How I moved my PC
As I mentioned in the video about my move to NZ, my PC made the trip as well. Here’s how we did it:
1. Bought the cheapest suitcase big enough to fit the PC.
2. Bought a few rolls of bubble wrap and some "Fragile" tape.
3. Removed all the internal dividers and plastic from the suitcase.
4. Packed bubble wrap inside the PC to keep the hardware gently secured.
5. Placed the PC in the suitcase and wrapped it a couple of times.
6. Wrapped the monitor and placed it next to the case.
7. Filled every remaining gap with bubble wrap.
8. Locked the suitcase and wrapped it with "Fragile" tape.
In this state, the PC travelled through a few countries without any issues. The loaders didn’t pay much attention to the "Fragile" tape, so the PC case ended up with one dent and a couple of scratches, but overall it was a great result.
Once in NZ, I bought new power cables so I could use it with local powerpoints without adaptors. They’re cheap, and all types are available at PB Tech.
(Russian)
As I mentioned in the video about my move to NZ, my PC made the trip as well. Here’s how we did it:
1. Bought the cheapest suitcase big enough to fit the PC.
2. Bought a few rolls of bubble wrap and some "Fragile" tape.
3. Removed all the internal dividers and plastic from the suitcase.
4. Packed bubble wrap inside the PC to keep the hardware gently secured.
5. Placed the PC in the suitcase and wrapped it a couple of times.
6. Wrapped the monitor and placed it next to the case.
7. Filled every remaining gap with bubble wrap.
8. Locked the suitcase and wrapped it with "Fragile" tape.
In this state, the PC travelled through a few countries without any issues. The loaders didn’t pay much attention to the "Fragile" tape, so the PC case ended up with one dent and a couple of scratches, but overall it was a great result.
Once in NZ, I bought new power cables so I could use it with local powerpoints without adaptors. They’re cheap, and all types are available at PB Tech.
(Russian)
5👍75🔥32❤9😨4✍2👏1😁1👨💻1
Pohutukawa
It's stronger than me. I can’t stop photographing trees in NZ, and it seems I’m slowly turning into a naturalist.
These pictures show the Pohutukawa, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. In summer (December), they bloom everywhere - in parks, along beaches, and in house gardens.
They’re not just beautiful, they’re also incredibly tough - they cling to cliffs, tolerate salt spray, harsh sun, and strong winds, and their thick bark can even protect them from moderate fires. Pohutukawas can live for several centuries.
They are endemic, growing naturally in the wild only in New Zealand, so it’s quite hard to find them anywhere else.
(Russian)
It's stronger than me. I can’t stop photographing trees in NZ, and it seems I’m slowly turning into a naturalist.
These pictures show the Pohutukawa, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. In summer (December), they bloom everywhere - in parks, along beaches, and in house gardens.
They’re not just beautiful, they’re also incredibly tough - they cling to cliffs, tolerate salt spray, harsh sun, and strong winds, and their thick bark can even protect them from moderate fires. Pohutukawas can live for several centuries.
They are endemic, growing naturally in the wild only in New Zealand, so it’s quite hard to find them anywhere else.
(Russian)
2🔥99❤48👍24🤩5
NZ housing
NZ cities work very differently from the high-density cities I was used to. They’re far more car-centric, and most people live in houses rather than apartments.
This changes what city living feels like - you start to value different things and see different types of housing in a new light. In this post, I'll list the main types of dwellings in NZ, along with my entirely subjective take on their pros and cons.
Standalone houses
About 69% of all dwellings in NZ. Typically 1-2 storey houses on a small section.
➕ Parking: You can park on your own section or on nearby streets. There’s usually space for multiple cars, which matters because most families have at least two.
➕ Car nearby: You park in your garage or just a few steps from the house. It’s very convenient and something you get used to quickly. Hopping in the car is fast, even for short trips, which is why you don’t see many pedestrians in Auckland suburbs.
➕ Space: Plenty of indoor and outdoor space for barbecues, tools, vehicles, and children’s activities.
➕ Privacy: Well separated from neighbours, so it feels private and relaxed.
➕ Flexibility: You can modify or rebuild the house. Major changes require Building Consent, but it is manageable.
➕ Nature: Suburbs have plenty of greenery, and most houses have pleasant natural views.
