Breaking the blog silence...WHOA!

(a sneak preview from the superwedding, by the fab cat norman)

I am sure you have all wondered, 'Will Megan ever blog again?' Well, I am here to tell you that, yes, I will indeed blog again (like it or not! :)). Life has been a chaotic-ally beautiful mess as of late between wedding planning, work (as a consultant for the Bohemian Hostels group), moving to a new place, finding a challenge to tackle in the future, etc. but now I am getting more of a chance to breathe. And, as I look back on the last few months, I realize more and more that the silence was quite necessary and purposeful.

On Thursday I will be heading back to Prague to manage the grand grand grand :) opening party for Mosaic House, continue to build out marketing materials for all properties and finish up that fancy-shmancy new Sir Toby's website! WOO-HOO! It's hard to believe that I've been back in the States for 4 months and equally hard to believe how much has been accomplished in those 4 months. I am starting to believe that my fiance...oops, I mean 'hubby' (still getting used to that) and I really are superheroes.

In the coming weeks I will detail my travel experiences as I return to a land I call 'home' (one of many) and reconnect with my team as well as some very special friends who I call my 'second family.' Then, I promise (you heard it here, folks) to take you through my planning process for the wedding and tell you all of the juicy details that I never would have dreamed of exposing prior to the wedding! SO many special surprises on the big day! We had a blast and are super-excited for this new leg of our journey together.

Oh happy day,

MEgan (suszynski!)

HELP US WIN!

NEWS ALERT from Prague...we're short on votes and we need your help!!

The situation...460 votes, need around 900+ total in two days. WHOA.

The voting period ends Wednesday. If you haven't yet, now's the time to help Tom and I out with a vote, as we try to make it into the top 50 finalists. VOTE NOW!

If you all vote, we have a chance. I know what you're thinking...'I am not going to vote, because loads of other people will.' WRONG. You should all approach it with a mindset that no one else will vote, and vote with as many email addresses as you can. :) TIP: You CAN indeed use multiple email addresses, but you have to vote from computers (/IP addresses/browsers).

'What's in it for me?!' How about a free weekend stay in Prague?

I know this whole time you've most likely been thinking, 'alright, yeah - so this is cool and everything, but what's in it for me?!' Well, now I have your answer.

We've decided to sweeten the deal a little bit, giving you the chance to win a free weekend stay in a private ensuite room at our three existing properties, if you vote.

Here's how it works...

_Simply visit each of their fan pages: Sir Toby's Hostel, Miss Sophie's, Prague and Czech Inn Hostel

_Look for the promotional post, click on the url to vote (or vote by clicking url at top of this email)

_Reply to post with 'i voted'

_Tell all of your friends about it by forwarding this email, or posting it on your facebook page.

For more info about each property: www.sirtobys.com / www.miss-sophies.com / www.czech-inn.com

Thanks for your time, guys! And, thank you for your support!

Love from Prague,

Megan (and Tom too!)

the (super)ultimate wedding...

...yep, we've decided to join in on the fun and submit an entry in Crate and Barrel/Daily Candy's Ultimate Wedding Challenge.

LEMME VOTE!! Okay...go here and click on pretty pink 'vote for this entry' button on right of picture: http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/38320

'What the heck is this challenge, and what does it mean to me?!' Well, it's really cool because not only do you get to vote for two really cool people to win a really cool contest, but we all get the chance to sit back and marvel at the power of social media! In just three days, we've collectively tallied 258 votes. My goal is 100 votes a day. So, today we still have yet to grab 42 votes. As a wise man once said, 'Yes, we can.' ;)

So, go ahead and vote...if you have multiple email addresses, vote with every one of 'em. And, spread the word. Invite friends to the event we created on facebook. Post it to your profiles. Change your statuses. Tweet it. MySpace it. Email it. Pop it in an envelope and old-school-snail-mail it. Whatever. (okay, maybe not the snail-mail one, as we only have until 31 March). So, act now! Hurry!

In the mean time, enjoy reading my version of our entry...which was the resounding loser when we chose which one to submit, mine or his. Zach (my bro) chose Tom's in the taste-test. But...you tell me...which one is really better?! Leave a comment below to let me know. hee.

Title: She had him at H.O.R.S.E.

Our love story.

This fairytale began with a chance meeting on a dance floor (through a mutual friend) and turned into a beautiful written love affair, Megan and Tom sharing their biggest dreams and their love for brightly-coloured socks, haribo gummi food and global exploration (and his love for the pancreas) through their unique gift for prose. Finally, after three weeks of writing, he challenged her to a game of H.O.R.S.E.. She beat him. It was love at first H.O.R.S.E. 11 months later, she received the opportunity to work in Prague and they buckled down for long-distance-love. Thousands of miles apart and hundreds of love letters later, he proposed to her in the fairytale town of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.

Three important details about our Ultimate Wedding.

