Interview | Megan Hayes of Charade

Megan Hayes recently dropped everything and went on a 'Soul Trip' to get back her zest for life after finding herself living in her home town, working a 9-to-5, and went on a two month journey to California via NYC. She made her choice to change her life up a bit, in true inspiring Megan fashion. 

So why a soul trip? 

As she answers on her blog:: "Because there's nothing like a break-up, followed by a five month stint in a dead-end job, to leave your mojo running a little dry. So this is my medicine. It's a trip to feed my imagination and light me back up."

What made you choose New York in particular? Do you have friends there? Did something in particular attract you there now, or has visiting the city been a long standing dream?

I visited both NYC and San Francisco – also with a foray through Boulder, Colorado. Originally I’d wanted to spend more time in SF, but after flying into NYC and spending a few days there, SF just didn’t light my fire in the same way. So I hot-footed it back to the Big Apple! It has always been a city I wanted to visit – for the buzz, the creativity of the people, the cafe culture, the writing culture – and it really exceeded all my expectations! I didn’t know anybody there, but I’m a big advocate of www.CouchSurfing.org for instant friendship group potential!

Did you always plan to go alone, if so why?

I didn’t plan to go alone, but I planned to go. I found myself alone so I went alone!

How did your friends and family react to your plans? Were they excited for you, confused, jealous?

My family just thought ‘typical Megan’ – I’ve taken a few solo adventures over the years. The general reaction from friends was ‘I wish I could do that!’ to which I tended to reply, ‘do it then!’

How did you start planning for your big trip?

I booked the flights. Once the flights are booked you have to get everything else organised so it’s a great incentive.

As the queen of budgeting, what changes did you make in your lifestyle to make things possible?

The queen of budgeting threw caution to the wind... I used my savings to go, knowing it would leave me with nothing on my return. At this time in my life, however, it was totally worth it! For complete transparency I’m now edging into my overdraft – but it is interest free. I hope to return to work and ‘repay’ myself quick-smart!

You’ve always championed having a niche wardrobe that all fits together like a puzzle, how did you choose what to pack? (Can we have a packing list sneak peek?)

The packing list basically amounted to ‘whatever fits in my backpack’. I took a 20l bag and that was all. I thought it would be tough but I tend to let my style go a bit when travelling and so not having much to choose from actually made day-to-day dressing easier... terrible, I know! But I’m all about the experiences when on my adventures, not the fashion statement! I just worked the euro-girl-in-the-states look which was, namely: skinny jeans, loafers or Birkenstock sandals, and an array of t-shirts varying from plain to pretty. Plus some pretty scarves and jewellery to add pizzazz!

How nervous were you upon leaving the UK?

Weirdly, I wasn’t at all nervous, you can read about it here. 

What were the emotional highs and lows of your trip?

What was really special about this trip in particular was that I spent 99% of it in absolute glee. When I’m at home I tend to have a couple of down days a month – particularly around *that* time – but not so in the US. Also when I travel I often get emotional, but not this time. I think the universe was telling me something.

How did you combat loneliness, (if you even got lonely that is) and being away from home?

I am naturally a very independent person. I love my family to pieces but I can easily go weeks without talking to them. I also find I am very comfortable in my own company, and with the aid of meeting people through Couch Surfing as I mentioned, I didn’t get lonely... ever. It’s not the kind of trip to do if you aren’t pretty comfortable hanging out alone and putting yourself ‘out there’ in order to meet people.

What’s the one thing about America that you wish you could have brought home to the UK with you?

I think America is good as America and Great Britain as Great Britain. I would say that I’d bring some of the friends I made back with me, but really I’d rather be there with them!

What was the most inspiring thing/person you saw/met?

Inspiring... Hmm. Well I saw/met a muchness of amazing things/people, but the things I was particularly inspired by were perhaps attending ChrisGuillebeau’s book launch (with free cupcakes!) and the streets of the East Village which always had me snapping away with my Nikon.

Did you buy yourself any keepsakes from your trip, if so, what were they?

I didn’t, I was too broke! Although I do like to take postcards from places I visit, so of course I did that. I also keep things like tickets and receipts and business cards as little mementos. I did buy myself a turquoise ring just before the trip, however, as I like having pieces of jewellery serving as reminders of a certain concept I want to carry with me, and this acted as a symbol of my independence in taking the trip. It’s nice because you glimpse a ring many times a day so are always reminded of the reason behind wearing it!

New York probably has so so much to offer a visitor. How selective were you on what you saw? Did you have a schedule of fun-filled days, or did you find some down time and just take opportunities as they came at you?