➕ Safety: Most suburbs (except for a few lower-income suburbs) feel very safe - people leave parcels on their porches for hours, children walk to and from school alone, there are no homeless people, little traffic, and so on.
➖ Price: Houses vary a lot; however, they are usually more expensive than apartments and townhouses of a similar size in similar areas.
➖ Maintenance: You will have to mow lawns, prune trees, remove weeds and leaves, and do repairs. It is quite a lot of work if you do it yourself, or costly if you hire someone.
➖ Public transport: Bus stops are usually within a 5-15 minute walk, but most routes go to the CBD (Central Business District, or city centre). If your destination is elsewhere, you will have to change buses or trains there and spend much longer than if you used a car.
➖ City vibe: There isn't much of a city atmosphere in the suburbs. It feels more like a village - very tidy, wealthy, and developed, but it still feels more like a village than a city.
➖ Stores nearby: There are some local shops and small centres with cafes and services, but in general you will have to use a car or public transport to access the full range of shops and services.
Townhouses, units, and flats
About 17% of all dwellings. They are a middle ground between houses and apartments, offering a mix of both.
➕ Parking: Similar to houses.
➕ Car nearby: Similar to houses.
➕ Space: Not all townhouses are spacious, but generally they have garages and small yards or terraces. You usually have enough space for a barbecue and the kids to play.
➕ Privacy: Neighbours are closer than in standalone houses, as you are separated from them by “intertenancy walls.” However, the separation is regulated. These walls must be sound-insulated, so you won’t hear your neighbours. Yards are separate as well.
➕ Nature: The same green suburbs, with even better views if you live in a two- or three-storey townhouse.
➕ Safety: The same as houses - generally good.
➕ Price: Cheaper than houses but more expensive than apartments. This is an upside for me.
➕ Maintenance: Much less than in a house. You maintain only your own part, while shared areas are maintained by service providers. The cost is lower because it is shared among a few townhouses.
➖ Flexibility: Harder than with a house. Any major changes usually require additional consent from neighbours.
➖ Public transport: Townhouses are in the same areas as houses, so the situation is similar. Going to the CBD is manageable, but travelling elsewhere can take two to three times longer than by car.
➖ City vibe: Not much.
➖ Stores nearby: The same as houses - not many.
Lifestyle blocks...
(Continued in comments)
NZ cities work very differently from the high-density cities I was used to. They’re far more car-centric, and most people live in houses rather than apartments.
This changes what city living feels like - you start to value different things and see different types of housing in a new light. In this post, I'll list the main types of dwellings in NZ, along with my entirely subjective take on their pros and cons.
Standalone houses
About 69% of all dwellings in NZ. Typically 1-2 storey houses on a small section.
➕ Parking: You can park on your own section or on nearby streets. There’s usually space for multiple cars, which matters because most families have at least two.
➕ Car nearby: You park in your garage or just a few steps from the house. It’s very convenient and something you get used to quickly. Hopping in the car is fast, even for short trips, which is why you don’t see many pedestrians in Auckland suburbs.
➕ Space: Plenty of indoor and outdoor space for barbecues, tools, vehicles, and children’s activities.
➕ Privacy: Well separated from neighbours, so it feels private and relaxed.
➕ Flexibility: You can modify or rebuild the house. Major changes require Building Consent, but it is manageable.
➕ Nature: Suburbs have plenty of greenery, and most houses have pleasant natural views.
➕ Safety: Most suburbs (except for a few lower-income suburbs) feel very safe - people leave parcels on their porches for hours, children walk to and from school alone, there are no homeless people, little traffic, and so on.
➖ Price: Houses vary a lot; however, they are usually more expensive than apartments and townhouses of a similar size in similar areas.
➖ Maintenance: You will have to mow lawns, prune trees, remove weeds and leaves, and do repairs. It is quite a lot of work if you do it yourself, or costly if you hire someone.
➖ Public transport: Bus stops are usually within a 5-15 minute walk, but most routes go to the CBD (Central Business District, or city centre). If your destination is elsewhere, you will have to change buses or trains there and spend much longer than if you used a car.
➖ City vibe: There isn't much of a city atmosphere in the suburbs. It feels more like a village - very tidy, wealthy, and developed, but it still feels more like a village than a city.
➖ Stores nearby: There are some local shops and small centres with cafes and services, but in general you will have to use a car or public transport to access the full range of shops and services.