An outdoor wedding, on a flower farm near home. Oozing with personal style…shabby/chic with a euro-ecclectic, romantic and unique flair. Family and friends from around the world. Polish flavour. Global love. Superhero-themed. Juicy Lucys served on a silver platter. Red bull/vodka fountain. TOMS shoes...and lots of 'em. As much dancing as possible…and then more. Bonfire with s’mores. A hired ice-cream truck. Wishing on Chinese lanterns and releasing them into the air.

Our everyday dream day.

Relentless exploration as a couple…of the world, new recipes and the gummi candy aisle. Thinking beyond ourselves, and helping others. Mutual laughter. Broadening our worldview through words on pages or steps on cobblestone in European cities. Early morning trips to the gym on weekends and long naps in the afternoon. Bringing back the family dinner. Meaningful conversation. Back rubs after a long day at work. Enjoyment of the gifts God has given us. Like, for instance, Sebastian Joe’s oreo ice cream. And, of course, many, many games of H.O.R.S.E.

Happy voting! Happy Sharing (as I always say...sharing is caring!:))!

Me

LYRIUMROLMWAYE

WHAT ON EARTH DOES THAT MEAN?!

Find out more: http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/38320

More to come...

Me

221 day anniversary...(what i've soaked up)

...yes, you heard correctly...I have been here for exactly 221 days (just over 7 months to the layman;)).

*Megan's blog tangent: I actually meant to write a 6-month anniversary post, but time has not been on my side as of late, but awesome visits from some very special people...including Beata and Duane - Tom's cousin and her new husband - and two of my very best friends, Andrew and Jeremy. I also started this on 3 August, didn't publish it until the 17th August, and then tried to update it on the 19th and didn't autosave, so all of my changes were lost:(. Here is the shorter, less thoughtful version...*

In honour of this very special anniversary, I feel compelled to give you all a visual tour documenting the lessons I've soaked up in the last 221 days. Enjoy, and feel free to giggle a little bit...it's good for the soul.

Lessons Learned at 221 days

In Germany, the Hoff is a legend. No joke.

Henry loves to travel with me. Polish weddings are crazy/fun (picture to come).

Sometimes people greet with one kiss. Sometimes 2. Sometimes even 3.

And sometimes it gets very awkward.

(and I don't have a picture for this one...that def. would have been awkward!)

CZE-Poland train travel is best experienced with a phone,

directions, and english/polish dictionary.

The "swine flu" can be fun.

Crystal shops make me cringe.

(don't have a picture for this one because the lighting made me want to throw up)

I loathe rat tails.

Riding the mass transit system black (no ticket) is exhilerating. Fearfully exhilerating.

Czechs like dogs (eurodogs and real dogs). Even ugly ones.
(eurodogs - there is nothing quite like 'em)
Ice cream makes a good breakfast on weekends.

Wedding planning from afar is at times as much fun as attaching

a bunch of dead mice to myself and jumping into a snake pit

(but trying on dresses is so fun!).

Berlin has sweet graffitti and even sweeter vibes.

Proper hipsters make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I am in love with Krumlov(e) House

(and Krumlov in general)!

*pictures courtesy of the lovely Steph Dalager*

Detox in the Czech Republic is a near-impossible feat. Czechs make me happy (the person and the people in general;)).
Knitting can be fun. Traveling is best done with jesus as your travel buddy
and a timbuktu over your shoulder.Poznan is a city in Poland.

View Larger MapI genuinely love Twilight...no, I mean like REALLY love it. (Okay, okay, it's more of an obsession, really.)
The style here is...well...um...just different.

World Cup races in Europe are fun...

but probably even better when not cancelled.

But really, I've learned...

The grass IS greener on the other side...it's just a different shade of green
(and there may be some dog poop in it;)).

You have to be yourself. ALWAYS. No matter what.

Self reflection is uber-important.

No matter how much I think I've already explored,

there is so much more exploring to do.

Leading is a neverending challenge.

Sacrifice is (sometimes) a bitch...

but in the end it is oh-so-worth-it.

Wandering is good...because eventually you find where you belong.

Relationship-building takes time...

...but when you establish the strongest and most meaningful of relationships,
they'll never leave you.
(and they're best celebrated over a shot of slivovice and tall glass of pivo)Sometimes you stumble upon wisdom (in word form) in the unlikeliest of places. The hostel industry is absolutely amazing -
and brings together the most special, eclectic mix of travelers.

Communication is so, so, so, so important.

(Even more important in a foreign country.)

Sometimes you have to do things you don't like before you can do the things you really love.

I have so much more learning to do...I never want to quit (learning). Life is so much more interesting this way. Thank you to those of you back home who have been so supportive of my goals and dreams - not many people understand them (or me, for that matter), it's those of you who really take time to look past what is just 'normal' to really accept and understand me. So, thank you for this.

