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!

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

Symbiotic Relationships with Manhattan (part three)

They say that comedy comes in threes. They say bad luck comes in threes.

I don't know who decided that things should come in threes, but I really would have preferred they chose a lower number!

It was a long week, as I'm sure you could tell, and I was exhausted. The subway is known for putting people to sleep (Check out this hilarious blog!) and I was barely keeping my eyes open. I was reading a book, but this was my normal commute. The commute I make every single day, sometimes multiple times.
When I got on the train, I had my iPhone. When I got off, it was gone.

Now, I'm not saying that my phone is always in my hand, but it's never too far from me. Ask any of my friends, if I don't respond to you right away I'm either sleeping, on the train, or dead.

I went up to the last stop hoping to catch my train and see if my phone was still on it, no luck. No one had dropped it off at any of the following stations either. Someone pick pocketed my iPhone!

It truly isn't until something like this happens that we realize how connected we are to our devices. My cell phone is my email, book, calendar, camera, alarm clock- the list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, my phone hasn't turned up. Fortunately, I backed it up recently so I still have all of my things!

Back up your phones and be grateful Mercury is out of retrograde!
Meghan

Symbiotic Relationships with Manhattan (part two)

Just when I thought I was out of the woods, New York knocked me off my feet, literally and figuratively.

After a full day of seeing my students around Manhattan, my heart was full. It was a little after midnight, and I was hopping on the 1 train to head home. As I waited for the train, I put my headphones in to listen to the last episode of the podcast Serial. Anyone who has listened to Sarah Koenig tell this story knows how truly gripping it is. After starting the podcast, I began to instagram a photo from my day. This may sound like a lot of things to be doing this late at night on the subway platform, but let me make this clear: I was completely aware of my surroundings.

The 1 came and people shuffled off before I got on. As I entered, I watched a big man in a trench coat and a top hat get on before me and thought:

"I love New York."

Although it was late, the train was decently crowded. I looked around quickly hoping to find a seat. A man to my right shifted over a bit, so I walked toward him and settled in, all with my phone in my hand.

I tapped the screen to work on my instagram photo so I could post it before I lost service. I was choosing a filter when, seemingly out of nowhere, an older homeless man walks by me and punches me in the face.

I was punched in the face by a homeless man on the 1 train.

Now, let's clear some things up. My head was down, focused on my photo, and the train was moving, so he never got much leverage. The incident itself did very little to hurt me physically, however, my fellow passengers on the 1 train jumped to my rescue. Before I could put together what just happened, the same man in the trench coat and top hat ran across the train and yanked this guy away from me. 

After a couple sentences, I found out why he had chosen to single me out and punch me:
He thought I had taken a picture of him.

We've all seen it. People taking pleasure in someone else's plight. This was not the case with me, however, logical Meghan completely understands where he is coming from. No one should have to endure the parasitic relationship this man has dealt with. Although I was unfairly accused and wrongfully attacked, I completely understand where he is coming from.

I made it all the way home without a black eye and was greeted by my awesome roommates, Kevin and Connor, who had Trader Joe's Frozen Mixed Berries on my eye before I could even sit on the couch! Despite the crazy night it became, I'm so glad to have this to tell as part of my crazy New York story.

Stay safe!
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

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