißeste Innovation aus dem Silicon Valley? Lea berichtet in ihrer Kolumne von den Menschen, denen sie auf ihrer Reise begegnet und gibt wertvolle Einblicke in die Medienwelt außerhalb Deutschlands. Lea ist Absolventin des MBA Medienmanagement 2009 und hat danach vier Jahre bei Google gearbeitet. Weitere Infos zu ihrer Unternehmung könnt ihr auf Leas Blog nachlesen.