And thank you to all of my new friends here who have been so amazing and welcoming - I really am blessed to have the strong community I have in this new place. You guys (and gals) are wonderful.

I love to love all of you.

Thank you for teaching me something...each and every one of you (I'm blessed to have so many teachers!).

Love,

Me

gnome sweet gnome...

...what I really meant was "home sweet home" of course, but "gnome sweet gnome" sounded silly and made me giggle, so I went with it. :)

As most of you know, I went on my first big holiday to...(wait for it)...the States (hee), back in June. It was a wonderful(ly busy) trip, as I landed on U.S. soil in Chi-town, traveled up to the motherland (Wisconsin) for two days before heading over to Minneapolis for one day, only to leave early the following morning for Colorado for Beata (Tom's cousin) and Duane's wedding for 4 days...then back to Minneapolis for a few days and back to Wisconsin for a few more days, before leaving from Milwaukee to come back to Prague, only to jump on a train a day later to head to Berlin for the Kings of Leon concert. Phew. To say the trip(s) was a 'whirlwind' is an understatement. It was freaking tiring, but oh-so-wonderful at the same time.

So, allow me to give you a little run-down of the trip. It all started with me arriving at the airport in O'Hare, excited to see Tom, Mom and my sis waiting for me with Hannah Montana balloons (I mean, I did it for my bro...so is it wrong of me to expect it for myself?! ;)) and a big 'welcome gnome...oops, I mean 'home')' sign...but there was nada in sight. You know that feeling of excitement you get just after you leave Customs, but before you walk through those big doors that separate you from hundreds of crying, happy, balloon-toting family and friends...I love that feeling. And then, no one was waiting for me. So, I waited for about 20 minutes, and then decided to call the fam to see if they had remembered I was coming into town (hee;)). It turns out they were right behind me, so we all hugged and we were on our happy, merry way. Oh happy day it was!
From there, I spent a couple of days hanging with the fam and enjoying the pool. Then, we roadtripped it up to Minni for a day before we went on to Boulder/Estes Park for the wedding weekend. With immediate stops to The Tea Garden for the regular (strawberry/guava/passion fruit)smoothie with tapioca pearls (mmm, I am salivating right now) and then to Kowalski's, of course, for some aussie licorice, organic fruit leathers and other treats. mmm. Finally, it was on to CO for the wedding. The wedding was rockstar (food was amazing, everything was beautiful), and it was wonderful to hang with Tom's fam for an entire weekend.

We were staying in a beautiful (more like absolutely gorgeous) cabin in Estes Park and Tom and I were able to go on morning walks, enjoying the crisp mountain air. I was reminded just how much I adore Colorado and how much I'd enjoy living there in the future. Boulder is one of the most active cities on the face of this earth...kayaking, biking, running, the list goes on. We even stumbled upon a kayak competition one day and marveled at the athletes. So cool.

The uber-cool door to our home-away-from-home

Thanks again, Elizabeth and Wieslaw for such an awesome time!

Mom and dad - you would have just loved this place!

Random kayak competition somwhere between Estes Park and Boulder...

Never fails...has to be a blue steel in there somewhere

Dr. Tom looks confused...

The next few chronicle our adventures through Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park...

YES! SNOW!

Classic girlfriend/boyfriend hands-in-the-back-pocket shot. 'nough said.

We could defo live here - we totally have 'Boulderite' potential!

The whole fam+

After the wedding weekend it was back to Minneapolis for 5 days of reconnecting with friends and former colleagues, gym time, wedding dress shopping, wedding venue shopping, dinner parties, have I said gym time?! ;). It was just perfect. I was reminded, yet again, just how blessed I am to have such amazing friends. Kate and Hennessy dealt with me while dress shopping a couple of days and Brian and Greta also joined us. It was just magical. I tried on the most beautiful dresses, but also was invited in on the little wedding industry secret...everything is crazy-expensive. And, I started to realize just how difficult planning from afar would be, when the whole wedding date discussion was initiated. Yikes! But, Tom and I had a great time mindstorming about all things wedding-related over french toast at The Bad Waitress...we are such an amazing duo and I am totally confident we are going to make the perfect team in the future.

After a fabulous week "home", we began the journey back to Wisconsin to hang with the fam for a few more days. We had such a fun time with Mikaela, as always, and we also were able to spend some good, quality time with my awesome friend Brittany (whom I've referenced before and is now living in Fiji!). My mom, sister, Brittany and I even had the chance to hit up a dress shop in Milwaukee (of all places!;)) and found some gorgeous dresses. And, of course we had some more great pool time...Tom and Mikaela get along so well and it just brings the biggest smile to my face to see it.

WARNING...the picture below is G+ rated! ;)

I had the most perfect time with Tom and my family and it couldn't have come at a better time...it was just the right time for so many reasons and I am so thankful for it.

Thank you mom, dad, Mikaela, Tom (and family) and all of my lovely friends for such a special vacay!

Love,

me