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