A Year in Books

December 30, 2016 by Meghan Johnson

It’s become a theme in conversations with friends: 2016 was awful. Worst. Year. Ever. Our new favorite hashtag is #f***2016. We’ve been counting down the days till January 1 for months. I’m not sure if this year has borne more suffering and disappointment than those before it, but I’ve sensed throughout that I need to bunker down, bulk up (intellectually if not physically), and hold on tight to my dear ones. Either in a survivalist response to 2016 or as a result […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Introducing: Altrunomics

March 26, 2016 by Meghan Johnson

Soulshine Traveler is undergoing a transformation. Travel will always be an important part of my life, but it is not the central focus. Looking back over the past few years, I realized that travel was really a vehicle to access new ideas and a more purposeful life. I set off to Peru five years ago in hopes of “being shaken” by seeing more of the world and to nudge my career trajectory in a new direction: toward development, responsible investing, microfinance, and a decidedly global life. […]

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New Yorking: a verb

December 20, 2015 by Meghan Johnson

I am resurfacing, finally. Life in New York has been equal parts draining and exhilarating, ego-boosting and bruising. I’ve produced a lot of work and learned a new industry. I’ve navigated most of this concrete maze. I don’t love New York the way some people do, but I am warming to it. 2015 was a year of frantically treading water, of feeling pulled by an undertow of responsibilities and bills and comparisons. I bobbed and sputtered a few times. I now live in the West Village. […]

Categories: 2015, Americana, New York

2.5 Years Abroad

May 28, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

Every once in a while, it’s wise to step back and assume a bird’s eye view of one’s own life.  Over the past few months, I’ve struggled with a lot of big questions:  What the hell am I going to do next?  What the hell have I been doing?  What the hell happened to my savings account?  Etc. It’s easy to get mired in the devilish details of everyday life, and to compare your success to others’.  I’m the queen […]

Categories: 2014, Travel • Tags: Memories, Photography, Travel

Dublin Rambling

May 27, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

I hope that those of you who celebrate it had a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend with your loved ones!  I got my first hint of sunburn and ate far too much potato salad.  I’ll call that a success. I realized that I still had a few photos to share from my trip to Ireland.  We only spent one day in Dublin, but we managed to hit our two main objectives:  The Book of Kells in Trinity College, and […]

Categories: 2014, Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Playtime, Travel • Tags: Dublin, Guinness, Ireland, Travel, Trinity College

My Belfast Love Story

May 13, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

I had one mission in Belfast, aside from getting my little cousin Rosie tipsy.  It was to find Jon Snow and get married and/or pregnant.  If that failed, my next target was Joffrey Baratheon. This may sound strange to those who don’t follow Game of Thrones.  First, I feel bad for you.  Second, it wasn’t really my idea.  I was threatened at proverbial gunpoint by a gaggle of bored female relatives to find a member of the Game of Thrones […]

Categories: 2014, Belfast, Cousins, Europe, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Playtime, Travel • Tags: Belfast, Cousins, Game of Thrones, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Photography, Travel

April in Ireland: Giant’s Causeway

May 9, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

I remember the first time I saw a photo of the Giant’s Causeway (not long ago, embarrassingly), hypnotized by the black hexagons under sherbet sunsets.  “This has got to go on my bucket list! Where on earth is this place?” Ireland?  Really? Well, Northern Ireland.  Yes, it’s a different country, even though I never knew much about the distinction growing up.  Ireland was Ireland: one island shaped like a happy ghost floating toward England (seriously, look at it). Of course now I […]

Categories: 2014, Europe, Ireland, Northern Ireland • Tags: Coast, Giant's Causeway, Ireland, Nature, Northern Ireland, Photography, Travel

April in Ireland: My Return to Glenbeigh

May 6, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

I’m no stranger to Ireland.  This trip was not my first nor my last.  But it was my first time in Ireland as an adult, which opens the doors to the magical world of… But that didn’t impede my playtime on the farm.  There were lambs to cuddle and cow pies to dodge. Despite my very Anglo-Saxon surname, I’m more Irish than anything else.  My mother’s parents grew up in rural Ireland and immigrated to the United States in their early twenties, where they met […]

Categories: 2014, Europe, Ireland, Playtime, The Great Outdoors, Travel • Tags: Childhood, County Kerry, Glenbeigh, Ireland, Nature, Photography, Travel

Georgian Cuisine All-Star Team

March 26, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

I’ve been planning to do a post on Georgian food for a long time.  It’s a big selling point for the country.  Russia is full of Georgian restaurants, and they’re popping up in the States.  Cheesy, doughy, meaty, satisfying.  Usually served in reasonable portions, but unending courses.  It’s colorful and seasonal, with an emphasis on fresh produce in the summer and pickled everything in the winter. I can’t possibly cover all aspects of Georgian cuisine here, so I’ll give you my […]

Categories: Eurasia, Europe, Food, Georgia, Tbilisi