The launch of Blog Society was a proud moment for me.
A realization that no matter what the outcome, even if this idea fizzles and dies a slow death, I still can be proud of the fact that I faced my own fear. It’s often the fear that holds us back – the fear of failure, of self-doubt, of the unknown – so that your dreams and ideas never get off the ground. But I pushed on and with the help of those around me, supporting and encouraging me to move forward, I turned a small idea into a reality. A proud moment.
It’s taken a lot of work to get here and I’m still not sure exactly which direction I’m moving in but it’s exciting, motivating and filling me with a sense of creativity that I haven’t felt for a while. I’ve experienced a few important lessons these past few months and one of those is that if you don’t try you’ll never know. There is no harm in trying.
It was with that mindset I set out last year to approach the Vivid Festival about supporting bloggers and pitching an idea to them, never expecting them to actually say yes. But they did and thus the Blog Society official launch event was born – proudly listed as part of this year’s Vivid Festival Ideas Exchange line-up and living proof that if you don’t try, you’ll never know.
I hope you’ll join me on 8 June at the Blog Society Launch Workshop to celebrate the art of digital storytelling. Push through your fear, you never know what good things may lie ahead...
There is a moment of sheer panic combined with a strange sense of exhilaration when you finally make the leap from turning an idea into a reality. The moment it becomes real. It's the moment you hit go and expose all your fears and doubts to the world. What happens next is anyone's guess...
So without further delay, I'm proud to announce the launch of Blog Society - an idea, a hunch, a passion project that has long been in the making. I'm proud to introduce a long awaited, newly launched community for Australian bloggers,
creatives and the endlessly curious to connect, collaborate and share. Inspired by this event I hosted last year and a million other ideas floating in my head, this leap of faith has been a scary, doubt-filled incredible experience that dared me to dream a bit bigger and put some action behind the words.
I've got some exciting launches lined up with both Kinfolk Magazine and the Sydney Vivid Festival to kick off this crazy adventure so stay tuned and I hope you'll join me on the journey...
p.s - sign up to our Facebook page to stay updated!
It was a week of highs and lows.
Hearts and bodies that were broken at last week's Boston Marathon seem to be on a slow but steady road to recovery and I was grateful and humbled to witness my hometown come together in support of friends and classmates injured. Miles away back in Sydney, life strangely presses on and I welcome the happy distraction of our upcoming (spur of the moment) trip to Tokyo and the completion of a long awaited side project that I can't wait to tell you about next week.
In the meantime here are some photos from last weekend's first birthday celebration at The School - as expected a colourful and creative fiesta in true Megan Morton style.
Every Bostonian loves Marathon Monday. It's a fact.
When I was in college, we'd get up early to watch the marathon, marching down Boylston Street in search of which ever bar opened first. It would be packed, a room full of non-runners, enjoying burgers, fries and cold beer as we tried to imagine who in their right mind would run 26.2 miles willingly?
A few hours later something magical happened - year after year, as the first runners began to make their way into the city and up towards the finish line, the entire bar would pour onto the street just to glimpse this incredible physical accomplishment and to cheer on the tired, aching runners. It was what the marathon was all about and it was astonishing to see an entire city come together and shine with pride. Far too often I was moved to tears watching the thousands of runners from around the world pass that finish line. Years later when I ran my own first marathon I would dream of what it would be like to qualify for Boston and someday run the race in my own city.
Today, on a TV thousands of miles away, I watched those same streets, bars and finish line turn tragically into an horrific scene of sadness. I watched the familiar crowds that I used to be a part of, flee with fear and my heart broke. It broke for the friends I learned were there and who suffered terrible injuries and it broke for a day that to me has always represented the best of what the human spirit can accomplish. Tonight my heart goes out to Boston...
Wishing this little munchkin a happy 1st birthday today. Hard to believe it's been a year since she came into our world and stole our hearts. I'm overwhelmed at the love and joy this little face has brought to our family and can't imagine my world without her in it. Hoping she knows today and always how much her aunt and uncle across the world love her...
Home.
A simple word conjures up so many emotions these days and I've come to accept that my heart belongs in two places, miles apart. I was lucky enough to head back to Boston this past week (or specifically the glorious suburb of Stoneham, Massachusetts) for some much needed family time.
For seven blissful days I lounged around my house with the family, feasted on Easter dinner, read the paper and drank coffee with my dad, spent quality time with my mom and sisters, explored the streets of Boston, drank wine and caught up with friends, celebrated our engagement and most importantly, soaked up every minute spent with my beautiful niece who completely stole my heart, again.
It was a week I was grateful to have the opportunity to have, full of emotion and well worth the jet lag. I miss them already...