Townhouses, units, and flats
About 17% of all dwellings. They are a middle ground between houses and apartments, offering a mix of both.
➕ Parking: Similar to houses.
➕ Car nearby: Similar to houses.
➕ Space: Not all townhouses are spacious, but generally they have garages and small yards or terraces. You usually have enough space for a barbecue and the kids to play.
➕ Privacy: Neighbours are closer than in standalone houses, as you are separated from them by “intertenancy walls.” However, the separation is regulated. These walls must be sound-insulated, so you won’t hear your neighbours. Yards are separate as well.
➕ Nature: The same green suburbs, with even better views if you live in a two- or three-storey townhouse.
➕ Safety: The same as houses - generally good.
➕ Price: Cheaper than houses but more expensive than apartments. This is an upside for me.
➕ Maintenance: Much less than in a house. You maintain only your own part, while shared areas are maintained by service providers. The cost is lower because it is shared among a few townhouses.
➖ Flexibility: Harder than with a house. Any major changes usually require additional consent from neighbours.
➖ Public transport: Townhouses are in the same areas as houses, so the situation is similar. Going to the CBD is manageable, but travelling elsewhere can take two to three times longer than by car.
➖ City vibe: Not much.
➖ Stores nearby: The same as houses - not many.
Lifestyle blocks...
(Continued in comments)
3👍47❤13❤🔥7🔥3👏2🤔1💘1
Christmas mood
I’ve seen a few Christmas decorations here and there around Auckland, but, honestly, not many. To me, it feels like people here decorate their houses more for Halloween than for Christmas.
Maybe the summer weather dampens people’s enthusiasm for celebrating Christmas and New Year. That’s the only explanation I can think of.
It could also be that I’ve just been unlucky and haven’t seen the best examples of decorations. Please prove me wrong and share beautiful Christmas and New Year’s decorations in the comments, both from New Zealand and overseas.
(Russian)
I’ve seen a few Christmas decorations here and there around Auckland, but, honestly, not many. To me, it feels like people here decorate their houses more for Halloween than for Christmas.
Maybe the summer weather dampens people’s enthusiasm for celebrating Christmas and New Year. That’s the only explanation I can think of.
It could also be that I’ve just been unlucky and haven’t seen the best examples of decorations. Please prove me wrong and share beautiful Christmas and New Year’s decorations in the comments, both from New Zealand and overseas.
(Russian)
2👍46❤25🎄13😢1
YouTube
Сравнение цифровизации Окленда и Москвы
Сравниваю цифровые сервисы и услуги в Окленде (Новая Зеландия) и Москве (Россия).
MP3-версия - https://t.me/OutsidersInsight/217
*Chapters*
00:00 Интро
00:47 Методика сравнения
01:36 Открытие банковского счёта
02:26 Цифровые платежи
02:51 Денежные переводы…
MP3-версия - https://t.me/OutsidersInsight/217
*Chapters*
00:00 Интро
00:47 Методика сравнения
01:36 Открытие банковского счёта
02:26 Цифровые платежи
02:51 Денежные переводы…
Video version of the post about digitalisation in NZ and in RF.
2👍45🔥10❤6❤🔥2
Nano Banana
Just a quick tip in case you don’t know this yet. You can take any photo - for example, a black-and-white, damaged old picture of your great-grandfather. Upload it to Google’s free Nano Banana image AI with a prompt asking it to restore, colourise, and adjust it if needed.
After a few iterations, you can get an excellent result. My prompt for the image was:
By the way, Bob was in NZ in 1979 - he gave a gig in Auckland and a short interview (great for practising accent comprehension) to local journalists. His music is one of those that fit New Zealand really well.
(Russian)
Just a quick tip in case you don’t know this yet. You can take any photo - for example, a black-and-white, damaged old picture of your great-grandfather. Upload it to Google’s free Nano Banana image AI with a prompt asking it to restore, colourise, and adjust it if needed.
After a few iterations, you can get an excellent result. My prompt for the image was:
1. Colourise.
2. Change the background to a strongly blurred evening beach.
3. Make it look like a real, modern photo - HD quality with no grain.
4. Apply evening beach lighting to Bob.
By the way, Bob was in NZ in 1979 - he gave a gig in Auckland and a short interview (great for practising accent comprehension) to local journalists. His music is one of those that fit New Zealand really well.
