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Cheryl Riley: Interview

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Cheryl Riley: Interview 

I was born in, and spent the first 40 years of my life in, Australia.  Then I found the courage to pack up and leave.  And since then my life has been more exciting than I ever dreamed it could possibly be.

Can you tell our readers about yourself and your blog?

Hello!  I’m Cheryl.  I’m Australian, and I’m currently living in Moscow, Russia, where I’ve been since 2007.  I teach English here.  I’m married to Olivier.  He’s French, and he’s a French teacher (and chef!).  We get a lot of questions about how and where we met, and why we’re here.  I’ve answered some of this in my blog, but I think I could write a lot more about our story.

About my blog, Born in a Car.  I was trying to think of a name, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to write about.  So I wanted a generic name, which didn’t tie me in with any particular niche.  And, since I was born in a car, I decided that it was a name that defined me (or at least my birth!).  In my blog I write about living in Moscow, travelling, which I get to do a lot now that I live closer to the rest of the world (Australia is so far away from everywhere!), I feature some of my photos, although I’m not a photographer, and I like to share stories about my thoughts, about life, and about experiences I have.

 

Describe how did you first get into blogging?

I had a 5 week holiday in 2018, to Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia.  After the holiday, I was thinking that there must be more to life than just working!  I started reading a lot of blogs about traveling and other lifestyle blogs, looking for ideas on what to do with my life.  Blogging sounded like fun, so I decided to give it a try.

 

Cheryl in sitting behind a table with plates of Thai food

 

Can you tell me some of your strengths that really helped you in blogging?

Being an English teacher probably helps with my grammar, spelling, and punctuation!   I used to love English at school and was always writing poems and stories.  I also don’t like to give up when I’ve started something, so I think that’s really helped.  And I think I have an interesting life at the moment, so I never run out of things to write about.

 

How would you describe your blogging style?

I’m not sure how to answer this one.  I could say it’s relaxed, some dry humor maybe, easy-going, not so serious.  I’d like to think my style is entertaining and people get pleasure from reading it.

 

How do you manage time to run your blog efficiently?

Fortunately, I have quite a lot of free time at the moment.  I don’t teach full-time, so I can easily find the time I need for all the tasks involved in blogging – and there are a lot of them!  I like working at night, so I do a lot of it then.  I keep lists and spreadsheets of various things, which keep me organized.  I think being organized is the key.

 

How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?

Badly.  I usually sulk or get sad and moody.  It’s something I have to work on.  I try to avoid stressful situations.

 

Do you have any specific goals for the rest of this year?

Yes, my husband and I have decided to start another blog together.  It’s going to be focused on getting older, and we’re going to have it bi-lingual, in French and English.  It’s going to stretch my skills, so my main goal is to master the technological side of it.  We’re hoping to generate an income from the new blog, whereas Born in a Car is probably not going to let us retire on what I make from it.

 

Did you have any professional help or did you create the blog yourself?

I did everything myself.  I read a lot and asked a few questions.  I subscribed to blogs about blogging and got check-lists and how-to guides about everything.  I still have a lot to learn, though!

 

Cheryl Riley standing in the snow on a cold day in Moscow

 

How active are you on a weekly basis? How often do you communicate with your followers?

I’m online all the time, except when I’m teaching.  I post 1 – 3 times a week.  I check and answer blog comments daily, as well as Facebook.  I’m really enjoying the social aspect of blogging, although I’m rather asocial in real life.

 

What annoys you?

I’m easily annoyed, which is why I’m asocial.  Thoughtless acts by thoughtless people, selfishness in public places, spitting in public places (a common habit in Russia), people leaving rubbish on the ground, people thinking that everything they see on the news is real.  There’s a lot more, but they’re some of the big ones.

 

What inspires you?

My husband inspires me.  He’s such a happy person.  He wakes up happy every day.  I try to do my best to make him happier, and to make him proud of me.  And I try to be happy too.

Old vintage picture of Car Cheryl was born in

You will find Cheryl via the following Social Media outlets:

Born in a Car Blog
Facebook group

 

If you wish to also participate in this 2019: Wednesday Interview Series please follow the link, and email me and consider it done.  I would love to showcase you and your blog.

2019: Wednesday Interview Series

  • Make tomorrow more amazing than today!
  • Just believe in yourself and dream big.
  • Do not give up on your hopes. Take care always.

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My goal is to provide the best homemade recipes that are healthy for all families to enjoy. I also endeavor to showcase and share other bloggers and promote them on my Blog. You will also find Resources and Courses and Services for Bloggers which I promote from time to time.

