I moved to Barcelona. Yes, I did. Why? The short answer is that I’m getting my master’s degree in Public Relations from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. But I think there’s much more to that. Because if life has taught me something is that nothing is black or white. There’s so many tones in between.
Isn’t it funny that for years you’re trying to figure out what is it that you want to do in life and suddenly all the answers come at the same time through the reasons you could never imagine?

Isn’t it incredible that is in our lowest moments when we often come alive? Is either climb or die. You will be amazed of the power that’s in you. You don’t know what you’re capable of until you’ve got to be the strongest version of yourself in order to survive.

So here I am, flying across the ocean and writing this on an economy class seat. Always aim at being the best version of yourself. Do it for you, do it for your loved ones. You can’t be there for the important people in your life if you aren’t there for you. Those who have given all to you, deserve the best you in return. Become that.

I think that is precisely why I’m here right now, in the middle of my way to Barcelona, almost beneath Greenland, at 11,888 m of altitude and -61 degrees C. I’m not only leaving to get my master’s degree, I’m leaving to chase the feeling of happiness, growth and success.

Are you working towards being the best version of yourself? What are you doing to achieve it? Leave a comment!

P.S. For more photos of my journey, you can follow me on Instagram: krysxc

6. Educate yourself – an underwhelming job for us overachievers can be very stressful. Yes, stress not only comes from too much work, it also comes from too little work, from feeling stuck and numb. The best antidote for that is expanding your knowledge. You want a better job? Work for it. Search for free or low-cost online courses, improve your skills or acquire new ones, get to study something you truly love. What I did? I’ve always been music-obsessed since I can remember. I was even considering getting my Bachelor’s degree in Music until I went with Mass Media and Communications. Now with a stable job, it was the perfect time to learn more about my passions. I ended up getting a Specialist Certificate in Music Marketing from Berklee Online. Best decision ever. I reaffirmed one thing -I truly love music- and discovered another - it is possible mix up Communications and Music! Being able to work in Music Marketing is my top goal.

7. Set goals and work for them – You can’t wake up, go to work, complain, get home, go to sleep and start all over. Is there something you would like to change? WORK for it. It can be a little overwhelming at first because you probably want to change a lot of things at the same time but, don’t worry. Just concentrate and decide what your main goal is and then set milestones. Be as specific as you need to. I confess that I am an overachiever but I am also a bit of a procrastinator. So, I not only set general milestones but also set specific dates in which those milestones should be complete. It worked wonders.

Photo credits: e-card via iscreamsundae & “Find Job keyboard” image via niekverlaan / Pixabay

I hate goodbyes. I try to avoid the feeling of knowing that I will not see someone or something for a prolonged period of time. One of the things I loved the most when I was starting to learn Italian and French was that in those languages, you don’t use the words addio nor adieu. Both mean bye, respectively. Instead, they use the equivalent of phrases such as “Until next time”. Bye is just a word they say when they are sure they won’t see the person ever again and it’s usually related to someone passing away.

I’m like the French and the Italian people. I don’t say adiós. So now that I am moving away to Europe for a year, I have been saying until later to people, places, moments, and routines that have been a part of my life. Is in these moments when we realize what we have because we know everything will change. Is in these moments when we cherish what we used to consider normal, the usual. Late chats and laughs with the family, coffee in the mornings that I didn’t have to brew myself, looking up my siblings around the house because I haven’t seen them for a long time (when that long time has been actually 4 hours), the unstable but warm weather of my Island, the familiarity of a place I haven’t been far from, for more than 15 days.

As a fan of The Office, naturally one of my favorite quotes of the show is:

It’s so true. The present is the “good old days” so enjoy it now. It’s the details, the small things we are so used to having around that make our life complete. Sometimes moving on means parting ways with those. But more often than not, it doesn’t mean that they won’t happen ever again. While I am cherishing and absorbing and creating memories of every single aspect of my current life before it changes, I am also acknowledging that it is not the end. Some people believe in life after death, and that may be mostly because as humans it is difficult to deal with the reality of not seeing a loved one once they are gone. Life after dead means saying “until later” and not “bye”. I understand now.

So since I am moving away, I won’t say goodbye to anyone nor anything. I’ll casually say “see you later”, walk on and head into a new adventure. It’s not the end. It’s a beginning and I’ll be back.

You graduate high school, go to university, get the bachelor’s degree of your dreams and then jump on the job hunting wagon. You get called up for the interview and end up landing the job. You’re winning at life. That is until reality hits you like a train: you hate your job.

Suddenly, waking up everyday is a toll. Entering the office is like a cold water bath (unless you like cold water, then it’s a very hot water bath). It is really difficult to concentrate and find motivation when all you are doing is fantasizing about winning the lottery so you can flee that place and never look back.

Being at a job you dislike can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health if you don’t approach it the right way. You could lose/gain weight, develop anxiety, wrong eating habits, depression, and so on. The truth is, it has happened to all of us, or at least to the majority of recent college graduates. You land the job you thought you wanted and when it turns out to be a nightmare, you question every single decision you took since you graduated high school. Did I choose the right career? Am I not made for this? Is it me or is it just this place?

