My 2015 started as “yet another year”. I was making plans, mostly related to my career, however I generally carried on doing what I did the previous year and the year before… I knew it was not sustainable but my new business plan seemed mad to everyone I mentioned it and so I myself nearly believed in it being silly.
It all was destined to change right in the middle of the year. Well, it has not become anything to talk about yet. In fact, I am still lost and desperately trying to figure out what to do with my life as I superstitiously believe in signs and to me my illness – hopefully in the past, or rather a sleeping volcano as my virtual friend and colleague Tess nicely worded it – was a sign that I must change my life radically and as soon as possible.
So what have I done?
I travelled, and my illness miraculously helped me with this. I had always dreamt about life full of various countries, cities, towns, villages, languages, cultures, people, manners, rules, natures, seasons, flora, animals… And I never had guts to say stop to my work and just go. What I didn’t my illness did and I escaped London to first discover wonderful Cornish treasures and then embarked on a 45-days trip to Europe, where I crossed four countries and four seasons: from -2C in the French Alps to +20C in the Italian riviera. This year I have been to Italy twice (for work and for leisure), twice in France, then in Germany and Switzerland. I met my friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen for years.
I published my third textbook “The Story Canonisation”, which personally I love most of all three as I humbly hope it teaches not only the language, but a bit more than that. In December, Amazon sold more copies of it than of my second “The Story Provocation”, though it has long way to go to get any near “The Story Sensation” success.
Several readers and reviewers (some I don’t know at all, but some I know and respect a lot!) commented “The Story Canonisation” was more of a book rather than a textbook and suggested I should write something different. I tried (was eager to write straight after the operation in the darkness of a high dependency unity), but have not progressed much with any of three of my ideas.
My wife and I bought a campervan to replace a tiny Renault Kangoo I converted in a motorhome in the autumn of 2014 (it was sold very quickly and is now used by a lovely Oxford couple to go to festivals). Mazda Bongo has been used quite extensively (given I spent some time in hospital) and I hope to get many more happy miles and nights in it in the years to come.
In the month between the diagnosis and the first operation I tried myself as a blogger delivering eight pieces for a fast growing portal. My posts did not get as many views as the portal had hoped for, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (and I think I learnt something) and hope to get into some sort of blog writing/journalism in the future.
I started reading more, both in English and Russian. It requires an effort as my concentration isn’t particularly good, but I do my best; deleting Twitter and Vkontakte from my smartphone has helped too. My plans are to use Facebook more thoughtfully in 2016.
I changed my diet. Well, it happened naturally but I want to think it was a conscious decision too. I researched and bought a proper juicer, stopped drinking coffee and black tea, significantly reduced sweet and dairy consumption (I had plans to go vegan long time ago, but now it is much closer to becoming a reality), switched ot organic/bio where possible. I lost weight and – again, naturally – my portions became smaller, which helps my shrinking budget.🙂
No CNN, BBC or Bloomberg interviews this year (as far as I can remember without looking into my diary), but very warm and touching experiences of being interviewed/letters and opinions published by the “Russian for you” portal, the Institute of Directors and Camping and Caravanning Club magazines (the latter won me a star letter and two big parcels of prizes from their sponsor).
Shame, but very little done on the charity front – well, the more motivated I must feel to get back to work and earning.
Some teaching, translating, delivering trainings, market research, marketing of my books have also happened this year.
Plans for 2016?
– Stop making any plans, this year showed me that plans are rubbish.
– Get a new and interesting part-time job/project(s) – time to be alive again, so I am very much open to suggestions.
– Should my financial situation allow and I have enough guts, to start a new business.
– Keep writing my books (God please-please help me!).
– Start writing for some media.
– Keep travelling in the UK and abroad.
– Get back into -long abandoned- hiking.
Below are the photos of my Christmas breakfasts in 2012 (left) and in 2015 (right):
