A Vacation In Hawaii? How Original! (Part 1)

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love surprising people. If I can feasibly pull off a great surprise, I go all out! (Check out part two of my surprise for my best friend Kathryn last year!) This surprise, however, was on a much bigger scale than I think I have ever done.

One of my favorite people from my time working on the Pride of America flew me out to Hawaii to surprise some of our friends onboard! First of all, what a surprise for me! How lucky am I to have such a wonderful friend? Kyle, you're the best! But more on that later!

Of course I couldn't turn down his incredible offer, so off to Hawaii I went!

When I landed in Honolulu, it felt like a dream. Most casts, and all passengers, arrive in Honolulu, Oahu when they board the Pride of America. However, I wasn't in my original cast, so I embarked in Kauai and missed this view!

Getting onboard was hilarious. As I walked with my carry-on luggage to board the ship, my best friend Alexa (one of the many to be surprised!) biked past me. I turned my back quickly hoping she hadn't seen me. She didn't see me, but my friends Andy and Justin sure did! They knew I was coming and helped me get onboard without Alexa seeing me! Thanks, guys!

I got through security, surprised a few more folks as I boarded, and then ran into the embarkation welcome party! On Norwegian ships, dancers and Cruise Staff work together to welcome people onto the ship. I was so fortunate that none of my friends were working, however, I was recognized by the other cast members!

The biggest thing to know about working on cruise ships is how close in proximity you are working and living with the crew. I liken it to living in the dorms your freshman year of college. It's a blessing and a curse, but at the end of the day you end up knowing everyone onboard better than you ever imagined. So, when you disembark the ship or someone comes to visit, you truly feel like you know them. Suddenly, someone who you may have seen in photos or on Facebook comes to life in front of you- and that's exactly what happened!

My new dancer friends promised to keep quiet until I could surprise my friends onboard at the Pool Party later in the day!

I got into Kyle's cabin and got settled. Then, I decided to surprise one of the most wonderful, caring, adventurous people I have ever gotten to work with, Vincent. Vincent, as you might remember, was a performer with me onboard the Pride of America last year. I had the absolute pleasure of getting to sing jazz standards with him every week in the Skyline restaurant. I knew if I wrote a lyric from one of our standards, "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," on his whiteboard he would know I wrote it.

As soon as he saw it, he texted me, just like I suspected he would. I left Kyle's room and walked down the hall. I knocked on Vincent's door. He opened it, saw me, and shut it immediately! I wished I had recorded his shock, but I know I'll never forget it! I was so thrilled to see my Vincent after almost a year apart!

Next came the biggest surprise yet... The cast! But more on that to come!

XOXO,
Meghan

ps: Had so much fun updating you guys from my phone! What! More of that (and figuring out this Blogger app) to come! XO.

Puppy Love

This past Saturday my roommates, a few friends, and I went to Broadway Barks!













Broadway Barks is an event held in Shubert Alley every year to benefit local shelters and help raise awareness for pet adoption! It was founded by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore and has been going on for 17 years!

What a blast we had! We pet all kinds of dogs and ran into so many people we knew. It was so hard not to take them home!















Then, the main event! Bernadette Peters and the new Equity president, Kate Shindle, opened the 17th Annual Broadway Barks! A slew of Broadway performers came and introduced dogs. Andrew Rannells also stopped by and helped find some pups their new homes!

We had so much fun! And, bonus shot! Here's me with a Great Dane! He was bigger than I am! I only wish this lovebug could fit in my apartment!

Have a great week!
Meghan

Tangible Love

If you're a dear friend of mine you know one thing to be true: I love sending letters.

Real life mail is such a wonderful thing. Opening up your mailbox can feel like such a chore. If you aren't paperless, every time you open your mailbox it feels like bills come pouring out. Student loans, credit cards, utility bills, rent, cell phone, car payment- you name it, it's there.

But! What if we all started sending letters, forms of tangible love, that reminded you that someone took the time to think of you and focus on how important you are to them. It's not a text or a facebook message. It's not a snapchat that disappears in ten seconds. It is a surefire way to tell someone how much you care.