First of all, you CAN. You are MADE for whatever it is that you set yourself to. It is very easy to lose confidence when a job didn’t turn out to be what you wanted. You start questioning and blaming yourself, thinking you are the reason why things are not as you planned. This lack of confidence will affect your performance, thus sending your stability downhill. So no, you’re not what is wrong. But what is it then? How do you deal with it?

You may have school debts and bills to pay, so handling in your 2-week notice and move to a desert island might not be the right move (just yet). Instead, do the following:

1. Analyze what is it that you really hate – chances are you don’t hate your career choice, you just feel underwhelmed about your tasks, your voice isn’t being heard, or you work in a toxic environment that is sucking the life out of you. Acknowledging what is the source of your stress will help you decide how to deal with it.
2.  Take immediate, short-term action – depending on what is making you feel down, you can work towards little changes that will help you calm the waters until bigger steps can be taken. Here are some examples:

Photo © Krystel Sierra

4. Do things that empower you – your office job may control 8 hours of your day, but what about the rest? Look for activities you enjoy and do them, read a book, learn a new language, go to the movies, binge-watch a TV show, paint, listen to music. Find what makes you happy and do them after work. That way you will always have something to get you through the day, something to look forward to. I love watching The Office (the irony right?), listening to music, take online courses and finally started learning French.

Goslar, Germany | Photo © Krystel Sierra

5. Accomplish a dream or two – your early twenties are probably the best years to treat yourself. Without kids or huge responsibilities, it is the best moment to save some money and do what you have always dreamed of. This is specially true if you want to later move into a career job with more responsibilities and less free time. What I did? I traveled Europe with my sister. We visited Madrid, San Sebastián, Toledo in Spain; Bordeaux and Paris in France; Brugges in Belgium, Amsterdam in the Netherlands; Hannover, Goslar, Postdam and Berlin in Germany. We made great friends and saw so many beautiful places it was worth saving money for a long time! I also spend money on concerts and even cruised on PARAHOY.

This has been part 1 of a 2-part series. Check out part 2 here.

Chances are that -if you’re reading this- you woke up and got up from your bed today, took a shower, ate something and went to work, or school/university, or stayed home. You most likely do have everything you need to survive: a roof, food, and water. Water, one of the things we are so used to have that we take it for granted. But not everyone has that.

Charity:Water is a non-for-profit organization that raises awareness and money to fund projects that bring clean water to communities. 

From one-time donations to merchandise, they have a lot of engaging ways for people to help. One of my favorites is the personal campaigns. They allow people to set up online fund-raising campaigns with a theme: Christmas, weddings, birthdays. Instead of getting a gift for those occasions, you ask your family and friends to donate to Charity:Water. Then, the organization will send them updates on the projects their donation funded.

When I first discovered Charity:Water I wasn’t even aware of the water problem. I didn’t know and couldn’t believe that having access to clean water was such a struggle for millions of people. We are so blessed with having clean water that we forget all that it takes to have it.

For my birthday, I have set up a campaign to raise money for Charity:Water. Here I share my mission statement. I would like to reach $300 USD, that amount would bring water to 10 people in need. You can click here to donate. I would like you to see this not just as a personal goal, but as a collective goal we can all reach just by sharing what we are blessed to have. 

I invite you to learn more about the great work that Charity:Water does. Consider creating a campaign yourself, spread the word about the organization, or get something from the store and gift them to your friends. Next time you are thirsty, count the steps you take to wherever you go to drink water. Be thankful for the blessed life you have and help make it possible for others.

It is with great pleasure that I’m finally beginning this project. For the longest time I’ve wanted to start a blog but it wasn’t until now that I finally discovered the direction in which I wanted this to be headed. Among all the content saturation and frenzy, it is often a challenge to find your authentic voice. Authenticity and being true to ourselves are some of the keys of this project.

What is Chase the Feeling?

It’s a project about the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment throughout our life, while doing what we love. We often feel trapped in toxic environments, whether it is in our personal lives or at work. Those situations make us numb. We start to second-guess our decisions, personality and even try to change who we are in order to adapt to those environments. That happens often because we would rather get used to being okay than leave our comfort zone and be great. When we realize that everything can change if we set our minds to it, we start building our happiness.

Chase the Feeling is about:

I’ve had my fair share of obstacles and I’ve learned in difficult ways what the value of life really is, what is important and what is secondary. I hope that Chase the Feeling becomes a place that inspires people to follow their dreams while keeping their feet on the ground. I wish that readers of this space realize they’re not alone in their mid-midlife crisis and learn to just take a deep breath instead of trying to conform with every set standard of what life is “supposed to be”.

Throughout this project, I’ll be sharing life lessons, passions, and experiences, as I embrace who I am. You’re not alone on your journey. Let’s get started!