Krista Micelli shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Krista, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Hiking is the first thing that comes to mind as something that brings me joy outside of work. Most of my hikes this year have been located at trailheads in the Hudson Valley, New York, where there are views of overlooks, waterfalls, sky lakes, or the Hudson River. However, I recently enjoyed a hike in Massachusetts where the mountaintop showed the Boston skyline in the distance. Hiking brings me joy because it connects me to nature, is good exercise, and gives me quality time to spend with myself or with loved ones. Along the trails, it brings me joy to notice and take cool pictures of all the wildflowers, trees, and ferns across different environments, as well as any water features. When resting at a viewpoint, I find joy in the tranquility of my surroundings. Hiking allows me to clear my head, enjoy music, or the sound of nature, and gives me a space to be free of stress. After finishing a hike, I find joy in the sense of feeling accomplished, whether it was a new trail completed or one I’ve been on many times. Hiking definitely brings me joy outside of work, and I’m so grateful for the time and good health to do so.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Krista and I’m a photographer of all things nature and people-environment relations. I like to capture landscapes, cityscapes, animals, and waterscapes, and post them on my Instagram page. I enjoy travelling and exploring new places, but I also enjoy staying home and visiting local destinations. This year, I’ve been working on sharing my personal life monthly via cell phone photography, mixed with a few photosets taken from my Nikon while travelling. I think what makes my photos unique is that they reflect the beauty and imperfection of reality in nature. I simply capture what I see. I’m also a dog mom, foodie, and workout lover. So I cover a bit of it all on my page.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
There was a time in my past when I lived in Thailand; and a moment that really shaped how I see the world was when I went on a solo trip to Kanchanaburi, a town in west Thailand. I was welcomed by the locals as soon as I entered, and throughout my journey there, I was met with kindness by all I encountered. I hiked up a tiered waterfall, went to several markets, saw some history exhibits, met other foreigners visiting, and stayed in a floating room on the river. While I was outside on my room’s deck, watching the sunset over the water one evening, I realized how fortunate I was to achieve my dream of going abroad and exploring new destinations on my own. I also realized that I was met with so much compassion during the trip, from the locals who encouraged me to swim at the top of the falls, to the foreigners who invited me with them on a night out in town, it really made me see people in a positive light. The experience shaped how I see the world because it showed me how anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The trip allowed me to fully be myself, and I was met with love by people of all different backgrounds. So this made me see the world as a kind and welcoming place, and I am forever thankful for this moment in my life.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Something suffering has taught me that success never could, is to be consistent in the pursuit of happiness, by putting positivity first, and practicing meditation. I think if I was always successful, I would be lazy and ignore the work it takes to be happy. However, when I’ve encountered suffering in life, I knew the only way out was to work on being happy. I try to maintain positive thoughts and actions as I believe all that is meant to happen for higher good will happen. I believe the power of positivity leads to exponential happiness. Seeing things in a positive light allows me to choose gratitude over worry, which contributes to me being happy with what I am already experiencing in the present moment. To practice staying present, I try to meditate daily. Often I am seated and in silence, but sometimes I am walking, or sitting in traffic, listening to a guided meditation audio, or music. I meditate whether it’s a good day or a bad day, and by doing so on a regular basis, I have taught myself to remain grounded, calm and happy. I’m thankful to have learned to practice meditation when times were hard for me. Suffering has taught me that every day you have to work to be happy, because happiness doesn’t always come naturally when there are so many stressors in our modern day lives.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
This year, I learned about self-love, and decided to commit myself on a self-love journey. By self-love, I mean continuously honoring my well-being and happiness, and loving myself no matter what is going on in my life. To me self-love looks like getting outdoors, exercising at the gym, journaling, eating a healthy meal, reading, working toward my goals, practicing self-care, or doing something outside of my comfort zone. To me, self-love is also about forgiving myself for when I just want to do nothing some days. I’ve learned that self-love means embracing who you are as a person, not trying to conform with everyone else’s views, and setting boundaries when needed. So I’ve been working on this self-love journey, but I believe there will always be work to do and ways I can grow, so I believe this journey will be lifelong.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace during my morning walks. I like to go for a walk by myself around sunrise most mornings, and again with my dog when he wakes up around 9:00 am. I like to watch the sun make its way up the sky, and I enjoy seeing other people who are walking, running, or biking, along the path. I love when I see pretty flowers, cool ferns or trees, and I feel accomplished when I get outside and get a mile or so in. I like to listen to nature, music, or a podcast, and I’m always grateful for the time to do so. I feel lucky when I see cute animals as well. It makes me happy to walk my dog because I can tell he’s smiling and is happy when walking. Engaging all my senses and working out my body simply brings me peace every time, especially with the beauty of a new day arriving.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: kristatravelshere
Image Credits
Krista Micelli
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