(Russian)
2👍58❤20🆒3🔥1
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Happy New Year!
It’s already 2026 here - everything happens here first, then the rest of the world catches up.
It’s already 2026 here - everything happens here first, then the rest of the world catches up.
4❤143🎉74🔥34👍3✍1👏1
Tracks in NZ
One of the best ways to spend a day in NZ is to go for a walk on a track. There are thousands of them across the country. I go on tracks a lot, and most of my videos are filmed there.
The photo shows the Donald McLean to Whatipu Caves track, one of my favourites. This video was filmed on this track. A bonus hi-res photo is in the comments.
A few notes about tracks:
- the best place to choose a track is alltrails.com (they also have an app, the free version is fine)
- there are lots of filters for what you want to see (waterfalls, mountains, rivers, lakes, dams, etc) and how challenging you want the track to be
- there are also dedicated bike tracks
- all tracks are free
- there are usually car parks, toilets, water, etc at key points of the tracks
- tracks are maintained by the government, and unless it’s very rainy, you won’t even get your shoes too dirty
- there are no dangerous animals in NZ, so you can walk pretty much anywhere without worrying
(Russian)
One of the best ways to spend a day in NZ is to go for a walk on a track. There are thousands of them across the country. I go on tracks a lot, and most of my videos are filmed there.
The photo shows the Donald McLean to Whatipu Caves track, one of my favourites. This video was filmed on this track. A bonus hi-res photo is in the comments.
A few notes about tracks:
- the best place to choose a track is alltrails.com (they also have an app, the free version is fine)
- there are lots of filters for what you want to see (waterfalls, mountains, rivers, lakes, dams, etc) and how challenging you want the track to be
- there are also dedicated bike tracks
- all tracks are free
- there are usually car parks, toilets, water, etc at key points of the tracks
- tracks are maintained by the government, and unless it’s very rainy, you won’t even get your shoes too dirty
- there are no dangerous animals in NZ, so you can walk pretty much anywhere without worrying
(Russian)
4👍81❤48🔥21
Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Snorkeling
Thanks to friends, we discovered a great snorkeling spot near Auckland called Goat Island.
The fish, mostly snapper, are fearless and hardly notice people. The water is calm, and everyone’s out scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, etc. NZ is not tropics, so the water isn’t warm - more like summer lakes around Moscow - quite refreshing.
There’s also a small museum nearby where you can explore marine life under microscopes, see fish skeletons, and interact with a few species in a small touch tank.
PS The spot is very popular, so parking can be tricky after 9 am.
PPS A hi-res photo is in the comments.
(Russian)
Thanks to friends, we discovered a great snorkeling spot near Auckland called Goat Island.
The fish, mostly snapper, are fearless and hardly notice people. The water is calm, and everyone’s out scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, etc. NZ is not tropics, so the water isn’t warm - more like summer lakes around Moscow - quite refreshing.
There’s also a small museum nearby where you can explore marine life under microscopes, see fish skeletons, and interact with a few species in a small touch tank.
PS The spot is very popular, so parking can be tricky after 9 am.
PPS A hi-res photo is in the comments.
(Russian)
5❤68🔥26👍21🐳3
Pick your own (PYO)
PYO farms are popular in NZ. The photos show the strawberry and blueberry farms we visited over the New Year break.
It works the same way as in Russia - you get a bucket, pick berries, eat some (the owners are usually fine with it), then weigh and pay. There are lots of these farms in NZ: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, cherries, mandarins, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, apples and pears. I’ve even seen sunflower and corn farms.
There are a few heavily advertised ones (can be gooled by “PYO”), which usually offer extra services - fruit ice cream, pools, playgrounds, etc. And there are dozens of smaller ones on Google Maps. Some have Facebook pages, others just a roadside “PYO” sign. Smaller farms have their advantages - no crowds, family-owned, tidy, cozy and better prices.
Prices are usually (but not always!) cheaper than in shops. We picked strawberries for $10/kg and blueberries for $16.5/kg. Pretty good prices.
(Russian)
PYO farms are popular in NZ. The photos show the strawberry and blueberry farms we visited over the New Year break.
It works the same way as in Russia - you get a bucket, pick berries, eat some (the owners are usually fine with it), then weigh and pay. There are lots of these farms in NZ: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, cherries, mandarins, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, apples and pears. I’ve even seen sunflower and corn farms.
