I enjoyed English from my school years, trying to understand what my favourite rock bands were singing))) It was late eighties and no other use of English was possible then because I lived in Soviet Union and we had the iron curtain. Everything changed when Ukraine became independent. So I was happy that when I joined a local NGO my English skills (not even translation skills at that time) were required to translate grant applications and communications with foreign partners.

At some stage I worked several times for OSCE election observation missions and found out that interpreting was as much enjoyable thing as written translation. 

So, now I do both as a freelancer.