Life begins at the end of your comfort zone

So, very, very long time, no see! I'm really sorry about that; I've had kind of a horrible time.

First I lost my day job, and had to work there several months knowing that it was closing down. Then I lost another job as well (one I had kind of hoped would give me if not enough money to live on, then at least a lot of experience). Then there's the fact that people aren't paying me for the work I've already done for them. One thing is losing your jobs, but begging to be paid for honest work you've put a lot of hard work into? That feels kind of horrible.

So I've been kind of miserable, and when I get depressed, I tend to withdraw. Now and then, I'd get an idea for a blog post or an idea for a story, and then I'd go "Naw, nobody would be interested in that." I get like that sometimes (winter depressions!), and it really, really makes me appreciate that I don't have full-on depressions. God, it's horrible, and to make it worse, you get self-centered and whiny. So not charming. Believe me, radio silence was the best choice for everybody!

Things are better now, though. I worked hard to put my poor day job to rest, and it was a good feeling to get closure. And then I took a big decision: I want to spend three months abroad.

I love languages, and for some strange reason, I especially love German. I love Germany, as well. And Germans, of course! It's just a thing for me.

So why not spend some time going to Germany and France and improve my language skills? I'm looking for work, of course, but why not do that AND at the same time see something new. Pretty easy decision, when you put it like that:)!

The rest of it wasn't that easy, of course. There's a lot of paperwork, and I still haven't got a place to stay other than the first month - but that's part of the fun.

See, it has taken me very, very long time to realize that I don't like an easy life. If you want an easy life, you'd never write books, because (apart from being wonderful), writing is a pain in the ass (sorry to ruin any illusions of yours!). But I like challenges - as a matter of fact, I need them. I might not always think I want them, but I do.

That's why the title of today's blog post is going to be my motto for the next three months. Please remind me of it when it rains, and I'm lost in the metro, and I still can't remember the gender of even the simplest words. I might need it:)!