Welcome to the first episode of the Coming Home series. We chat with Gosia Kurela-Jones who left Sabre Polska, moved to Portugal, but finally come back to our organization. Gosia shares her feelings, emotions and advice for those who consider a similar path.

1. How does it feel returning home to Sabre Polska?

In many aspects, it felt like a different new company, with a new beautiful office and many new developments towards seamless remote work. The organizational structure changed considerably since I left and most important of all the whole world of work changed since the pandemic. However, in some respects, it seemed like I never left: I still retained lots of knowledge accumulated over the years and after starting I immediately interacted with many people with whom I worked before (most of them at well-deserved higher positions). Sometimes I caught myself thinking that I was on an extended leave from Sabre and I never truly left.

2. What made you come back to the company?

After living in Portugal for 3 years, away from my family in Poland, I and my then-boyfriend (now husband) decided to move to Poland and try to start our life together here. During my time in Portugal, I worked as a cruise agent (actually using Sabre Cruise systems) and resort representative in the beautiful touristy Algarve region. My knowledge and experience gained at Sabre were never dormant. I enjoyed my time at Sabre immensely before I left in 2018, and the decision to come back was not difficult once we decided to move back to Poland. What I would also like to mention as a small factor in my case was the private medical insurance for life partners/spouses, even foreigners.

3. What did you miss while away from Sabre?

Overall, I missed working in technology and I missed the everyday learning. I missed the people I worked with, the sense of community and knowledge sharing. I also missed all of the development and career advancement opportunities. I missed the respect and trust I was shown in every team I worked in, at every stage of my career.

4. What advice do you have for other alumni of Sabre who may want to consider coming back?

Do not be afraid to come back. If you have good memories from your previous career at Sabre, enjoyed the people you worked with, are still curious about the industry and eager to learn – your choice is easy.

5. According to you, what makes Sabre Polska a great place to work? 

I will always say it’s the people that make Sabre. I have met some of my dearest friends while working here and I learned priceless lessons from many professionals I worked with. Overall, the underlying culture seems to be that of cooperation and sharing, rather than competitiveness. The industry is fascinating and never boring.