• It starts with the stationary. Personally, I love to buy all kinds of stationary. Michael's actually has awesome stationary in their dollar bins... win! I love deals like this because I never want to send the same card twice, and that way I can't get bored of the stationary I use either! You can also make stationary (I'm a big fan of watercoloring a card!) Or, find printables online!

• Next, get on Pinterest! (Check out my letter writing pins here!) And check out some awesome ways to address your envelope! Nothing surprises a friend, family member, or significant other like a well addressed envelope. It builds the excitement for this awesome treat!

• Now comes the best part! The actual letter! I'm a fan of starting out with how much someone means to me, how important they are in my life, and how much I miss them! Or, if you've created a correspondence with someone, try sharing an quote that spoke to you recently or reminded you of them. Next, ask some real questions that helps them know that you truly think about them. Allow yourself room to use your stream of consciousness and delve into exactly what you would ask if that person was right in front of you, catching up over a cup of coffee! Give them details about your life, too- things that you wouldn't post generally on facebook. If you write back and forth, be sure to answer their questions they asked you and respond to the details they shared last! Don't forget to sign it with an anecdote of time you spent together! If you're feeling really fun, throw a picture of the two of you together inside the card!

• Lick that envelope, stamp it, and put it in the mailbox! You'll be sure to get an awesome message from your friend telling you how great it was to hear from you- and, even better, you might get a letter in return! 

Sending mail is such a wonderful thing. I know that when I receive mail, I keep it forever! Nothing is more important to me than my friends who took the time to write me. Since my friends and I are always off adventuring in far off places, sometimes all it takes is a letter to brighten your whole day! Even a postcard does the trick!



But, keep in mind you don't have to send all of your mail off to far off places. Sometimes I write my friends in the same town! If we had a really wonderful day together or their having a rough week, I'm bound get out some stationary and send them a card. It's the extra mile that creates lifelong friendships.

So what are you doing? Go grab a pen and draft a letter to someone you love! It'll feel so good to spread some sunshine!

XO,
Meghan

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

What a blast this weekend was! As if the SoBro CrossFit Bronx Brewery Competition on Saturday wasn't enough, today I got to attend my first New York baseball game!

We had tickets for the afternoon Mets game against the Reds. The surprise though, was that because the game the day before had been rained out, we got to see a double header!




The game from the day before went to 13 innings! The Mets won 2 to 1. 

Our gorgeous view of Citi Field!

The second game was a huge win for the Mets, with a 7 to 2 win, and a record for Steven Matz! He became the first MLB pitcher to record four RBIs (runs batted in) in a debut! His parents were there and so proud! What a fun moment to witness!

Derek, Josh, myself, Alan, Amanda, and Jan!
Citi Field through the afternoon, evening, rain, and during Steve Miller!

I attended the game with some of my favorite CrossFit Queens friends. We had such a blast through the rain and sun! 

Steve Miller Band! Is this real life!?

Then, as if a double header wasn't enough, the Steve Miller Band performed! The Joker, Abracadabra, Jet Airliner, Keep On Rockin' Me Baby... So many hits and he still sounds incredible!

I'm so grateful to have such wonderful, adventurous, dear people in my life. Life could never be dull with these humans!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
Meghan

Battle at the Brewery

I have been looking forward to this Saturday because my best friend and a bunch of our friends from CrossFit Queens competed in the SoBro CrossFit competition at the Bronx Brewery.

The day was a little grey, but we didn't mind! My friend Jordan and I cheered everyone on as they ran, carried kegs, thrusted kettle bells, and killed wall balls and pull ups.

Then, my best friend Josh made it to the top six finalists! He did a chipper with 40 burpees, thrusters with a 55 pound weighted bag, 200 meter 190 pound sled, 200 meter run, and 1000 meter row. It was crazy and I did not envy that WOD (workout of the day) but I was so proud of him! He killed it and placed fourth!
















It was such an awesome day filled with people pulling off all kinds of impressive feats! 

Everyone worked so hard and I was jealous I didn't think to compete! So jealous even, that I took this picture with a kettle bell to represent my love of CrossFit!

