Last week, while translating my notes into my computer for my memoir, I found a treasure written in November 2006. 

Did it spark me to write a book about myself? Or did it make me wonder whether I wanted to be vulnerable to the world? 

Possibly. It all starts somewhere.

This is what I wrote back in 2006:

In the evening, I strolled through Manhattan’s wet, gray business center and wandered into a bookstore – my solace. Great! I had a place to rest, get dry, write in my journal, and wait for a friend to arrive. I found an empty table, got comfortable, and sipped the hot chocolate I ordered. A man was busy writing things down at the table nearby and looking stealthily at me. As if he were saying, “What is this lady writing? Is she spying on my notebook?” …

Suddenly, something shifted in his behavior. He leaned forward to look at my pages. I guess he noticed my writing in an unfamiliar language and mumbled, “Ahh, a foreigner.“

“What language is that?” He directed his words louder at me.

“Russian,” and we started a casual conversation. 

Chris used to work as a social worker at a jail. Today he was writing a book about the prisoners’ life stories that he extracted. He had already written 200 pages and tried to continue with his project. … 

His determination to share stories made me ponder:

“Do I want to write a book about myself? How far would that go? Do I have the desire, patience, and perseverance to see this through? Or even start?”

What a treasure to find these narrative notes in Russian and translate them!

Looking back, I see how writing and capturing my life in my journal are tremendously valuable now. In the beginning, it was for my eyes only. 

It took many years and courage to write the poem “Turning Point” and share it on my blog and in writing groups. I was inspired to keep going.

If you’ve been following my writing memoir journey, you know the roadblocks I encountered. Bringing memories back and reliving them is sometimes challenging. As a result, my dream of publishing my memoir keeps being postponed. I can’t force the writing flow when I need to slow down and heal.

Eventually, it became the norm to take a month off here and there. 

In April, I took a non-planned but well-deserved break from memoir writing. I was so close to burnout, and my soul required me to rest and heal after I opened some childhood wounds. It was exactly what I needed to pull myself back together.

Since then, I have been in a better mental and emotional state. It feels good to be back from the long pause and to continue to follow my dream. 

While discussing my writing desire with my memoir coach, I realized how much I want to push through and complete my first draft by the beginning of August. I’ve made this my new goal.

Transcribing is my jam. Translating is hard.

Translating takes a longer time for me to find the right words that capture the essence of words in my native tongue. Though I love transcribing, and it’s easy. I just look at my notebook and type on my computer. However, I’m working on my notebooks, which I wrote before I felt comfortable expressing myself in English. 

Since taking my break, I’ve faithfully transcribed and translated my memoir. Effectively. I grab the bull by the horns and show up for my commitment. 

If you missed “Progress of My Memoir Writing (Part 1)”, written in November 2022, you can read it here. It includes all the juicy details of my challenges. 

My memoir milestone is beyond 100,000 words, and I keep writing.

Do you enjoy writing? Are you thinking about or wanting to share your life story?

Let’s connect. I always look for accountability and support within the DMV area.

Please share your comments with me. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.