There are a few heavily advertised ones (can be gooled by “PYO”), which usually offer extra services - fruit ice cream, pools, playgrounds, etc. And there are dozens of smaller ones on Google Maps. Some have Facebook pages, others just a roadside “PYO” sign. Smaller farms have their advantages - no crowds, family-owned, tidy, cozy and better prices.
Prices are usually (but not always!) cheaper than in shops. We picked strawberries for $10/kg and blueberries for $16.5/kg. Pretty good prices.
(Russian)
3❤103👍41🍓23🔥1
Why I made my channels
A few people have asked why I created these channels - why anyone would bother spending time writing or filming content for others. Some assumed it was driven by nostalgia or by unhappiness after emigrating.
I understand why someone might think that, but that’s not the case for me. Let’s go over the reasons here.
Why I started the Telegram channel
1. Talking online. I’ve been involved in online discussions for decades, long before I moved to NZ. I’m one of those people who takes part in huge 100+ page forum threads, writes reviews, and comments on blogs and YouTube channels. I’ve always enjoyed doing that.
2. Freedom of speech. Unfortunately, most online platforms have some form of censorship (moderation). So if you want complete freedom, you need to create your own space. There’s no censorship in my channels and Telegram is one of the least censored platforms (they only prohibit illegal content).
3. Selection of topics. On other platforms, someone else sets the topics for people to discuss. Here, I can talk about whatever I want.
4. Sharing information about my move. After I moved to NZ, friends and family kept asking the same questions about how I was doing, so I was spending a lot of time repeating the same replies. Even copying and pasting replies was time-consuming. Now I can share everything in the channel, and anyone who wants to stay updated can do so.
5. Improving my English. I felt I needed to improve the complexity and sophistication of my English. In my opinion, the best way to do that is by working with written English. Also, I looked for normal (not ads or reposts) English Telegram channels and couldn’t find any, so I filled that gap.
Why I started the YouTube channel
After creating the Telegram channel, I got about 20 subscribers from friends and family. There are no promotion opportunities on Telegram, so that number would have stayed the same forever. To fix that, I made a YouTube channel with video versions of my posts, hoping to raise my subscriber count to 300-500.
YouTube turned out to be far better than I expected. Even my first video got thousands of views through its suggestions system, and later videos did even better. Subscribers quickly hit my target and keep growing. YouTube is incredibly generous.
I also really enjoyed video editing, and I’ve started treating it like a challenge - I want to make videos that get more views.
Is there a financial incentive?
Telegram brings nothing. YouTube monetisation brings in a bit of money, but it’s far (by tens of times) less than my main sources of income, and I doubt the topic of New Zealand could bring in significantly more. So for now, YouTube is just a hobby.
Why is the YouTube channel in Russian?
Because the topics I discuss are interesting to Russians, and I want my videos to be watched. If I move on to topics that might interest English-speaking audiences, I’ll switch to English.
Am I nostalgic about Russia?
No, I’m completely happy living in New Zealand. Here I feel free, and for the first time in my life I see a future for myself and my family. I’m just becoming more and more convinced that New Zealand is the best country in the world.
I’m not planning to go back, though I can’t rule out the risk entirely. I am working hard every day to make the risk smaller.
How would I talk about NZ if I returned to Russia?
Exactly the same - I wouldn’t be one of those immigrants who badmouth other countries just because they couldn’t settle there. New Zealand, like the rest of the Western world, is one of the best places to live. Everything I post and film is completely sincere, and it would be the same if I moved back to Russia.
Of course, I might change my mind one day - anything is possible - but I think the chance of that is very small.
(Russian)
A few people have asked why I created these channels - why anyone would bother spending time writing or filming content for others. Some assumed it was driven by nostalgia or by unhappiness after emigrating.
I understand why someone might think that, but that’s not the case for me. Let’s go over the reasons here.
Why I started the Telegram channel
1. Talking online. I’ve been involved in online discussions for decades, long before I moved to NZ. I’m one of those people who takes part in huge 100+ page forum threads, writes reviews, and comments on blogs and YouTube channels. I’ve always enjoyed doing that.
2. Freedom of speech. Unfortunately, most online platforms have some form of censorship (moderation). So if you want complete freedom, you need to create your own space. There’s no censorship in my channels and Telegram is one of the least censored platforms (they only prohibit illegal content).