Tomorrow I'm headed out to a Mets vs Reds game at Citi Field! New York, you never let me down.

XO,
Meghan

Watercolor

In an effort to continue to find creative outlets in my life, one day I decided to try watercoloring.

I mean, you've seen it all over Pinterest, Taylor Swift is doing it... Why can't I? So out I went to Michael's to buy the tools I needed to create.

Although I thought it might be something I do a few times and tire of, I was mistaken! I love my watercolor time because it gives me a relaxing thing to do at night that actually feels productive. I put on jazz music or an old movie, light some candles, and let the inspiration lead! Sometimes big brush strokes turn into flowers, sometimes quotes pop out at me until I have to paint them... the opportunities are endless! Plus, hey! Free art!

Go find something creative to do!
Meghan

Remembering the Reason

Happy Memorial Day!

I don't have much to share with you today other than an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I am so grateful for all the men and women who have fought for my freedom so I could experience gorgeous days like today. I was so lucky to be in the sunshine in New York City with beautiful people from everywhere in my life. If you had told I would end up surrounded by these people, I never would have believed you.

Sending so much love to our military today, thank you for all that you do!

Girl's weekend!

photo credit: Nikki Williams

I could tell you about my fabulous weekend with my friend Nikki Williams (soon to be Costulas!!). But instead, I think I'll just share her already awesome blog post here!

New York with Nikki!

Check out Nikki's awesome blog Dream in Neon, her instagram, and her twitter!
Meghan

CrossFit (Or How I Joined a Cult)

One day after being frustrated from not seeing any progress from my gym time, I called my best friend. "Joooosh! I'm just so frustrated because it feels like I'm doing all of this work with no visible progress." To which Josh simply said...

"CrossFit."

Now, I know you're skeptical. I was too. Perhaps even more than most considering my dance background, but Josh reassured me. "Just try it."

Famous. Last. Words.

I stood up, brushed myself off, and dove in head first.

I was SO nervous about my first CrossFit class- I have no upper body strength! How am I going to lift barbells and do pull ups? As a competitive person, I was prepared to fight to the finish, but I had no idea what that entailed.

My first class was amazing. I had never felt so good after a workout. The box (CrossFit gyms are called boxes) was so welcoming and so helpful. Everyone wanted to do the work, no one was slacking off, and while it was competitive, everyone was so supportive of one another. I wasn't an individual at the gym anymore, I was part of a team.

Now, I clearly waited to post this, unsure if my initial reaction to CrossFit was just a rush of endorphins. But now, a month later, I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed working out more in my life! Ready to see some #gainz?

The difference for me was truly made when I woke up one morning and desired to be strong, not skinny. Fight for strong!



Stay humble,
hustle hard,
Meghan

Country music, Crinolins, and Coffee

These past two weeks I had the extreme pleasure of workshopping a brand new show with RWS and Associates headed for Hershey Park!

Workshopping a show is a great experience. You get the opportunity to be a part of something constantly changing and growing, create something brand new, and it's all put together in a very short time!

The show is called Rollin' Down The River and features three couples on a riverboat. It's chock full of great country songs (Wagon Wheel, Tortured Tangled Hearts, Homegrown Honey, Walkin' In Memphis...) and I love the opportunity to sing some country hits!

Whenever I work with RWS and Associates, I'm surrounded by the greatest people. I don't know how they seem to find incredible talent with such kind hearts, but I'm honored to be a part of it! This time around, I got to work with my dear friend Nicole, and meet some new wonderful people as well!

In under two weeks, this team of people were lead fearlessly under John Charron, Jens Kramer, Robbie Eicher, and Molly Tynes. Despite all kinds of changes (like a cast member halfway through our process!) we pushed through and created a product I was proud to be a part of.

Look how much fun we had!

Have a great week!
Meghan

Symbiotic Relationships with Manhattan (part one)

Sometimes, things just don't go your way.

