goog_throwaway

I left Google as well.

Not many workplaces will match Google in terms of overall lifestyle, but there are companies that come close. And others can beat it in terms of pay (Google's base pay, for example, sucks).

I'd recommend leaving. The company is becoming more boring to work at all around. I've heard this from many friends. More enterprise focused, short-term money driven and less willing to innovate, mostly monetizing internal technologies or playing catch-up to other companies. It's a good time to try something else.

When I left Google I was told I could come back within a year and not have to go through the full interview process. Just a few rounds of calls with recruiters a hiring manager. They apparently do this for anyone who goes out with high performance ratings on their last perf (Exceeds Expectations or greater).

Not a grace period per se, but pretty nice.