Category: Thoughts

The thrill of the ride: “Toto, I have a feeling I’m not 10 anymore”

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sixflags

Maybe I’m getting old.

I know, I’m being ridiculous, I’m only 23 years old. The best years are yet to come, right? That’s what people keep saying so I’m gonna hold on to that.

Last weekend I visited Six Flags Great Adventure and after about five years, I got back on a roller coaster. Maybe it was that the first roller coaster I chose was a little weird since you had to stand throughout the ride or maybe it was that I’m getting old… but it was NOT pleasant. I kept feeling pain in my back, I was anxious and I thought I was going to die. I kept making up scenarios on my head of my safety bar being released and me jetting out to the sky and landing flat on my face.

What is wrong with me?

Not that I was this fearless little girl before, by no means. You are talking to the girl that used to be scared of electrical stairs, believe me there’s a story behind it, I had my reasons. But at least before I would think less of the consequences and focus more on the thrill of the ride.

Now, if you are worrying about me thinking that this poor young lady threw away her money at Six Flags, don’t you worry child, I had a blast. I made a little mantra telling myself that it was going to be alright, that if everyone else was doing it, why couldn’t I? I also released all of my worries and enjoyed the ride for what it was… a thrill.

I think riding roller coasters should be a form of therapy. You can scream without being judged (well, at least that’s what I want to believe), you can let go and enjoy the thrill without worrying about anything else because for that short period of time, you are suspended into the air, part of a wave and you don’t need to control anything… you can be free.

Sounds amazing and liberating right? It is, until you get out and see your picture on the screen and notice you looked more like a frightful chicken than a human being.

My Battle With Coffee

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Photo & Editing by Cristina Nogueras ©

Photo & Editing by Cristina Nogueras ©

Hi, my name is Cristina and I’m fighting coffee addiction. I’ve seen loved ones suffer from caffeine deprivations and go through immense trouble to get a hold of coffee in the mornings. I’ve seen the sleepy eyes, the vacant stares and the tamed spirit that can only come from the absence of coffee.

I’ve never liked coffee. I think the first thing I ever ordered from Starbucks was a white chocolate frappuccino, just because it did not taste like coffee. How did I survive college? Diet coke perhaps? That’s still a mystery to me.

Now, in the real working world, I find myself fighting against the urge to get a cup of coffee every day. My reasoning?

  • It’s expensive to get the coffee I like (Not that I’m drinking gold, it just adds up)

  • I do not want to be addicted to coffee and then be unable to function without it

I think I’m losing this battle. I’m so much more productive and motivated when I drink coffee, I hate it. Why can’t I just wake up all sunshine and glitter every morning ready to hit the ground running? No, I have to depend on this warm and aromatic substance to fuel my system and power my brain. Then they have to come and make it pumpkin spice lattes and all these other alterations that make it actually wonderful to drink and so much more harder to resist it.

Is this it? Is this how I know I am now a real grown-up?

The 2013 Museum of Art & History

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The other day, when I was at the museum with my dad, I kept thinking how did people have the time to do so many beautiful things? Thinking of all the tapestries, hand made stuff and what-not. I thought, that’s right, they did not have internet. I think of all the wonderful things I could create if I was not busy liking pictures on Instagram and indulging in Netflix.

What will our generations have to show? Thinking about a museum for our generation, it will either be online or in a physical space full of touchscreens. Don’t get me wrong, it has the potential to be pretty cool. I already have a few ideas for whoever wants to design it, give me a call. But seriously, how can we top what has been left before us?

I wonder if past generations thought that their creations were not museum worthy. I wonder if it’s only time that makes them amazing.

“Oh hey, here’s this tapestry I just made*”.

Nobody cares.

“Oh hey, here’s this tapestry my great, great, great, great grandmother made back in 2013”.

“Oh wow, that’s truly fascinating”.

Boom.

 

 

* For the record, I don’t make tapestries.

Also, I do believe that we have a lot to show, don’t get me wrong. It’s just we have different things to show and I can’t help but wonder about it.

Peace, Love & Diet Coke.

“¡Papi, lo logramos!” / “Dad, we made it!”

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These words were the first words my dad heard when he woke up from surgery on a day like today, eight years ago.

It is impossible to reduce to one post all of the events leading up to that day and everything else that followed, but one thing I can say is that I couldn’t feel more grateful today. It’s easy to take things for granted; life is one of those things. We think we are indestructible and that no one can knock us down, then life happens and our body starts to fail.

Organ donation had never been something that I really thought about. When I got my driver’s license I was afraid of registering as an organ donor because I thought that if I had an accident it would affect my treatment (MYTH). Then my dad was told that in order to save his life he would need a new liver and everything changed. I think about this every single time people say they need a new liver because they drank so much over the weekend.

Truth is, my dad owes his life to a stranger in Florida who passed away and donated his liver. Whether it was that person’s choice or his family’s, we don’t know. Still, life is life and I’m grateful.

Life is weird and it changes its course as it pleases, without making announcements or informing threats. I’ve been grateful to have my dad with me for eight “extra” years and I can only hope that the number keeps increasing.

Needless to say, I’m now a registered organ donor.

Think about it.

To learn more about organ donation, click here.

