Shashlik for four, please

June 29, 2013 by Meghan Johnson

All photos by Amy Yu Mao The last leg of the journey with Amy took us south and west.  We set out early on a Friday morning with Khvicha and his young assistant (whose name I do not know, because he was introduced to us as the “master of shashlik”), who was recruited to help with preparation of the meal that awaited us. We made two logistical stops along the way.  The first was in Khashuri, where Khvicha and his […]

Categories: 2013, Driving, Eurasia, Europe, Food, Friendship, Georgia, History, Playtime, The Great Outdoors, Travel • Tags: Driving, Georgia, History, Photography, Roadtrip, Travel

Megi in Kazbegi

June 19, 2013 by Meghan Johnson

All photos by Amy Yu Mao, or Khvicha. “MEGI!” So begins every conversation with Khvicha, the taxi driver with whom I’d trust my life.  “Meghan” seems to be tough for many Georgians to grasp, so I usually introduce myself as “Meg,” which turns into the Georgian name “Megi.”  Thus, I am now Megi. While Amy was visiting last week, Khvicha designed and implemented the perfect three-day tour of Georgia.  We covered most of the country, with the exception of the […]

Categories: 2013, Driving, Eurasia, Europe, Friendship, Georgia, The Great Outdoors, Travel • Tags: Friendship, Georgia, Hiking, Kazbegi, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Roadtrip, Stepantsminda, Travel

Flower children in Kakheti

June 11, 2013 by Meghan Johnson

I’ve found a cure for a heavy heart and culture shock.  It’s the combination of an old friend, unspoiled landscapes, mountain air, and wine.  Amy was my roommate at what I fondly refer to as “nerd camp” (research internship with NASA) ten years ago.  We hadn’t seen each other in many years before she came to visit this week. Our first destination was Kakheti region, in the east of Georgia.  Think vineyards, blue skies, and green fields rolling on for miles.  Our […]

Categories: 2013, Driving, Eurasia, Europe, Friendship, Georgia, Playtime, Tbilisi, The Great Outdoors, Travel • Tags: Davit Gareji, Flowers, Georgia, Hippies, Hippy, Kakheti, Oenophile, Peace, Photography, SIghnaghi, Travel, Wine

A glimpse of Armenia

March 18, 2013 by Meghan Johnson

Last week, a few colleagues and I traveled from Tbilisi to a town called Akhalkalaki for the opening of a new branch office. We drove over four hours through landscapes that I can only describe as magical, in the way that I think of Ireland as being magical: rolling hills, mountainsides, crumbling castles, herds of unattended cattle blocking traffic. Fairy tale material. Akhalkalaki is located in the southern part of Georgia, close to the borders of Turkey and Armenia. 90% […]

Categories: 2013, Driving, Eurasia, Europe, FINCA, Georgia, Microfinance

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

Moscow Night Ride

May 23, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

Here is what I saw around midnight on a Saturday night car ride through Moscow.

Categories: Driving, Moscow, Playtime, Russia, Travel

Roadtripping Israel, Part שנים: Tiberias to Caesarea

April 29, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

Part One of the roadtrip can be found here. Day Two of the twin roadtrip started early (maybe too early, after having finished a bottle of wine the night before).  Since we had already mastered our way out of Jerusalem the prior morning, we got onto the highway quickly and uneventfully. We were heading in a more northward direction than our last drive, so we came to a different check point.  This one looked a lot more serious.  The soldier […]

Categories: Driving, Friendship, History, Israel, Middle East, Travel