Gratitude and Giveaways

April 1, 2013 by Meghan Johnson

I greeted last spring in Austin, Texas with someone I loved very much.  That trip feels like a memory of a past life, given how much has changed since then.  From Switzerland to Israel, Russia to Colombia, and finally landing in Georgia.  Euphoria to heartbreak to disorientation to fulfillment, and just about everything in between. Along the way, there’s been at least one constant in my life, and that has been Soulshine Traveler.  Writing here has cushioned the falls and […]

Categories: 2013, Colombia, Eurasia, Europe, Friendship, Giveaway, Touchy Feelies, Travel • Tags: Austin, Colombia, Geneva, Gift, Giveaway, Gratitude, Israel, Love, Russia, Spring, Thanks

2012 in Books

December 31, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

“We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them.” – John Waters A few days ago, my dear friend Roxanne posted her favorite books of 2012 on Stories of Conflict and Love.  Admittedly, Roxanne reads better books than I do, but I bake more cookies than she does, so I think we come out even.  I loved her idea of wrapping up the year by revisiting the words and ideas […]

Categories: 2012, Books, Colombia, History, Microfinance, Russia, Touchy Feelies, Travel, Twins

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

A Year of Soulshining

October 2, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

It’s been one year to the day since I arrived in Lima, Peru and began the most amazing year of my life.  I’ve said many times that I feel like I’ve lived out several lifetimes in this past year.  I’ve passed through my share of seasons, emotional states, and border crossings.  I’ve felt alternately like an old lady and a ten year-old girl. I am now more aware of who I am and what I want to accomplish in my […]

Categories: Bolivia, Colombia, Friendship, Israel, Music, Peru, Playtime, Russia

Piso Saludable: Foundations for Success

October 1, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

“What does it mean to you to have a floor?” I stared blankly.  Floor?  Well, you can’t have a house without a floor.  Linoleum?  Hard wood?  Tile?  What the heck does she mean, what does it mean? Isabela continued in Spanish.  “I asked the women, what does it mean to you to now have a floor in your home?  Tell me in one word.  And they told me:  Seguridad.  Stabilidad.  Felicidad.” Security.  Stability.  Happiness. The last descriptor came from a nine […]

Categories: Actuar Por Bolivar, Cartagena, Colombia, Community Development, Microfinance, Volunteerism

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

A Series of (un)Remarkable Events

September 10, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

I’ve spent over four months of 2012 in Colombia.  126 days so far, to be exact.  If I had to guess, I’d say that equates to about 35 papayas, fifteen or twenty trips to the beach, and a few dozen (hundred?) Aguila cervezas. Settling in here has been easy, like falling backward into a plush bed and sinking down into the pillows… and then pulling a salamander or two out from under your butt.  And swatting away a couple mosquitoes. […]

Categories: Cartagena, Children, Colombia, Friendship, Playtime, Running, Touchy Feelies, Travel

Capture the Colour

August 29, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to my usual readers that I am a color fanatic.  I root it out no matter where I am, though usually I’m drawn to places that wear it right on the surface.  As part of the Capture the Colour competition with Travel Supermarket, I have selected five photographs from my travels to represent five particular colors:  blue, green, yellow, white, and red.   Enjoy the photos and wish me luck! Blue: Jerusalem, Israel:  This […]

Categories: Cartagena, Colombia, Israel, Moscow, Peru, Russia, Travel

Things I’ve learned by volunteering

August 13, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

This week marks my one-year anniversary of leaving the corporate world.  Since then, I’ve traveled a lot, learned a new language, and spent a good deal of time volunteering.  Here are a few of the things I’ve learned as a volunteer. 1.  What’s easy for you may be difficult or impossible for others.  And vice versa.  One of my placements in Yaroslavl, Russia was at a school for mentally disabled children.  Some of them could not complete the craft projects […]

Categories: Actuar Por Bolivar, Children, Colombia, Community Development, Cross Cultural Solutions, Peru, Russia, Touchy Feelies, Volunteerism, Yaroslavl