I've always believed that New York City is a living organism. Remember when you learned about symbiotic relationships in Science class? (If you don't remember, symbiotic relationships are the interaction between two species.) There are multiple forms of these interactions, mutualism (both parties benefit), commensalism (one party benefits, the other is unaffected), and parasitism (one party benefits, but the other is harmed.)

At any time, I believe anyone in New York is having one of these three relationships with the city. This past week, New York City was my parasite, and I was it's prey.

It all began in one of my favorite places in New York: The Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. I love libraries, but this one is special. What an absolute wealth of knowledge for people who love the arts! So many of the things in this library (books, music, plays) are out of print, but here, pretty much anything is at your fingertips.

Kevin and I were going through sheet music looking for audition material when we found out we won the TodayTix lottery for On The Town. I went down the aisle to grab my purse and... Vanished! Someone had taken my purse in one of my favorite places in Manhattan. After a desperate scramble looking all over the library for my navy longchamp (I know!), I was in tears. Luckily for me, I had the most amazing group of people being good Samaritans and looking everywhere for me as I cried on the phone (which I still had, thank goodness) to my mom.

Then, out of nowhere, Kevin comes running at me with my purse. My cash had been taken, as had my cards, external phone charger, and metro card, but that was easily taken care of. New York had given me my first test as the host of a parasite, but not without a swift change in relationship.

Kevin and I missed our chance at our lottery tickets for On The Town. We were devastated. But after a few tweets, (Follow me! Follow Kevin!) the incredible team at TodayTix called me and offered me lottery tickets for the evening. So, after a dreadful day, New York still came through with a mutualistic relationship I can only describe as love.

Keep your belongings in sight at all times, and stay tuned for part two!
Meghan

Welcome, 2015!

Happy New Year, friends!

This past year has been such a whirlwind, but I'm so glad I've kept this blog to keep track of it all! Illinois, New York, Florida, Hawaii! What a year it has been!

I spent the day ringing in the New Year with my awesome parents, my best friend Kathryn, her husband, and her mom at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Because what else is a Florida girl supposed to do except go to a theme park?

Clearly, Kathryn and I had a blast. There's never a dull moment when we're together! There truly is nothing like starting off a year with your best friend.

I hope your 2015 is off to a great start! I'm off to watch some serious championship bowl games!

XO,
Meghan

I'll Be Home For Christmas

There's nothing quite like being home for the holidays. As dear Perry Como sang, "Oh there's no place like home for the holidays." Between you and me, I think he stole that line from Glinda in the Wizard of Oz, but that doesn't make it any less true!

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to be back in Sarasota for the holiday season. From seeing my kids perform in the Christmas Parade, to shopping with my mom and watching football with my dad, I really couldn't ask for anything more this holiday season!

Happy Holidays from the Sunshine State!
Meghan

Some Early Christmas Spirit

Tonight I had an absolutely classic New York experience.

I went with my roommates, Kevin and Connor, to see the window unveiling at Bergdorf Goodman.

The event was magical. Children sang Christmas carols, Broadway's Nikki M. James performed, White Christmas was honored, and the snowflake was lit on 57 and 5th.

Then, the magic moment! A year's worth of planning goes into this one moment, and it was well worth all the work! Check out these windows!



It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! (and Thanksgiving hasn't even come!)
Meghan

Falling in love with Fall

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love fall. Maybe it's the weather cooling off, everything tasting like pumpkin and cinnamon, or the leaves changing. No, it's all of those things! This Florida girl yearns for autumn all year round, so getting back into the city just as the leaves started changing was the greatest gift.



Although I didn't get to see fall from the White Mountains this year, I did get to spend time in Central Park soaking in my favorite season.
















Without further ado, go outside! Stop looking at my fall pictures and take some yourself!

With love and a Pumpkin Spice Latte,
Meghan 

Back to New York

Watching football on all the screens in Honolulu!

After a full day watching football in the Honolulu International Airport with friends and a long red eye flight from Hawaii, to Chicago, to New York, I am so happy to say that I am officially a resident of land and of the East Coast again!

Flying over Chicago!

