There was a period in my life when guests from different cities in Russia would often come to visit me…
At that time, I was actively participating in seminars, festivals, and conferences, and I made many new acquaintances.
My daughter and I lived with my parents in a three-room apartment — my parents were in the living room, my brother had his room, and Anya and I had our own separate space.
🔹 One day, a young guy from Tula calls me and says he wants to come visit.
I reply that it’s not the most convenient time — it’s my mom’s birthday, and in the evening our family is going to the sauna.
— Ok, I won’t be long, we’ll chat, and I’ll head back home in the evening.
By Murphy’s Law, Alexey misses the last train to Tula 🙉
Leaving the guest alone at home feels awkward, so he comes with us to the sauna, creating some discomfort for my parents — after all, he’s a stranger.
Where will the guest sleep?
I send Anya to my parents’ room, and I settle down on a mattress on the kitchen floor — there was simply no other place.
And so I wake up early in the morning to the clatter of frying pans: Dad got up at 7 am and, following his usual routine, immediately went to make breakfast…
And there I am. On the floor. Sleeping.
🔺 This was an important moment in my life: that’s when I decided that never again, under any circumstances, would I give up my bed for ANYONE.
Want to stay overnight? I have a mattress I can throw on the floor. There are NO other options 👌
Literally a month later, my daughter and I moved into a rental apartment — first a one-bedroom, then six months later a two-bedroom. The question of where guests would sleep resolved itself.
🔸 I never liked cooking 🥘. I did it out of necessity, but I didn’t enjoy it 🤷♀️
The tradition — once guests arrive, the hostess must feed them a feast from morning till night — really stressed me out.
I was already working online, hosting webinars, and I didn’t want to waste time cooking for grown adults.
I remembered the principle of couchsurfing (which I used to revive my English after 10 years of working in a regular school): you provide a place to sleep, and guests take care of their own meals.
And you know what, I love it?!
Here’s the fridge, the stove, pots and pans — if you want to eat, everything is at your disposal, help yourself without hesitation 😉
🔹 How do people usually celebrate birthdays? You invite guests, prepare a big table, and the invitees give you presents 🎁
My friends in Oryol and I took a different path and agreed to celebrate my birthday outdoors, with no gifts, and everyone brings whatever they themselves want to eat 🙃
It turned out to be convenient when among friends there’s a vegetarian, someone obsessed with eco-products, or someone who loves gluten-free sweets.
We brought this same tradition to Riga — going to visit relatives, bring everything with you so they don’t have to stress about what to feed or treat you with?!
👉 Have you ever had uncomfortable situations where you made a decision that changed your life? What were they?