There was so much I didn’t do. I actually got intensely stressed in the final week at having done NONE of the typical tourist stuff. But then I realised that meant I wasn’t a typical tourist, which I quite liked! I tried to treat the experience like living there – feeling settled in one spot, meeting locals etc. which meant I didn’t get to do a lot of the ‘city break’ stuff. Down time and taking opportunities as they came was most definitely the order of the day.

I’m not going to insist that you kiss&tell, but is your holiday romance just that, or do you think it’ll follow you back to the UK?

Ha! It might follow me... Or I might follow it... that’s all I’m saying!

What was the biggest culture shock you experienced in America?

I’d been to America before so not much really shocked me culturally on this trip. However, in NYC I was shocked by the enormity of everything; the buildings that block out the sunlight (!), the crowds etc.

Do you have a favourite memory/favourite place/favourite person you met from your travels?

My favourite memory from SF is probably getting invited to the redwood forest with a group of brand new friends, ending up in the most beautiful ranch overlooking the trees, and listening to Fleetwood Mac on the deck! Yosemite was also mind-blowing. 

From NY it’s trickier... there were so many! I just loved the sunny strolls on the city streets, the blossoms in the park, my friend’s rooftop view, drinking $8 pitchers of Bud Light and dancing all night, torso-length slices of pizza for $2, writing in New York Public Library, the vintage shops... I could go on!

Did you feel that your trip was successful in giving yourself a break and some renewed creativity?

I did. It was also something I needed to get out of my system; I had wondered about it for a long time. It was something I’d spoken about doing with my ex, though he was never very keen, and I felt like doing it alone would really be the final assertion of my independence from that relationship. And it worked like a charm!

What’s your plan of action now that you’ve returned? Are you thinking about moving abroad permanently, going back to work there, planning another trip elsewhere or are you just glad to be home?

Golly. In many ways I am quite lost at the moment, so don’t envy me! But it is an exciting kind of lost. Although I found a new part of myself whilst in the US, it has only served to perplex me more in terms of where I’m headed! I have studies starting up again from September in the UK, otherwise I would be incredibly tempted to move straight over there – I’m definitely not done with New York. For now I need to get my bank balance back in order! But you can rest assured the next trip is already being planned...

Also, please explain – how your bathroom and kitchen were the same room? This perplexes me greatly.

To clarify: the building where I was subletting was an old tenement block that had been updated in only a very basic manner! The toilet was in a separate room – basically a cupboard – but the bathtub had a kind of lid that transformed it into a kitchen counter. Needless to say washing was rather an experience. Please know that NYC on a budget is not at all glam!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to do this kind of trip themselves?

You will definitely spend more money than you think you will. You should double, if not triple, your budget, or have insane will-power (which I do not possess!) Just do it for the love of it. Do it because you can’t not do it. Try throwing caution to the wind just this once... Join Couch Surfing! But be sensible, always sensible!

Any questions for Megan? Are you planning your own 'soul trip' or have you now been inspired to do so? Comment!

You can find Megan in the following places!

Her Blog | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter

The Polaroid Shots

I recently bought myself a Polaroid camera from a new Cash Converters type store in Carmarthen for what I considered the bargain price of £15. The film however, has proved to be mighty expensive and almost made me reconsider my love of the Polaroid. 

 

 

 

The photos that came out from our test shots however renewed my adoration for them, and made me realise a few tricks to taking them.

• Cover them up IMMEDIATELY after taking them. Being exposed to light too soon ruins them. All the blemished ones were for exactly that reason. We just couldn't move quick enough.
• To combat the above issue, I ended up sellotaping the original film box over the slot where the polaroid would come out. This worked so much better.
• It said on the box to wait 4mins for the Polaroid to develop before exposing it to the light. Erm, no. Try twenty minutes. As long as possible for best results. 

The film I used was by Impossible Project which you can buy off Amazon here. You will almost certainly be able to find a few cheaper packs on eBay and then Urban Outfitters stock it as well.

If you fancy buying yourself a polaroid, then there are several floating around eBay including one for less than a tenner, and it's the exact model that I have!

When I added up in my head exactly what each Polaroid had cost to produce I really winced in pain, but I do not regret it in the slightest. I just think that if we'd run into a street seller at a festival selling polaroid shots for say £4 I KNOW I would have bought one, so it's all okay to me.  

The fun we had playing around with the camera and being able to have physical photos to hold immediately was a pleasure and I'm really looking forward to using up the rest of the film. I'm hoping that that now me camera assistant and I have got the knack of using it down the rest will come out just perfect. 

