This essay is based on a conversation with Stephen Knox Jones Jr., a 37-year-old scientist who lives in Vilnius, Lithuania. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Growing up in New Hampshire, I never once doubted that I would end up struggling for 16 years to pursue my passion for biotechnology.
I earned my PhD in Rhode Island and completed my postdoctoral studies in Texas, and during these different career stages I never took any time off because I felt guilty about taking time off.
It was expected, and I always started my next role within a week of leaving my previous one.
No matter how well you're doing, there's always pressure to try harder and do better. I know this pressure isn't present everywhere in the U.S., but it's been my personal experience.
After Texas I moved to Europe and was a lot less stressed.
I'm a full-time biotech research group leader and principal investigator living and working in Lithuania, where the value of taking time away from work for my health is recognised and I no longer feel guilty about taking time off.
People often ask me, “When are you coming back to America?”
That's not something I'm considering at the moment – I had a great experience in the US, but I feel like this suits my lifestyle better.
Jones Jr. is able to bring his dog to work, which has led to improved overall health. Stephen Knox Jones Jr.
I'm allowed to bring my dog to work, I have a guitar in the office that I play most mornings, and spending time writing and performing helps me get into a creative space for my research. I'm grateful to be able to do that here.
You can probably do these things in America too, but the difference is that here it's understood as part of maintaining your happiness, not just as being weird.
Stephen decided to move to Europe during the 2020 US elections.
As the 2020 US presidential election approached, my wife and I found ourselves thinking deeply about our personal values: how our society is structured, how people are valued, and what support systems we have in place.
That's when we started looking at Europe.
We have found that our values are more aligned with Europe than with the US when it comes to society-wide healthcare, food quality, policies aimed at well-being and not necessarily profit, public transport, and prioritising privacy and limiting data sharing.
Jones Jr. believes the quality of his research has improved because he is less stressed and has more brainpower to focus on his work.
We decided on Lithuania because the lab where I work is affiliated with a very large research institute called the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, a name I was already familiar with, as it has a strong reputation for scientific excellence and has been making progress in my field of research, gene editing, for decades.
Stephen believes the quality of his research is better than in the United States.
Jones Jr. wanted to focus on scientific research rather than teaching. European jobs offered more flexibility than American jobs. Stephen Knox Jones Jr.
When I was looking for a full-time job in academia in the United States, the emphasis on scientific research and regular publication came with a very heavy teaching load. Don't get me wrong, teaching is important, but it's hard to excel at everything.
The good thing about academic jobs here is that while many choose to do both teaching and research, there is also the option to focus solely on one or the other.
For example, in my case, I have a strong focus on research, so I believe the quality of my research is higher in Lithuania than in the US.
Less stress means more time to make sure research is moving in the right direction and that researchers have what they need, helping to take science to the next level.
For Jones Jr., the quality of research is important because of his strong desire to contribute to the progress of humanity.
That matters to me because, at the end of the day, my research is funded by the public's tax money and there is an implicit trust that I will do my best to improve the human condition with the resources I'm given.
Obtaining certain products can be a bit tricky here, and the bureaucracy involved in purchasing scientific equipment manufactured in other parts of the world can make companies reconsider whether it's worth the hassle.
It's also difficult to find corn masa flour to make certain vegetarian products at home, such as tortillas and seitan.
I may not be here forever, but at this stage in my life, it's a really good thing.
Jessica Orwig reports on pursuing a career in science. Are you currently or have you ever been on this path? Did you make a career change or switch jobs for personal values or other reasons? If so, I'd love to talk to you. Email me at [email protected].
