A former Google software engineer has revealed why she walked away from a successful eight-year career at the tech giant despite promotions, high pay and generous perks, saying a six-month stay on a Thai island helped her discover a whole new career.
Sarah Wilczynska has left Google She left in late 2022 without finding another job after feeling increasingly disconnected from her work, despite what she described as an ideal career on paper, according to Business Insider.
Born in Warsaw, Poland, Wilczynska earned a master’s degree in computer science before starting her career in London and later joined Google in Zurich in 2015. She eventually moved to New York, where she worked on Google’s search news product, before relocating to San Diego during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Commenting on her time at Google, she said the company offered flexibility, supportive colleagues and exceptional employee benefits, including wellness programmes, gym access, subsidized massages and stock grants.
However, despite being promoted twice, Wilczynska said her role gradually shifted from programming to meetings and stakeholder management, which left her feeling disconnected.
“I began to feel disconnected. A growing feeling that the pace wasn’t sustainable for me. This constant stimulation of screens, deadlines, notifications, and expectations was distancing me from myself,” she wrote in a Business Insider article.
Before resigning, she tried several ways to regain a sense of purpose, including reducing her work hours, leading diversity and inclusion initiatives, and coaching healthy recovery. But none of these changes addressed what she described as a deeper sense of dysfunction.
“At some point, I realized that a job can tick all the boxes, and it can look perfect on paper, but if something deeper is missing, it’s not enough,” she said.
With no specific career plan, Wilczynska and her partner decided to rent out their apartment in San Diego and spend a year traveling through Southeast Asia. Australia and New Zealand.
The turning point came during her six-month stay on the Thai island of Koh Tao, where she discovered watercolor painting.
“I had something I hadn’t experienced in years: unstructured time,” she said, explaining that she began taking art lessons online and drawing daily scenes from the island.
She began sharing her artwork in local Facebook community groups, expecting little response. Instead, people started buying her paintings, saying the artwork captured their memories of the island.
After the trip, Wilczynska returned to the United States and launched Swil Arts Studio in San Diego, where she now creates original watercolor illustrations, prints, and home decor products.
While she admitted that her income is still less than what she earned at Google, she said that her definition of success has changed radically.
“It’s not about productivity or output. It’s about impact. If one person pauses because of my work — if they feel something, remember something — that’s enough,” she wrote, according to Business Insider.
