Her Vegan Diaries

From A Grounded Googler to an Experimenting Entrepreneur!

Dear Diary,

It's been a while since I wrote to you, and a lot has been happening. Thought I'd fill you in today.

It all started one day, when a senior colleague at work was taking a "Career Development" session for us. It was just another Wednesday noon routine - the feast for lunch attempting to digest in my stomach, the can of diet coke sitting in front of me - two sips down and uncared for, a room full of people dressed from shorts to dresses and formals, the senior colleague with an interesting accent talking about the opportunities Google gives to build our careers - and I sit there wondering where I should dine - the dinner menu at work had become too predictable, so probably the new restaurant that's opening around home. Well, to say the least - It was all very very good.

Little did I know, that the lady with the interesting accent was about to say something that was going to be responsible to change my life - almost immediately.

"What is it about your work that makes you want to jump up from the bed, without hitting the snooze button of your alarm", she said giving a nonchalant look around the table, completely unaware of the impact made by her chosen words.

Simple question isn't it? One would think, for someone who has been so called "ace-ing" work from Day 1, who was pulled into 4 teams since her joining for her enthusiasm to work and deliver, for someone who went from Google Analytics Support, to Google Sales, to a Sales coach to Talent Acquisition Specialist in the first four years of her corporate life - roles that thousands of people interview for each year, there must be something about working in the Best Company of the world that stops her from snoozing her alarm (at least five times) each morning.

At that moment, everything went still. As frequently heard that statement really is, it never hit me like this before. My mind started scanning through the last four years to find a single day, any single day I might have woken up excited that wasn't my birthday or vacation but simply because I was being passionate about what I did. How could this be possible? How could I have spent four years not seeing this?

Well, I couldn't blame myself. I can't speak enough about the extremely comfortable chairs at Google. I mean, apart from the bean bags, massage chairs, steam rooms and massage tables, the perks and the people made Google the cosiest of all those chairs. For someone who had money as the last priority, soon the comfort that came from not having to check the bank balance before swiping at any shopping mall, restaurant and salon became the first. With a roof to rest under, timely food, additional treats I had nothing to complain. My wings were cut, by no one by myself and I was getting happier and fatter by the day. But what was wrong with that? What was wrong with that comfort? What was wrong with those 4 years turning to 10 and eventually 15? Do we all need a passion? After all, I had learnt a great deal here. Google had become home more than home ever was. It taught me responsibility, timelines, scale, freedom, relationships, hard-work, gratitude, a lot of skills, growth, confidence, fearlessness and more than anything else that - change is the only constant.

I needed a break. I needed time to think. I needed to know what would keep me from snoozing that alarm and the restlessness grew. It made me snooze that alarm longer each morning. It made me resent how I had settled. How from being an ambitious young girl with a dream of opening her own restaurant making the best business plan in her graduation almost as if the restaurant was due a release in a week from the submission, I had gone to becoming a laid back employee - could not resonate with me anymore.

So I took a week long vacation. I went to the happiest country in the world - Bhutan. The Land of the Thunder Dragon. The land where time stands still. The land where happiness comes before prosperity and follows eventually. The land where faith runs families. In a world where growth was measured through GDP, this country picked GDH, Gross Domestic Happiness as it's measure. The warmth of the people, the luxury of truly living life and the simplicity in everything was a revelation to me.

Life took a different course once I got back. Barely a week from my return, I put down my papers. There was never going to be a better time to do what made me happy!

I found my passion in spreading the word of veganism by providing the tastiest alternative to people. And I stand here, at the end of a highway, entering crooked roads, with no signs, but enough enthusiasm, determination and trust in the wind to take me where it wishes. And if all fails a thousand times and I have no choice but to give up, I will search for those cosy chairs knowing I will rest with no regrets and a hell of an interesting story to tell about the girl who left Google and took the wooden spoon with pride! :)

Good night Diary. You'll hear from me soon.

Lots of Love,
Signing out..