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

Recap of May 17, 2014 in Tbilisi

May 19, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

Short story: May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia This day last year in Tbilisi, demonstrations turned into a mob rampage, when over 20,000 men (some estimates were as high as 40,000) attacked a small group of LGBT supporters This year, the Georgian Orthodox Church declared May 17 to be the Day of Family Strength, celebrating traditional values.  They marched through the city and demonstrated against a recently passed anti-discrimination bill. LGBT groups could not rally or demonstrate, due […]

Categories: Conflict, Gender, Georgia, LGBT, Tbilisi • Tags: Discrimination, Eurasia, Georgia, Homophobia, Human Rights, IDAHO, IDAHOT, Invisibility, LGBT, May 17, May17, Orthodox Church, Tbilisi, Violence

Remembering May 17

May 15, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia.  It was on this day last year that I realized I could not live long-term in Georgia. I don’t want to start any debates around homosexuality or any sexuality.  This blog isn’t a platform to preach my personal beliefs.  I can respect opinions that differ from mine, but I have no respect for what happened in the video above. What happened on May 17, 2013 was an example of the power of the church superseding the power of […]

Categories: Conflict, Eurasia, Europe, Georgia, Tbilisi, Travel • Tags: Feminism, Georgia, Homophobia, Human Rights, IDAHO, LGBT, LGBTQ, May 17, microfinance, Tbilisi, Travel

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

Abkhazian Khachapuri, and baking away my feelings.

March 23, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

Word on the street is that my recent blog post about why I moved home was offensive to a lot of people in my previous home, which surprises and saddens me because I didn’t say anything incriminating about Georgia.  Anyone who has followed my blog for the past year knows that I have said a lot more positive things about Georgia than negative.  So, I’m feeling a little stressed and sad these days… again.  What better way is there to […]

Categories: 2014, Food, Georgia, Travel • Tags: Baking, Georgia, Khachapuri

The Grayest City

March 21, 2014 by Meghan Johnson

Looking back at the photos I shared of Georgia, I realize they are mostly shots of mountains and statues and cows and waterfalls.  But that certainly wasn’t my day-to-day experience.  I want to share some photos that are more representative of daily life in Tbilisi, which is where I spent 95% of my time.  The majority of that time was spent outside of the beautiful Old City, in residential neighborhoods. I lived in a neighborhood called Saburtalo, above a shopping center. […]

Categories: 2013, Eurasia, Europe, Georgia, Tbilisi, Travel