Currently, more than 120,000 men, women and children are awaiting organ transplants in the United States. 

From the Caribbean Coast to the Jersey Shore

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Summer days down the beach in Manasquan, NJ

Summer days down the beach in Manasquan, NJ

So this summer, I joined a frat. Not really, but yeah.

I remember my family’s reaction when I told them I had decided to join a summer beach house down the Jersey Shore (Manasquan, to be precise).

“Isn’t that a crazy TV show?”

Well, yes.

It’s hard to grasp the whole Jersey Shore culture when you are not from the area. Having grown up in Puerto Rico, you have access to beautiful beaches all year round and it’s hard to understand why you would need to take a 2 hour train ride every Friday to go share a house with about 16 other people.

I was dragged into this craziness thanks to my boyfriend who had done the summer house the previous summer and I am so thankful that he insisted that I joined because this summer goes down as one of the best summers in my books (it would be a tie with that summer I went to a camp in Switzerland and then studied in Boston).

Sure, it was an exhausting summer, full of traveling and activities, but man was it nice to wake up and walk less than a minute to the beach and lay there under the sun. Living in the city, you tend to forget the simple pleasures of nature, like the ability to see the stars at night (I saw about three shooting stars this summer!).

As I sit now pondering about the summer while I look out the window and see fall almost at my doorstep, it strikes me again how fast time flies. It’s time for pumpkins, boots and scarves. It’s a bittersweet feeling, but it’s ok, because I can handle bittersweet.

Here’s to summer nights and clear skies

to kiddie pools and inflatable buddies

to summer tans and summer burns

to summer cocktails and fried food

to laying on the sand and dancing on the roof

to burger grilling and breakfast rolls

to wizard sticks and mario kart

Here’s to sunshine and laughs

Summer 2013, thanks for the memories.

My little art creation in the sand

My little art creation in the sand

Getting flowers at the office is every girl’s dream, right?

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These short lines came to me today when my dear coworker received a bouquet of flowers in the office from a guy who is trying to win her back. It made me think of all the men out there that think flowers fix everything and I wanted to share some knowledge with them.

 

Flowers should not say “I’m sorry”.

Flowers should say “I appreciate you, you make me smile and I want to therefore make you smile today”.

Flowers shouldn’t be band-aids.

Flowers should make you smile, not cause your heart to twist and sink.

 

Dear men, don’t let flowers be the last resort. 

At least they're pretty, right?

At least they’re pretty, right?

What are nineteen years?

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You don’t remember a lot when you are little, but for some reason your mind captures random bits of pieces to preserve almost intact. It’s not usually remarkable images, but simple daily smiles.

Nineteen years ago, I remember being taken to my “Titi Gladys” house for some unexpected play time. I don’t remember the worried look in my parents’ eyes or the tears hidden in everyone’s faces, because when you are four years old you don’t notice the bad things that much.

My mother’s brother, my dearest uncle, passed away 19 years ago in a car accident. Hard to say how much a four-year-old girl can remember, it makes me even a little angry that memories rely so much on age. I wish I had more memories with him, but I’m left with bits and pieces of an unfinished puzzle, a little girl too young to mourn.

Then just like that, I see myself quietly opening his bedroom door and jumping playfully to wake him up.

Rest in peace tío, I love you.

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Whoever wrote that Nike slogan, strikes me as pure genius.

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“Just do it.” – Yeah, sounds easy, considering all the complications in life and all the curve balls that it throws at you. Think about it though, sometimes it really is about “just doing”. You don’t stand in front of the cold ocean water calculating your strategy for diving in, you stop thinking about it and you “just do it” (well, sometimes I do stand there considering my options, but at the end it’s the “just do it” mentality that pushes me into the water).

Sometimes I feel like my life is a never-ending “to do” list. A new year starts and I write a bunch of resolutions that end up getting trampled on by other goals like say, paying my rent. There are so many things I want to do, but so many limitations. Whether it is money, time or energy: are these true limitations or merely excuses?

Exhibit A: this blog. I started my first blog when I was abroad in France, it had no real structure or theme, just the goal of sharing my experiences at the moment. I wrote whenever I had a chance and shared with my family and friends. Then when I came back home, I abandoned it thinking there was nothing else exciting in my life (tragic, I know). Ever since I abandoned that blog, I’ve been meaning to bring my thoughts and experiences back to life but it’s been, let’s say, a road full of annoying pebbles.

As I brainstormed for ideas and themes for my new blog I kept thinking:

·         What’s my goal?

·         Who do I want to talk to?

·         How often will I post?

·         What am I going to write about? NYC experiences? Life challenges? Latinos? PR?

·         Will I follow a certain posting structure? Will I share personal details?

“JUST DO IT”.

I’m a 23-year old public relations professional still gaining traction on the field. I should not let strategy and branding keep me from doing something I love: writing. What’s my goal? To express my thoughts, ideas and experiences. Who do I want to talk to? Whoever wants to listen in. I will write about what moves me, what strikes me, what motivates me and what simply delights me.

Sure, maybe one day I’ll launch a full blast branded blog with a specific audience that PR pros will fight to talk to, but for now I like this flow and I’m going with it.

-jumps into the cold water-