What has 2012 been like?

At first I didn’t want to write a post like this to sum up the year, as if drawing the finishing line. But when I came to work in the morning I remembered my very first impressions of this company. I remember I was so excited after the first interview because I knew that I had found the place where I want to work. It was and it is exactly what I had in mind when I moved to Moscow. 

The office is almost empty today, it is the last working day before the long New Year’s holidays (we officially have 10 days off here in Russia). I don’t feel like doing anything work related and I am just sitting here with this feeling of inner happiness and satisfaction.

So what are the most important things I have learned and achieved in 2012:

- quit job and took the whole month off to connect with myself and decide which direction I want to go.

- moved to Moscow and learned that I can do things on my own. I had already changed different places of living, I moved to Los Angeles for a year and St. Petersburg, but in both cases there were people waiting for me and welcoming me to their homes. But here in Moscow I stayed on a friend’s couch for the first 3 weeks, but I had to find my home on my own.

- found my dream job. By myself. Without any connections or people who know people blah-blah-blah… - which is still quite a common belief in Russia that in order to get a good job you need to know the right people.

- travelled quite a lot, both within and outside of Russia.

- I am learning new food and health habits, adding more fruits and veggies to my daily menu, going for walks and swimming.

- I am learning to be myself, which for me means that I learn to speak up, to say my opinion out loud.

- And generally I became happier. I feel happier. Do you remember in the beginning of summer I wrote that I have to cry every 1-3 months, just to let the negative emotions out? Well, I haven’t had this urge to cry since August I think. I don’t have any hidden negative emotions that need to come out through tears. I feel content. I feel happy within.