For Annika Müller, it all most likely started with a natural interest in traveling and seeing the world. After she finished her school and her vocational training in office communication, she spent six months in Australia, working and traveling the country. The glimpse of a new world she got there was probably what stayed with her even afterwards – and never really left her, only lingered in the back of her head for a few years, waiting to be awakened once again.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization with the goal of giving low-income people around the world access to decent housing. With her Newnan colleagues, Annika Müller renovated a whole house in the town. Something for the community. The organization supplied them with the material and instructions, and they provided their workforce. This experience was a bonding moment like no other for the Newnan colleagues. At the end of her six months of internship, she quickly decided to prolong her stay to a year.
Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind
Back in Germany, she completed her master's studies, and Grenzebach and she went their separate ways for a while. But not forever. Her longing for adventure and for new experiences was still present, as were all the good memories from her time in Newnan. And then, as if they knew, Grenzebach Newnan approached her again with a big opportunity. One that would definitely change her life. This was about 4.5 years later, and her predecessor had just left, so there was a vacancy. One Annika Müller was eager to fill. The job was at the Human Resources department, as an HR and International Relations Specialist – namely the tasks she studied for and was good at. This was ideal.
And so, she traveled back to Newnan. This time: bound to stay.
Of course, this was a big step even without having to consider family commitments. Grenzebach tried to make it as easy as possible for her and to support her at the start. For the first eight weeks, she was able to stay at the company-owned house. Now, she has her own flat in Atlanta, has a car and feels really settled in. And she has a dog.
“Having a pet, especially a dog, is very common around here. It also helps a lot when you’re new in town”, she explains, “you are not alone, of course, and it is easier to connect to other dog owners, for example”. She also enjoys living in Atlanta, loves the good weather, the long summers, “and that most of the places you can rent also have a pool.” She laughs. In Atlanta, she has everything she needs: nature, forests, but also the city life with bars and restaurants, and the big city is not that far from Newnan.
What are her plans for the future? For now, she says, she wants to stay in the USA. Her tasks have gotten more diverse, there is always something new and interesting, and she is looking forward to the next big chapter. At the office in Newnan, they are currently looking for a new Habitat for Humanity project in which they could participate as a group again.
“I would love to do that again: renovate a house and give something back to the community, support the people who really need it. ”