36 thoughts on “Cheryl Riley: Interview”

  1. Hi Cheryl – Lovely to see you on Esme’s blog and to learn more about you. A new and bilingual blog in English and French sounds like a great idea. Thanks, Esme, for hosting and featuring your interview with Cheryl. #seniorsalon

    Reply
    • Hi Natalie – thanks for your support and popping in and reading Cheryl’s interview. How about you, would you be interested? I would love to showcase you and your blog here in an interview as well. Let me know

      Reply
    • Hello Natalie πŸ™‚ Thanks for reading my interview here. The bilingual blog is a challenge, the biggest challenge being working so closely with my husband without arguing! Slowly getting there! Thanks again, and for your comment! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. You have such an interesting life, Cheryl, and I really enjoy following your blog Thanks Esme, and Cheryl for sharing.

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    • Hello Christina – I am so happy to virtually meet you by ways of reading Cheryl’s post. I did pop over to your blog and would love it if you would be amenable and willing to do an interview here and then we can get to know you better? What do you think??? PLease let me know

      Reply
    • Hi Christina! Sorry for the delay in replying, I just saw your comment tonight. Thanks for reading my interview and my blog. It really means a lot to me. Take care and have a great week! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Hi Cheryl, lovely to see you on Esme’s blog and to read a bit more about you. I think I knew most of it from reading all the posts on your blog, but there’s always something new – like your blog name (I didn’t realize it was really where you were born!)
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Hi Leanne, sorry, I missed replying to your comment here. Thanks so much for reading my interview here. You’re one of my inspirations, so it’s lovely to have your support. πŸ™‚ Yes, I was born in a car (says so on my birth certificate too!). Enjoy the rest of your week. xx

      Reply
    • Hi Marion, you’re right, not many of us are born in a car. Actually, my sister-in-law (now the ex-wife of my half brother) also gave birth to one of her children in a car (my nephew)! Thank you for your kind words about my blog, I hope you’ll continue to read it. And thanks for taking an interest in my interview. πŸ™‚ xx

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  4. I think your blog name is great – yes to having a name that is wide open. I’m an introvert but find I enjoy interacting in blogging as it is such a friend/supportive community. Blogging as given me focus in other areas of my life. Looking forward to seeing your next venture (blog!!)

    Reply
    • Hi Amelia, thanks for your comment. I spend my working days with people and although I enjoy it, it’s enough for me, so at the end of the day, and week, I don’t really need much social interaction. Blogging is a good way to connect with people, but at my own pace, without being ‘forced’. I agree with you about blogging giving you focus in other areas, it provides a lot of self-reflection and I think it’s a good way to identify areas in your life that need improvement. Thanks for reading and wishing you a great week ahead! πŸ™‚

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    • Hi Pamela! Thank you for reading my interview. πŸ™‚ I’m slowly becoming more social and sharing myself a lot more than I used to. Thank you for your comment, it’s very kind of you. πŸ™‚

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  5. Great to read about Cheryl. Good for you Cherly for living a bold life. How do the Russian people, in general, differ from Aussies? I love the idea of a bilingual blog.

    Reply
    • Hello Heidi, Russian people are very cold when you don’t know them. The shop assistants and most people in the service industry are impolite and sometimes it seems that they’re not interested in you at all (according to our standards). But when you get to know them, they’re some of the warmest, hospitable, honest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Once they let you into their circle, you’re considered a brother or a sister to them and they’ll defend you and love you til the end. On the other hand, Aussies are nice to people from the first meeting, even if they’re never going to see you again! When I’m in Australia, I get tired of being asked how my weekend was by the cashiers in shops. In Russia, they just usually say one word ‘Bag’, meaning, ‘do you want a bag’!! It was intimidating at first, but it’s funny now!

      Reply
  6. Thank you Esme, for your generosity in presenting these interviews! It’s really fun, and while doing the interview it also gave me the opportunity to reflect on my blogging journey, and on myself personally. It’s been a great experience. I’d recommend it to everyone! Thank you again for your support. πŸ™‚ x

    Reply
    • Cheryl, It’s my delight and pleasure to do this, as I am also learning so much about you all and more and more on blogging each day. Just wish I had more hours in a day to do more and learn more.

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      • Lovely to learn more about you! I love your blog title- so memorable. I agree with your annoyances too- so many small things happen that are thoughtlessly irritating every day.

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        • Hi Fancy! I’m glad you like my blog title. πŸ™‚ It’s something that’s so hard to decide on when you’re starting out, isn’t it? I thought it would be more or less unique. πŸ™‚ Thanks for reading the interview and commenting, I appreciate it. Have a great day! πŸ™‚ x

          Reply
    • Hi Debbie, thank so much for reading the interview, and thanks for your support my my blogging adventure. It’s really fun, and I’m enjoying the connections I’m making with other bloggers. It’s really been a turning point in my life. πŸ™‚ xx

      Reply

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