I’m currently on an idyllic island off Banda Aceh with a full moon over the sea, sitting in my room trying to get over a tummy bug. I think I shouldn’t have had that whipped cream that came with my fancy and way-too-sweet lychee drink last night.
Anyway, when’s a better time to write about things I’m looking forward to than when I’m in pain and require a good distraction?
Here’s a list of things I’m looking forward to in 2018:
1. Sasha graduating!
After years of studying music, my sister is finally graduating AND I’ll be attending her recital for the first time. Over the years, it’s been great to watch my sister grow as a musician and as a young adult, to listen to clips of her music or live stream her performances… but my family has never been able to be there to cheer her on in real life. I’m so excited to get to watch her after all these years.
2. Visiting MURICA for the first time
I’ve never been to that side of the planet, ever. Like Russia, it’s always been something I travelled to through movies and books, but never in person. I’m looking forward to some great hikes, visiting New York with my family (it’s been my mother’s dream so it’ll be awesome to share that moment with her) and visiting California where things are overpriced.
3. Travelling as a family
The last time we travelled as a family was when I graduated a full two years ago. It’s about time we got together as a family again… especially since I don’t know the next time I’ll see Sash.
4. Visiting South America too
From LA, I found really cheap flights to Mexico and from Mexico to Peru and Chile. Growing up, my mother always told me that the world was my oyster and the sky was the limit. Never in my life would I have thought I’d be able to afford to visit these places and actually make a trip there. I think 2018 is when I make it a reality.
5. Getting my diving license
Like I mentioned earlier, I’m currently on a beautiful island trying to get over a tummy bug. I’m hoping to feel like a fresh newborn tomorrow so that I can complete my Open Water Course. I thought I’d never get the hang of being underwater or get over my fear of nearly drowning (you can read about my ridiculous experiences in Bali here) but here I am, learning to backroll into the sea and trying to climb on my BCD and put it on in the water. 2k18 is getting a little better already.
6. Jumping head first into Product Marketing
It’s been a long and slow transition into the position at work but I finally feel confident enough to tackle this unknown monster. I say it’s an unknown monster because it entails so much, it’s hard to outline the boundaries to where product marketing stops and everything else like Customer Success and Marketing start.
I could write about pretending to know stuff but really, I’d rather not. Instead, I think I’ll end up blogging about lessons learnt from this journey. Hindsight is always 20-20 and I plan to use those lessons to fuel my work in the future.
7. Growing WAMN
Wait A Minute Now is growing but we’ve yet to reach numbers that would attract advertisers. The goal is to grow this site and hopefully start making money from it so that we can all quit our jobs and do what we love.
Personally, I’d like to make a few hundred bucks from this side project every month and use this platform to kickstart my freelance writing career. I think it’s possible, I’m just not quite sure how to get there. You feel me?
(PS. If you’re interested in helping us grow, please like our Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and on Twitter. Thanks for reading this shameless plug!)
8. Finding my damn self
In 2017, I found myself going through a lot of heartbreak and tears, whether it was falling out with friends or with potential partners. It’s been a year of constant ups and downs at work and in life. 2017 made me sad and I was easily affected by the negative and painful things happening around me. It threw me off and my internal balance, something I never really mastered before, began to quake at a rate I’ve never experienced. Does that make sense?
For 2018, I’ve committed to finding myself, or whatever that actually means. It sounds very much Eat Pray Love, doesn’t it? To me, I think it means finding that internal balance that monks and nuns seem to have. I want that despite throwing myself into different environments every few months.
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When I first started travelling, I was worried about getting lost, losing my money, getting robbed, being overwhelmingly lonely. I’ve survived all of that and more in the last two years. But it also meant that I never had to deal with the really deep and ugly and sometimes absolutely horrendous parts of myself.
2018 will be the year I climb higher, swim deeper, travel further than I’ve ever dared to, that I ever thought was fucking possible.
Oh man, it’s going to be a good one.
NEXT TRAIN OUT 