Sparks

November 26, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

You don’t really know how it happened, you just know it did. At some point along the way, that little flickering flame took over and lighted up a fire. You saw the light and started feeling the warmth… you let it take over because, why not? You look back to try to understand, but you know you don’t need that because it just makes sense. It’s the kind of force that brings with it a feeling of contentment that can’t be easily equated. A light that has enough power to light a way into better days and with better days, more dreams are born. You feel refreshed in a way that only new chances can make you feel. The sweet realization that there is just so much more to come is enough to make you want to dance the day away…

Cristina Nogueras © – February 2013

5 Things I did NOT learn in college

November 22, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

It’s been a year and a half since I graduated college. Let me tell you, it was not the easiest of transitions. Doing the whole grown-up thing is not easy and every month when I have to pay my student loans I can’t help but think of all the things I did NOT learn in college. Sure, I got an awesome education, but sometimes it’s about the little things. I can keep a list going on forever, but here are a few of the things I did not learn in college.

1. Who to CC in an email – Carbon copying in an email is a hidden art (Yes, Carbon Copy is what CC stands for). It takes real skill to get it just right. When used properly, CC can become the sweetest form of passive aggressiveness you can use.

2. How to do my taxes – Seriously, I need to give away more money… why? Thank God for TurboTax. I would not have survived my first taxing season without it and would have probably ended up in jail.

3. How to manage people’s expectation of hanging out every single day – “I’m sorry, I can’t do happy hour every single day and no, I can’t hang out every single week with you either. I have other friends and honestly, we are not that close anyways.” It’s hard to stay in touch with people, even if they live in the same city than you do. There’s always a lot going on and even though you wish to meet up with people all the time, there’s just not enough time (or money). How do you manage people’s feelings and your sanity? I did not learn that in college either.

4. How to save money – Don’t let this one be confused with “how to eat frugally”, that one I got down in college pretty easily and I’m still practicing it today (thank you Campbell’s). I’m talking about straight up saving for life, like for puppies and stuff. I thank my lucky stars that I found Mint.com, keeping it real and crushing my wanderlust dreams one personal budget report at a time.

5. How to cope with 10 vacation days a year – This one is hard and honestly, I’m still working with it. Make the most of the weekends? Spread your vacations throughout the year? Print out a beach landscape for your desk? Not really sure what’s the solution for this one, suggestions welcomed.

Feel free to comment and add on more things to this list. I know college was great, but let’s face it: it’s a tough world out here.

What’s up with the mask?

November 21, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

We seek to hide our imperfections,

raising standards with lies of perception.

We can’t face the truth alone,

yet we fly solo and forever roam.

We are selfish creatures seeking what we are not,

creating fantasies, thought after thought.

You give your all, you expose your fears,

yet when you scream, there’s no one near.

You see things in multi-color, fairy dust and all,

then reality hits and you start building walls.

Wordless Wednesday: En Mi Viejo San Juan

November 20, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

Summer days in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Photo & Edits by Cristina Nogueras ©

Monday Terrors: I’m not getting any younger…

November 19, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

It was a Monday night. Happiness meant taking a shower with a new shower gel that was on sale at CVS, life was good. I was casually shaving my legs when I found what I’m pretty sure were little veins near the area of my knee. Yes, little veins like the kind you see in people that are old (no offense).

I FREAKED out. I had already found a strand of white hair a few weeks back, but this was twice as horrifying. Is this normal?! I started to see my life flashing by, memories of my youth slipping away from my fingers, and not just because they were soapy.

That’s it, I’m old.

To add a little more spice to this dramatic scene, I’ve been watching a show called Fringe. This TV show presents some pretty crude scientific experiments with graphic images of poisonous slugs and unnatural human reactions to chemicals and all that cute stuff. Why I keep watching this show is beyond me, but that’s the second thought that went through my mind when I saw the little veins. “I’ve been experimented on and now my body is truly reacting to it!”

After a few minutes of freaking out and talking to myself like a crazy person, I went on with my life. A few hours later, I realized the little veins were not that marked as before and it looks like it might have been a combination of hot water and my imagination. Yes, that is my medical analysis of my situation.

So there it is, life is short and we are not getting any younger. Have fun, eat yummy food and invest on your 401K.

Wordless Wednesday: Remembering Spring

November 13, 2013Leave a comment

As the cold strikes harder here in New York City, I want to dedicate this Wordless Wednesday to those beautiful spring flowers that are currently on vacation. Miss you guys.

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”
― Ernest Hemingway

Photo & Edits by Cristina Nogueras ©

Toto, I have a feeling I’m not down the shore anymore…

November 12, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

Image from bit.ly/17lJpIz

There’s this magical selling point about snow. It can make things look prettier and depending on your perspective, it can even make you feel cozy (If your perspective is inside a house and by a fireplace). Then there’s the romantic aspect of it, the perfect kiss under the snow with little snowflakes falling around you and the sweet music playing on the background.
Except, this is not what really happens most of the time, of course.

This morning we had the first snow showers in Hoboken, New Jersey. Maybe I’m still in summer mode or maybe I will always be an island girl, but I don’t like the cold. By the time I got to the train I couldn’t feel my legs, granted my choice of wardrobe was not the wisest of them all. How I went to college in upstate New York will always be beyond me.

So yeah, deck the halls and all that stuff. Snow is pretty, snow is magical, but man can it be annoying.

Cold? Let the puppy warm your heart.

Autumn Strolls: I Love Hoboken

November 10, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

It’s the little things that matter. When a stroll down the park can brighten up your day, you know you are lucky to live where you live. I love Hoboken. It’s across the water from one of the best cities in the world, but I get to enjoy little walks like this. No stress, just the beautiful colors of the fall.

Was Rome really built in one day? Is the world really my oyster?

November 7, 2013November 18, 2015Leave a comment

Patience.

Patience is a virtue.

Patience is the science of peace.

Rome wasn’t built in one day. (How long did it actually take? Hmm.)

I’ve noticed that time is passing by quicker now that I’m established at work and it’s been a year and a half since I graduated college (seems so much more far away). That’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s great because I can see results faster in some areas of my life and things that I look forward to also arrive quicker. It’s bad because that means opportunities can also pass by too quick for me to notice them.

Right now I feel like the world is really my oyster, whatever that means. I want to embrace every single opportunity, yet I scramble to focus on finishing an article. I want to be a triple threat and I’ve realized that I need patience to be able to achieve everything and anything I’m currently thinking of.

Why am I so impatient?

I did not learn French in one day, it took four years worth of classes. Yet, I downloaded an application to teach myself German and I got frustrated after three days. What’s up Cristina?! Also, why German? No clue, just felt like learning German one day.

Patience.

That’s all I need. That’s why I keep writing here, overflowing these pages with my rambling thoughts and rookie photography attempts. Baby steps of a 23-year old, that’s what I should have called this blog.

Patience, young grasshopper, patience.

Wordless Wednesday: Day of the Dead in Los Angeles

November 6, 2013November 18, 20153 Comments

Just a few words on this Wordless Wednesday, I know, I’m such a rebel. Below are some pictures I took while working the Hollywood Forever Day of the Dead Festival in Los Angeles this past weekend. This event is truly amazing and one of the most colorful events I have ever attended. Check out Chocolate Abuelita and NESCAFE Café de Olla’s altar, the largest one in Los Angeles. Just FYI, I helped place some of those little marigolds, yes I feel very proud of that.

altar