2020 was considered the worst year in history and held that dubious title for only a couple of years. Now we can say, bring back that pandemic.
These are the results of the current year 2022, which started relatively well, albeit against the backdrop of anxious expectations of something significantly unpleasant.
In these results, there will be no familiar division of the year into seasons; there will be no winter, spring, summer, or autumn. It will be before February 24th and after.
BEFORE…
The pandemic gradually gave way to common sense. Countries were opening up, albeit with some restrictions, but when did that stop us?
In January, shortly after the winter holidays, we had planned several sea voyages.
Right after New Year, which we never made a cult of, preferring Christmas, we flew to the familiar and beloved Cyprus. We combined work and leisure, in other words, the pleasant with the very pleasant.
Winter in Cyprus means very few people, pink flamingos, the blooming Cape Greco, and the Akamas Peninsula. Only the best taverns, which locals frequent, are open, and there are endless walks along the Mediterranean Sea. The air temperature is 16-21 degrees, the water is +16 degrees, and there were a few rainy days.
In general, Cyprus in winter is my recommendation to everyone! Take it like vitamins, at least twice a year.
As a result of the trip, a small report has already been written.
Immediately after the Cyprus trip in early February, we flew to the Seychelles. We had wanted to go there for a long time. A new country, new emotions, the tropical paradise we are familiar with, and incredible nature against the backdrop of very pleasant locals.
Three Seychelles islands – Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. To the usual format of planes, add ferries and a car on La Digue, and now a bicycle.
We had an incredible time. It was an easy, pleasant, and relatively cost-effective journey. It feels like a different life now.
We plan to write many articles about the Seychelles; some have already been published. If you want to get inspired and receive practical, firsthand information, welcome to the Seychelles section on this website.
We returned to Kyiv just before the war, just as we did in March 2020, when we returned literally one day before the global lockdown related to the pandemic.
In March 2022, the World Expo 2022 was scheduled to take place in Dubai.
The trip did not happen.
AFTER…
On February 24th, Russia invaded our country, with the silent support of most of the population, which, for me, no longer exists. What is happening in Ukraine is beyond the realm of common sense. It’s a war between the dark ages and civilization.
We have been in Ukraine all this time and continue to stay here.
Consequently, for most of this challenging year, we worked and did not travel after February 24th.
So, a couple of paragraphs below about our work.
For several years, we have been working online. The main source of income is my websites about travel and visa consultations for the United States. Depending on the workload, we work from 4 to 12 hours a day, every day, without weekends. We love our work, so it doesn’t feel burdensome, although deadlines are a regular occurrence.
With the onset of the war, according to Google Analytics, travel has been reduced by about half.
In addition to traveling, we engage in visa consulting and spent most of the year helping Ukrainians obtain American visas.
You can read in detail about the visa situation in the United States here; the material is constantly updated and provides answers to all current questions.
Most visa consultations for Ukrainians were and continue to be provided for free.
The main conclusion of this year is that we enjoy participating in people’s lives and making them better. We get an incredible thrill when we read words of gratitude in messengers and emails from those who, thanks to us, were able to see their loved ones, find jobs, go abroad for education, and even get married. These are not just a hundred messages from those we have helped.
This year, we sent twice as many people to the United States as the previous year. If you measure it in airplanes, that’s two or three Boeing or Airbus planes.
In addition, with our assistance, dozens of maritime crews – flight attendants, chief mates, chief mechanics, one head chef, and one captain – flew to work in the Caribbean Sea region. Seven feet under the keel to you, friends, and fair winds!
For more information about US visas on this website and on the VisaHome website, which is entirely dedicated to visas to America.
I congratulate all reasonable people on Christmas and the upcoming New Year! We will travel after victory, but for now, we continue to work.