So it's official - we're engaged (*high fives all around)
There are moments in life you wait for, wonder about and dream of. They mark milestones, new beginnings and if you're lucky the actual moment itself is far better than anything you'd ever imagined. It's hard to believe that after close to 8 years together, a proposal could take me by surprise, the kind of surprise that brought tears or if we're being honest here, sobs - pure, joy-filled, embarrassing, uncontrolled sobs of happiness that moved me beyond belief.
During what was supposed to be his birthday weekend, while we were watching a beautiful sunset over the ocean in one of our favourite places, the boy finally popped the question. It was the real deal. He got down on one knee and began to say some beautiful words before I had that 'holy shit is this really happening' moment. I looked at him, I said YES!, I saw the ring - all before the tears began. Then it became a blur. One tearful, love filled moment I'll remember for the rest of my life.
There are a handful of places within Australia that epitomise perfection - that so perfectly embody tropical paradise, that you have to pinch yourself just to believe you're actually there- Port Douglas is one those places.
We first went to North Queensland years ago with our friends Cia and Nick. Together, the four of us marveled at the lush landscape, went to the Great Barrier Reef, cooked up seafood BBQ's, explored Cape Tribulation and all around had an incredible and memorable trip - so much so that when we were looking for an escape for Jimmy's birthday, Port Douglas seemed like a logical choice. It was the perfect paradise location within close reach and a mere 3hr flight from Sydney. The trip was booked.
I'm happy to say that this trip didn't disappoint, in fact it became one of those weekends - the kind you remember for the rest of your life, the kind that you wish never had to end, that you end up talking about and reliving over and over for years to come. Yup, it was pretty amazing. One of the most memorable, moving and magical weekends of my life but more on that later...
For the first time in ages, we managed to actually sit still and relax. On the way from Cairns we stopped by Mossman Gorge, took a dip in the swimming hole and a short rain forest hike before checking into the QT Port Douglas where I was a permanent fixture by the pool for the next 2 days. We soaked up the sun, enjoyed birthday drinks at the swim up cocktail bar, sunset views from our balcony, lazy afternoon naps and balmy nights just the two of us. I can't remember a more relaxing or refreshing weekend that made me fall in love with my best friend all over again. Time had stopped for a short moment and I can honestly say it felt as if it was just the two of us, not a care in the world and both bursting with happiness - I never wanted to leave. Port Douglas certainly holds a special place in my heart and I can't wait to visit again.
We're off to North Queensland this weekend for a much anticipated birthday getaway for the boy/any excuse for a holiday and truth be told, I can't wait.
As the end of summer nears I've found myself soaking up every last drop of sunshine and taking advantage of daylight savings before it ends in just a few weeks. This summer, like most of 2013 thus far, has slipped by too quickly and far too many things have gone unnoticed and undone. I'm trying to re shift priorities, put plans back in place and be more present in the moment. I have so much to be grateful for and this week I'm particularly thankful for...
- Stripes. I just can't get enough of them.
- Living close enough to the beach to enjoy an after work swim. bliss
- Surprises. Thanks to The Woodsfolk for gifting me this awesome Motex. Love it.
- Hiking in the Royal National Park
- Trips home to Boston to see my niece take her first steps. Two weeks & counting.
- Making progress, slow yet steady, towards a long awaited goal
- New episodes of Girls
- Packing only carry-on luggage and heading to the airport - best feeling ever.
I felt a profound sense of loss for my Boston accent this past weekend while watching Good Will Hunting. I so clearly remember watching that movie repeatedly when it first came out, obsessed with the Elliot Smith soundtrack and the over the top, at times obnoxious, Boston accent put on by Matt Damon & Ben Affleck. Those were my boys.
These days my accent is a lost cause, a hybrid of sounds and phrases that aren't grounded in any one location. My Boston accent softened years ago after living in LA - perhaps at times, dangerously close to the Valley. By the time I moved to Australia my pronunciation of the word 'coffee' was confused with that of a New Yorker and going on six years later, there are times when even I don't recognise the sound of my own voice.
When traveling in Ireland years ago, I ran into a girl from high school. She had been living in Dublin for the past few years and had developed such a thick Irish brogue that I could not understand a single word she said. It's this memory that fills my head every time I visit home and step off that plane - what if no one can understand me? What if i try to order a French Vanilla ice coffee at Dunkin Donuts and they turn me away? I'm in language limbo, neither here nor there. It's an identity crisis I need to face head on - I'm going home in just a few weeks and I'm determined to incorporate Boston's favourite word - wicked - into as many conversations as possible between now and then. So that's the plan, to watch The Departed, The Town and Mystic River over and over until the phrase 'wicked awesome' is once again back in my daily vocabulary. Wish me luck, it's gonna be wicked hard...
p.s - wishing my little sister, the happiest of birthdays, can't wait to see you soon. x
