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

Finally

January 14, 2013 by Meghan Johnson

Finally, I can divulge my plans for 2013.  I say that with joy, but also the tiniest pinch of reservation, because things can change a lot over the course of a couple weeks.  After waiting so long and working so hard to reach this point, I almost won’t believe it is real until I’m on the airplane heading to my new home. And I am happy to say that that new home will be Tbilisi, Georgia. The story of how […]

Categories: 2013, Americana, Eurasia, Europe, Georgia, Microfinance

Chasing the Wind

December 11, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

If the wind had a melody, I imagine it would sound something like this. This song that sounds like the wind is from the soundtrack to Monsoon Wedding, which my mother gave me before I left home in 2003.  I was sixteen and spending the summer in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a research internship with NASA.  It was the first time I spent a significant stretch away from home, and like most first-time experiences in our teen years, it felt […]

Categories: Americana, Europe, Ireland, Touchy Feelies, Travel

Twins, Northward Bound

October 12, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

A wise friend recently suggested an exercise to overcome my heartsickness since leaving Cartagena.  She prompted me to think about the things I loved so much about living abroad and what gifts this past year has given me.  She then asked me to think about ways to replicate those elements here in my “normal” life in the United States. I didn’t anticipate maple syrup, seagulls, and frostbite appearing on that list, but that seems to be just what the doctor […]

Categories: Americana, Boston, Colombia, Driving, Food, History, New Hampshire, Playtime, The Great Outdoors, Travel, Twins

“And you are from Aleppo”

October 9, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

“Problems that arise with adjusting to a different culture have frequently been referred to as ‘culture shock.’  This phenomenon is usually precipitated by the anxiety which results from the sudden loss of familiar surroundings.  One experiences frustration and irritation as one constantly finds one’s ‘natural’ way of behaving to be in conflict with that of the host country.” – Excerpt from my “Volunteer Abroad Program Handbook” from Cross Cultural Solutions I spent this past weekend in Boston with people I […]

Categories: Americana, Boston, Friendship, Touchy Feelies, Travel

A Taste of Cartagena (or, How I Outgrew My Entire Wardrobe)

September 24, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

I’ve come up with a theory that coastal Colombian culture resembles that of the American South.  I realize that the land of Pablo Escobar and Shakira might seem inconsistent with that of Paula Deen and Larry the Cable Guy.  But hear me out.* The pace on the coast is slower than it is in Bogotá and other big cities in Colombia, and the people are calmer and friendlier for it.  Much like how my Southern friends like to distinguish themselves […]

Categories: Americana, Cartagena, Colombia, Food, History, Playtime

Dodging balls in Austin, looking ahead to Summer

April 9, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

I spent the last week in Austin, Texas with a special someone.  I’d long heard about how weird this city is by Texan standards, and how inferior UT is to Texas A&M (according to a good friend and Aggie), but other than that I’d never given Austin much thought. I stayed at an average hotel.  I rented an Elantra.  I resorted to eating a lot of Taco Bell because I spent too much money renting an Elantra.  I cursed like […]

Categories: Americana, Playtime

Christmas Cheer and Greek Penguins

December 25, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

This Christmas, I am the recipient of a new Spanish-English dictionary, another week of life for an old sick cat, memories to cherish, plans to dream about, and love in spades.  I am the giver of many Peruvian hats, a can of Alaskan salmon to the aforementioned dying cat, several strange hand-drawn Christmas cards (see below), and hopefully a fraction of the love I’ve received. Wishing you all a warm, loving, and joyous Christmas this year from a fireplace hearth […]

Categories: Americana, Touchy Feelies

Playtime in North Carolina

September 6, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again.”  – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince I expected that the responsible way to prepare for long-term travel through South America would be to putz around the local library researching Peruvian culture, practice verb conjugation en español, and fastidiously compile lists of “things to pack”, “paperwork to submit”, and “diseases to avoid.”  Instead of (or, more generously, in addition to) […]

Categories: Americana