Do any of you have a polaroid camera? Please link me to some of your shots if you do! I'd love to see them. If not, would you consider getting one? Or are they just too expensive for all the whimsy?

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Button Swaps + Other Updates

I feel as though I've been hibernating away from all the gorgeous weather this week. I've been working every day and only managed to make it out into the sunshine twice! Because the longest exposure time in the sun is hour and a half I spend in my car every day I now have a nicely bronzed right arm, but my left is still pale and white. This is just no good. 

With fake tan, there is a very fine line between being nicely bronzed and looking like you've fallen into a vat of baked beans. Because I'm usually so pale anyway - I always feel as though I'm the latter. I'm just going to have to wait for my Dove Summer Glow to build up nicely instead. 

The lamb has been enjoying the weather too and he now has a permanent enclosure out in the garden. It's attached to the old greenhouse which is a brick&mortar building rather than glass-only so has a little protection from the shade. 

Eventually, Lamb got bored of his little photo shoot and ran away in search of some food. He is still on milk formula, and has decided he really doesn't like sheep pellets. I wouldn't either mind, they're grey and smell disgusting. He does nibble at the grass, and moss, and dirt, and my dress but all his teeth haven't yet come through so he can't eat a lot of it.

Lamb still doesn't have a name! Nothing seems to stick, and he's only responding to 'Lamby' which is no good. Any suggestions?

Button Swaps

I've updated my Advertising page, so if you haven't clicked there before and have your own blog, please take a moment to do so now and consider stealing a button? If you need a custom size just leave a comment and I will add it to the page for you. 

I'd love to put a button up for your site in return, and my dimension requirements are 250x120.

Happy blogging!

>>You can read about Lamb's arrival here!

<< Tomorrow's post:: Excursions with my Polaroid camera

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Wise Words No.30

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The Weekly Musing:: May WeekFour

I cannot believe it's practically the end of May already! It's unreal how quickly a month can shoot past when life decides to happen. 


What I did.
I went to Longleat, Wiltshire.

I bought a new summer dress, and some shoes, and another dress, and made myself bankrupt. Eeek!


I played with the lamb. I'll write a update post this week on how he's doing.

On The Blog.
I kinda put myself out there on a limb and was honest for a day. I wrote about how I was feeling at the moment I was feeling it and told you all about my on-off relationship with Depression. It was the most terrifying post I've ever written - and the thought of it being on the internet where people I know offline could read it, well me-oh-my that's scary.


Question: Do you write keeping in mind that you work colleagues/maths tutor/possible future husband could stumble across your blog and read it - or does that not bother you?


Giveaway!
I'm going to run around the web and shout about this a little more this week. There's a signed copy of fellow blogger Laura's new release on offer and I've collected a few more piece to add to the surprise contents of the PiP Studio bag. I'll be revealing these on Monday!

This Week's Web Browsing

• Wishwishwish's Carrie launched her new magazine! See the stunning launch picture and maybe preorder it here? I'm eagerly awaiting mine. 
• I really loved this article on English Muse on making a rented place more like home. It had some fab ideas that I'd never come across before. Well worth the read. 
• I thought The Londoner's recipe for Queenies was great! I may well try this out Saturday night ready for the Olympic Flame to pass though Carmarthen. Because that's a patriotic day too!

I also fell in love with a new blog this week. I'd come across it before, but this time something really sparked my interest and I've been ranting about it to people ever since. I follow lots and lots of fashion blogs, but this girl is the only one that's made me consider doing an outfit post. Scary stuff. Can you guess who it is? If not, they're soon to be new next 'Beautiful Blog' in the series!


Have an awesome weekend, and thank you guys for you views, comments, emails and support this week. It's meant a lot to have you on board whilst all hell breaks loose behind the scenes. 
Lots of love,

Longleat - PartOne

A dear friend came down to visit for the first week of May, and I planned a surprise trip to Longleat in Wiltshire for the occasion! We stayed at Forge House in Trowbridge, and I have honestly never stayed at a nicer B&B. Gorgeous. 

I adore the Bath&Avon area and have always though it's stunning. It remind me a lot of where I grew up in Hampshire, although Southampton has got nothing on Bath and Bristol. Sorry. Because I always always have a back up plan, I'm thinking of relocating to Bath should I not end up going to University, just because I can.

Sharon, who ran the B&B recommended that we try a restaurant called The Mill, about 5 miles down the road, and it was certainly well worth the recommendation. Sharon however, is a very classy lady and the prices of The Mill were a little steep compared to what I'm used to back in Wales, although I don't usually eat out at places like this anyway. Eating out isn't really a big thing with my family.