3. Selection of topics. On other platforms, someone else sets the topics for people to discuss. Here, I can talk about whatever I want.
4. Sharing information about my move. After I moved to NZ, friends and family kept asking the same questions about how I was doing, so I was spending a lot of time repeating the same replies. Even copying and pasting replies was time-consuming. Now I can share everything in the channel, and anyone who wants to stay updated can do so.
5. Improving my English. I felt I needed to improve the complexity and sophistication of my English. In my opinion, the best way to do that is by working with written English. Also, I looked for normal (not ads or reposts) English Telegram channels and couldn’t find any, so I filled that gap.
Why I started the YouTube channel
After creating the Telegram channel, I got about 20 subscribers from friends and family. There are no promotion opportunities on Telegram, so that number would have stayed the same forever. To fix that, I made a YouTube channel with video versions of my posts, hoping to raise my subscriber count to 300-500.
YouTube turned out to be far better than I expected. Even my first video got thousands of views through its suggestions system, and later videos did even better. Subscribers quickly hit my target and keep growing. YouTube is incredibly generous.
I also really enjoyed video editing, and I’ve started treating it like a challenge - I want to make videos that get more views.
Is there a financial incentive?
Telegram brings nothing. YouTube monetisation brings in a bit of money, but it’s far (by tens of times) less than my main sources of income, and I doubt the topic of New Zealand could bring in significantly more. So for now, YouTube is just a hobby.
Why is the YouTube channel in Russian?
Because the topics I discuss are interesting to Russians, and I want my videos to be watched. If I move on to topics that might interest English-speaking audiences, I’ll switch to English.
Am I nostalgic about Russia?
No, I’m completely happy living in New Zealand. Here I feel free, and for the first time in my life I see a future for myself and my family. I’m just becoming more and more convinced that New Zealand is the best country in the world.
I’m not planning to go back, though I can’t rule out the risk entirely. I am working hard every day to make the risk smaller.
How would I talk about NZ if I returned to Russia?
Exactly the same - I wouldn’t be one of those immigrants who badmouth other countries just because they couldn’t settle there. New Zealand, like the rest of the Western world, is one of the best places to live. Everything I post and film is completely sincere, and it would be the same if I moved back to Russia.
Of course, I might change my mind one day - anything is possible - but I think the chance of that is very small.
(Russian)
2👍113❤51🔥14👏6🥰1😍1
Sadness
Just a very sad photo I took today during a bike ride. I don’t know what happened here, but it must have been something tragic.
Maybe it was the result of a revealed affair. Or vandalism. Or he parked next to a construction site. Or children were playing with paint. In any case, it’s painful to look at.
(Russian)
Just a very sad photo I took today during a bike ride. I don’t know what happened here, but it must have been something tragic.
Maybe it was the result of a revealed affair. Or vandalism. Or he parked next to a construction site. Or children were playing with paint. In any case, it’s painful to look at.
(Russian)
2😢49😱26😁13👍6🤣4🤡2❤1
Motivation
I had wanted to move for many years, but I knew that simply wanting it wasn’t enough - plenty of people plan to move, yet few actually do. For years, I kept doubting whether I could really do it. Moving to another country felt overwhelming and too difficult.
2022 gave me a huge boost of motivation. Honestly, though, I’m not sure I would have had the willpower to move without a few key lifestyle changes and achievements that came before.
Here, I want to share how I gradually stopped doubting myself and started to take action. I genuinely believe these things were the turning point that shifted my life.
1️⃣ Routine. After my son was born, I decided to become a fit and strong dad to set a good example for him. I was going to the gym, but like most of us, I trained inconsistently, so the results were average.
Luckily, at that time I had a colleague who was very fit and looked exactly how I wanted to look. I decided to ask him what he did to achieve it. He turned out to be very open and explained the basic principles of his diet and training.
It was, essentially, the first step that started major changes in my life - I decided to follow his advice, be consistent, commit fully, and get the body I wanted no matter what.
His advice worked perfectly. In addition, I absorbed a huge amount of information on diet and fitness, and in ~8 months I transformed my body (all my knowledge on that is in this video).
I sorted out my sleep, diet, and training routines, but more importantly, I felt the power of consistency. I kept taking small, invisible steps, and slowly but surely they eventually led to major results.
