Friday, May 06, 2011

Keep Movin' (Romania, Here I Come, Part 2)

Plans don't always turn out the way I intend them to. - photo by Ethan Hein


Plans. Gotta love them. While I never make strict plans, as in, writing from 9 to 13h, then cooking, then... I do normally have some sort of a plan for the day or the moth, the plan which looks like a bunch of things to do in the given period of time. And it goes with the assumption that I will be able to do all that in the given period of time, and we all know what they say about assumptions.

There I was, having a plan. I'll finish the translation, send it, and if the money comes quickly enough, I'll go and visit my family in Croatia, and get back in time for the appointment with my doctor.

Yeah, right.

I was having a cold for moths because the weather was terrible, the temperature kept going up and down and up and down and... But I was still able to work. I managed to finish the translation, and the only thing I had left before sending it was to proofread it. Then the cold got worse, it was so bad I was barely able to look. My eyes kept hurting, I could only read one or two sentences at a time. No way to proofread a translation of an entire novel with the eyes like that. So I had to rest for a few days, and what I intended to end on Monday or Tuesday I finished and sent today. In the meantime I also got an appointment with another doctor, and those two appointments mean I'll go to Croatia at the end of the month, instead in a few days.

Of course, it's not the end of the world. Croatia and my family won't run away, they will still be there when I get there, and they're happy to see me whenever I get the chance to come. Still, I had some sort of a plan. And that's what often happens to my plans, I manage, just not quite the way I planned.

However, something else also happened. My story, the one which was published on a Romanian website, was translated into Romanian, and if you speak the language, you can read it here. During the time I was barely able to look. And it's comforting, that knowledge that, once set in motion, things keep moving. I don't have to be there all the time and to keep pushing. Of course I should stick around and do something, from time to time at least, but things will keep moving, and that's a good thing to know. It's a good feeling.

So, what now? Now I wait to get the reply from the publisher I did the translation for (keep your fingers crossed for me so they like it!), then I go to see the doctors, then I go to see my family. And in the meantime, I do another translation, and hopefully some writing, and get the money for the translation, and whatever else comes up. Maybe I get another book to translate, that would be great.

Oh, and I try not to feel annoyed when my plans don't turn out exactly the way I intended them to.

10 comments:

Kelly Hashway said...

I hope you feel better soon. That's a long time to be sick. Also good luck with the translation. I hope they love it.

angel011 said...

Thanks, I hope so too!

Samantha Sotto said...

Sorry to hear that you're still not feeling well. Hope you feel better soon.

Fingers crossed for your translation! :)

angel011 said...

Thanks! I got the message they received it, and are looking into it.

Cathy said...

Be well and best with the translation. And remember this: where there's a crack in the armor, there's the possibility of light...

angel011 said...

Thanks for the nice wishes. As for light, there's always some. :)

Anonymous said...

Feel better and best wishes on the translation.

angel011 said...

Thank you.

Bella said...

Ivana, here's hoping you feel better soon! :)

angel011 said...

Thank you, that qould be really nice. :)