I've never tried mussels, ever, and thought this would be a nice occasion to experience something new! Now, I love seafood - so was expecting to like mussels and they were delicious. 

My future abode. Ahem.

Our first stop when we reached Longleat (after I accidentally took a wrong turn and pulled out in front of an angry Mercedes and nearly killed us both) was the house. Longleat house is built on the site of an old monastery which burnt down, according to our tour guide called John. You wouldn't know it though because the house was stunningly beautiful, although if I lived there I wouldn't have a clue what to do with all those rooms! Then again, they didn't have birth control back in those days so I'm sure they had no problem filling them...

One of the previous Lord Baths had a fondness for Italian architecture and sent his interior designer on a trip to Venice for inspiration. All these ornate 24ct gold (no less) ceiling are the result. They certainly made the house that much more grand.

I think what I loved most about Longleat house, was all the art displayed there. The current Lord Bath is an artist and art collector himself so there was certainly a lot of it - not just the standard oil painted portraits of family members who are long since dead...

Oh, and did you notice the desk back there? I want one. There's something kinda similar for sale in an auction house in town, but the price tag is literally two months' wages. Not good.

Stay tuned for part two where a charming little shit monkey from the safari park chewed a hole in my car's wing mirror and stole a wiper blade...

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Feeling Charitable at 10,000ft

image via weheartit

Have you heard of Clara Barton? No, well she founded The American Red Cross, which I'm sure we've all heard of, on this very day actually back in 1881 after seeing what good deeds the International Red Cross were doing during a trip to Europe. Nice huh?

Well, on this most charitable of days, I figured it might be a suitable moment to reveal a project I got involved with about two weeks ago, and am really really excited about. Oh, and it's also a good moment to tell you that I'm scared of heights. Ladders are fine, but I start considering an exit strategy, and how to get my seat belt off on roller-coasters as soon as I get above about thirty feet. That's me. Remember that.

I'm doing a sponsored sky-dive! Ta-da!

Now, I don't want to dupe you all. Doing a skydive is something that's made it's way onto my bucket list then off of it again several times before, not just because it's cool and one of those things that you just have to do. I've talked about doing one, one day, but never had any real intention of booking one because it would mean that I'd have to admit to people that I'm scared of heights. 

When the opportunity to do a skydive for charity was dangled in front of me, I just figured that I'd never have a better reason, and maybe the motivation would actually make me do it. That and paying me to jump out of an airplane and have a panic attack in the process is something that certain people might just give to charity in order to see me do.

The idea behind doing a Charity Skydive is that you get to do it for free. If I raise £395 in sponsorship, the company gives me a discount on the cost of the skydive so that £140 of that will go to the charity I choose. Now, I think that's a little unfair to be honest - because it means that the first £255 that people donate, will never reach the charity.

So, because I'm at least getting the original price discounted, I'm going to to be "making a donation" myself to cover that part, so anything anyone decides do donate, will in fact go straight into the charity's pocket - not mine. 

I'm going to be jumping out of a plane sometime in October, so I have a good few months, but I'd really really like to be able to raise £500 for my chosen charity, which is Look Good, Feel Good.

Now this charity, is one that I've supported before, and is quite a personal choice to the person I'm jumping with as his Mum sadly lost her battle with cancer the year before last, and really appreciated what Look Good, Feel Better did for her.


The charity concentrates on giving back both Men and Women some of the self confidence that the rigours of cancer treatments can take away from them. They run workshops all over the UK, teaching health and beauty tips and participants get to take away all the products that they've learnt to use during their visit. You can find out so much more about them, and more eloquently put here, on their website. 


If you'd like to sponsor me, and help raise some money for this charity, my Just Giving page is just here. One click away. Please consider it and I will personally send you hugs and good Karma. Promise.

Wise Words No.29

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Wanderlust: Marrakech, Morroco

    

For me Marrakech is the epitome of exotic. I'm sure there are many other places on earth that would fufil that word to a better degree, so maybe I just have a thing for Morocco, or the fact that it's Africa. Marrakech is pretty high on my current shortlist of places I'd love to visit in celebration of my 21st Birthday which occurs in October but we'll certainly have to see nearer the time, and I'm sure my travel buddy will have her own opinions!

Having grown up adventuring with Indiana Jones and Lara Croft on a regular basis, I think Morocco is a worthy starting point for an adventure, n'est pas?

In the mean time, I hope you enjoy these images as much as I have, and you can continue to adventure with these lovely ladies:

The Glamourai Travel Diary: Marrkech

Charade: Marrakech Partie Une et Partie Deux