2️⃣ Planning. While consuming tons of information about sport and diet, I also absorbed quite a bit about planning and motivation - these topics often go hand in hand. And it makes complete sense - it’s very hard to stay sporty without a systematic approach.
Motivated by my first success, I decided to implement a task planning system. It was an adapted version of Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen. There are plenty of videos about it on YouTube - it’s a very simple system. I tweaked it to be more digital and fit into my routine.
The core idea is the same - you perform small, regular steps (organising, planning, sorting, and executing) for your life tasks. Over time, this leads to big results - you get more done, procrastinate less, and feel better because your mind stays calm and focused. That was the second step.
3️⃣ Support. The sporty colleague became a friend. At first, he gave advice on training and nutrition, and later he supported me with planning my move abroad.
He was one of the few who said, “Others have done it, you can too, give it a go,” instead of the usual “It’s too hard, nobody needs you there.” Even simple words like that, spoken at the right time by the right person, can make a huge difference.
Importantly, he’s someone whose opinion matters: he competes in several extreme sports, is athletic, organised, doesn’t procrastinate, optimistic, and always takes action immediately. A living embodiment of the “just do it” motto.
Of course, I also had immense support from my family, though it almost feels taken for granted, simply because they are family and support me unconditionally.
As a result, these three factors transformed my life over a few years. I felt, and still feel, like a machine - always active, well-rested, and fully organised. I’m like a task grinder.
That was the state I entered 2022 with. So, immigration then became just another task, albeit the biggest one, that I slowly and surely grinded.
(Russian)
I had wanted to move for many years, but I knew that simply wanting it wasn’t enough - plenty of people plan to move, yet few actually do. For years, I kept doubting whether I could really do it. Moving to another country felt overwhelming and too difficult.
2022 gave me a huge boost of motivation. Honestly, though, I’m not sure I would have had the willpower to move without a few key lifestyle changes and achievements that came before.
Here, I want to share how I gradually stopped doubting myself and started to take action. I genuinely believe these things were the turning point that shifted my life.
1️⃣ Routine. After my son was born, I decided to become a fit and strong dad to set a good example for him. I was going to the gym, but like most of us, I trained inconsistently, so the results were average.
Luckily, at that time I had a colleague who was very fit and looked exactly how I wanted to look. I decided to ask him what he did to achieve it. He turned out to be very open and explained the basic principles of his diet and training.
It was, essentially, the first step that started major changes in my life - I decided to follow his advice, be consistent, commit fully, and get the body I wanted no matter what.
His advice worked perfectly. In addition, I absorbed a huge amount of information on diet and fitness, and in ~8 months I transformed my body (all my knowledge on that is in this video).
I sorted out my sleep, diet, and training routines, but more importantly, I felt the power of consistency. I kept taking small, invisible steps, and slowly but surely they eventually led to major results.
2️⃣ Planning. While consuming tons of information about sport and diet, I also absorbed quite a bit about planning and motivation - these topics often go hand in hand. And it makes complete sense - it’s very hard to stay sporty without a systematic approach.
Motivated by my first success, I decided to implement a task planning system. It was an adapted version of Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen. There are plenty of videos about it on YouTube - it’s a very simple system. I tweaked it to be more digital and fit into my routine.
The core idea is the same - you perform small, regular steps (organising, planning, sorting, and executing) for your life tasks. Over time, this leads to big results - you get more done, procrastinate less, and feel better because your mind stays calm and focused. That was the second step.
3️⃣ Support. The sporty colleague became a friend. At first, he gave advice on training and nutrition, and later he supported me with planning my move abroad.
He was one of the few who said, “Others have done it, you can too, give it a go,” instead of the usual “It’s too hard, nobody needs you there.” Even simple words like that, spoken at the right time by the right person, can make a huge difference.
Importantly, he’s someone whose opinion matters: he competes in several extreme sports, is athletic, organised, doesn’t procrastinate, optimistic, and always takes action immediately. A living embodiment of the “just do it” motto.
Of course, I also had immense support from my family, though it almost feels taken for granted, simply because they are family and support me unconditionally.
As a result, these three factors transformed my life over a few years. I felt, and still feel, like a machine - always active, well-rested, and fully organised. I’m like a task grinder.
That was the state I entered 2022 with. So, immigration then became just another task, albeit the biggest one, that I slowly and surely grinded.
(Russian)
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