My best friend, Kevin, because he's pretty much the greatest, met me at the airport for a very joyous reunion. I think I jumped up and down so much people thought I was crazy. But I am! Crazy happy to be back with my best friends in the city that never sleeps.

Reunited and it feels so good!

The initial rush of getting back to New York after a contract is always a blast. Connecting face to face with all of your friends is such a gift, and I'm so grateful for mine!

From the East Coast,
Meghan

Ode to Kona

By far, my favorite part of my week long cruises in Hawaii are my days off in Kona, Hawaii. Kona is exactly what you would imagine when you think of Hawaii. 



The view of the water is gorgeous, it's the perfect place for breakfast with friends, and did I mention the coffee?! It's the perfect pick-me-up in the middle of the week. It's saturated with color, but calm and rejuvenating. Plus, who doesn't want to see an adorable Honu (Hawaiian for turtle!) or two?

Drinking Kona coffee, the Pride of America, a Farmer's Market, and a baby Honu!

Happy Wednesday!
Meghan

The Boiling Pots

This past Tuesday in Hilo, Hawaii a few friends and I headed to the Boiling Pots. The Boiling Pots is a place located off of the Wailuku River, about a mile and a half north of Rainbow Falls. The Boiling Pots have their own falls, however, the Pe'epe'e Falls.

While this area can be dangerous while flooded, we made sure to go on a bright sunshine-y day! We swam through the first couple "pots" (pools created by lava flow!) until we got to where you can see the waterfall!

Meghan, Billy, and David before swimming to the falls!

Meghan pretending to be Ariel with Abe, the cliff post-mud fight, pre jump,
and Meghan and David swimming to the falls!

Abe was our guide, and we followed him out to the falls! (The Boiling Pots are Abe's favorite adventure spot in Hawaii!) We swam out, walked under the falls, had a big mud fight, and jumped off a cliff into the water! Then we coasted (Heel's Up!) back down the falls with the current. We were WIPED after, but what a blast!

After our day of adventure's in Hilo, we all went to a "family" dinner at the Skyline restaurant on board the Pride of America! I love these boys! I can't believe our adventure time is about to come to a close!

XO,
Meghan

  

The Next Adventure

Life here in Rock Island is off to a very busy start!

Photo credit: Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse

I arrived in Illinois on the 23rd and began rehearsals with the cast right away! This cast is wonderful already. Everyone is older so there's no drama and the dishes are always done. The show has an audience on November 6th (that's nine days away!) and we've actually made quite a lot of progress in the short time we've been here!

Photo credit: Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse

Above are pictures from the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse Facebook page taken on the first day of rehearsal! There are ten kids in the show and they are so sweet and talented, albeit rambunctious!

The adults, including myself, all live in the Actor's House together, which is basically a gateway to practical jokes, late night laughs, and quick friendships. It's been a blast so far! I'm looking forward to more pictures of costumes and adventures to come!

More to come,
Meghan

Music Monday: Jana Kramer

So I thought I'd start a few "regular" things to add to the blog!

Today, I want start a "Music Monday" to encourage myself to keep discovering new music instead of listening to my favorites on repeat. (Although, I'll probably share some of those too!)

Today's Music Monday is dedicated to up and coming country artist Jana Kramer!

Jana is quickly becoming one of my new favorite female country artists. She's a mix of Jo Dee Messina, Carrie Underwood, and Dixie Chicks. She is definitely country, with some undertones of pop.

She began her career on One Tree Hill, but debuted her self-titled album in 2012. If you've heard her sing, you've probably heard the song "Why Ya Wanna." However, her song "I Hope It Rains," although very Taylor Swift, is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Jana also won the Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Female Artist in 2013.

I saw her in concert recently, at the Fryeburg County Fair in Fryeburg, Maine. She killed this concert. She sounded exactly as she does on her recordings, and I commend her for that! On top of her songs on her most recent album, she debuted some songs, as well as singing some crowd favorites including Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and Jo Dee Messina's Bye Bye.

Jana began recording a new album in September, and I'm looking forward to it! She also posted this awesome quote on her instagram a few days ago, and I really loved it.

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @kramergirl! 

Enjoy!

Meghan