How would you rate your quality of life- from 1 to 10?

About 8. I have job which i like most of the time, live in one of the most awesome cities in the world and have good friends and I somehow fulfilled my dream of making an impact.

Are you happy?

Happy is overrated. I am happy when I see a kitten, nice sunset, paint a nice painting, buy cool skirt or attend a successful demo. My life is not an constipated unicorn that farts rainbows day and night... but I am content, at peace. I am happy when good things happen and appropriately sad when sad things happen. I can move past the sadness, I can use sadness and anger in constructive way.

That is more important than elusive and abstract "happy".


Have you been able to do all the things you want to do?


Well, I had not visited Israel, India and Vietnam yet, but I did other things that I were not on my mind. I cannot do all the things I would like to for lack of time and money... but I am still alive and I can achieve lots of my little dreams yet. Maybe I will even get a position on future ministry of tourism of Ukraine and free pass for Ukrainian railroads (AND monthly supply of Roshen chocolate...)* yet.


Sdo you think youll be able to do whatever you want to in the future?

I don't know. Things may happen. Maybe in Damascus in 2010 people also thought their futures are bright. Objective things can happen that prevent you from doing "whatever you want". I don't think there is a person on the planet that could do "whatever they wanted". But I think I will be able to do deal with life pretty well.



How much do your symptoms impact you?


Somewhat. Honestly, it's mostly my trauma issues that impact me lately. I did not have too intense bipolar symptoms for years.


What brings you down the most and what makes you feel best?

Reality sometimes puts me down. People that are not "good people" make me feel bad and hopeless. I feel the best when I feel there is sense in all the things I do.


* It is something I joke about with fellow activists. I love traveling and I would love to promote tourism in Ukraine for bit more than "good feeling"... and well, I have done so much for that country (got several certificates of gratitude to prove that) and since the current president does own a chocolate factory, maybe he can pay us volunteers in chocolates.... right?