The Unexpected

In the past few months, as I approach my thirtieth birthday (30!!!), I have experienced many emotions that come with the search of finding oneself. Moments of frustration, disappointment and sadness have been frequent mixed with feelings of optimism, confidence and mindfulness. I have learned to become aware of my emotions and to question the reason they arise in the first place. Reading and Yoga have become my main hobbies, caring for my girlfriend my duty, and knowing myself my work. During my time off I have taken several online courses on a range of topics, from Sustainable Cities to Physiology. I can tell you that all the time and effort I have put into these things feels very rewarding. I feel more knowledgeable and confident, and have learned that continuous education is one of the keys to personal and professional growth in an ever changing world.

 When I moved back to Portland I started the tedious process of job searching, with a special focus on the field that I feel most passionate about – energy. While doing so my eyes were opened by what I learned. Around 1 billion people around the world don’t have access to electricity. The lack of funding and infrastructure in countries like India and continents like Africa leaves millions of people without basic human needs. It is hard to believe that in the 21^st century, where countries like the one I live in are already thinking about virtual reality, still one-seventh of the world’s population does not have access to reliable electricity. There are people still living in darkness.

This is when I decided to try my luck and look for opportunities where I could use my professional skills in this sector, and give back to the people that needs it the most. I succeeded! After getting help from a colleague (Thanks Dan!) and two months of back-and-forth communications via Skype, I received an offer for a new opportunity.

I am heading to Tanzania in Eastern Africa for a pro-bono consulting project at an energy services company that is providing off-grid solar-energy to rural villages. Crazy!

Life has a funny way of offering us opportunities. Many times we are so blinded by what is going on with our lives while new opportunities are presenting themselves. Big blind spot! Opportunities come and go, they are dynamic. Every opportunity is unique and holds a specific value that will be added to your lifelong existence. The question becomes, when is an opportunity right for you? #keepmoving

Talk to you from Tanzania,

Gerardo