Freelance Life Archives - Travel Write Draw by Meagan Morrison

Highlight Real Podcast with Travel Write Draw’s Meagan Morrison

I sat down (virtually) with the ever lovely Josephine Kimberling of Highlight Real Podcast to talk all about the highs…

Back with my NYC besties🗽🤎💫 to celebrate

Back with my NYC besties🗽🤎💫 to celebrate the @NickFouquet x @Fouquets.NewYork Capsule Collection on the property’s newly opened Le Vaux Rooftop. Swipe through to the end for their stunning view 🤩!! Such a gorgeous evening and homecoming for me after 3 months of back-to-back travel. There’s no place like home 🥹🫶🏻. Thank you @BrandmanAgency & my darling @MelanieBrandman for the invitation!!

All my love, xx MM

The irony of posting this during NYFW is not lost

The irony of posting this during NYFW is not lost on me, I promise 😆. Nevertheless, I’m so excited to FINALLY share my interview with @FashionUnitedHQ!! Back in August, I had the most wonderful Zoom interview with the brilliant @Jackie_Mallon1 about my unconventional art career and all the pipe-dream projects it has lead me to outside of the fashion industry. I’m so UNBELIEVABLY grateful to all of my incredible clients throughout the past decade who continue to believe in me and support my dreams 🥹. 99.9% of the jobs you see me post about come directly to me through instagram without an agent/agency. I hope this article inspires and reassures you that all you need is yourself, your talent, and a social media account to build a wildly fulfilling career!! Head to my IG stories now to read the full feature and thank you, Jackie, for the absolute honor!!

All my love, xx MM

Officially BACK in my NY studio and the creative p

Officially BACK in my NY studio and the creative process is underway 😍🌸🇵🇪!! Never would have dreamed these edible flowers from the Mercado in Lima would inspire this new print, but here we are!! Inspiration really DOES strike in the most unexpected ways. Where would you like to see this new pattern turn up next, loves?! Pajamas, wallpaper, planners, notebooks?! Let me know below!! So much more art to come!! xx MM

Our last day in Peru has arrived, my loves 😭💗⛰️🇵🇪🦙!! And what an UNBELIEVABLE journey it has been. So much so that I ended up pushing back my return flight home, just so I could have this extra day to breathe, paint, reflect, and reset in the stillness of the Sacred Valley at @HotelTamboDelInka. I’m so grateful to Daniel, the hotel’s wonderful General Manager, for allowing me to stay the extra night 🥹🙏🏼. Swipe to see some of the precious moments from our final hrs in Peru and THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to every single one of you involved in making this dream journey a reality. And to our beautiful community, your comments, messages, and most touching words brought this trip to a whole other level for me. I’m eternally grateful for you all!! Here’s to hopefully many more trips to Peru 🥂 and the creative process which begins in my NY studio now!! More to come in late October!!

All my love, xx MM

And just like that…we made it to MACHU PICCHU 😭🇵🇪⛰️🦙💫!! My loves, I cannot tell you just how long I have waited for this moment!! What I CAN tell you, however, is that these photos and videos simply DO NOT do it justice!! But before I get too carried away, let’s start from the beginning of the journey. I woke up bright and early to catch the 3hr direct train from @HotelTamboDelInka’s PRIVATE STATION,📍Urubamba, located just a 5min walk from the lobby!! There really couldn’t have been a more seamless means of beginning my adventure...

And this was no ordinary train ride either. It quite literally traverses through the heart of the Sacred Valley, along the Urubamba River, with full views of the majestic mountains through the ceiling of the train. For the first hr of the ride, I was so overwhelmed by the beauty, I could not hold back my tears 😭!! I just felt so unbelievably humbled and grateful for this moment. To think how many civilizations these mountains have witness come and go, from the height of the Inca Empire to present day. They were here long before us and will be here long after. I was and still am in awe…

When I finally arrived at Machu Picchu station, my incredible guide, Carlos, was waiting for me on the other side of the gates. We took a 30 min bus ride up the citadel and within minutes, laid our eyes on this breathtaking holy city. For anyone who doesn’t know, Machu Picchu would have been equivalent to Mecca or Vatican City to the Inca’s back in the 15th Century. The terraces surrounding the grounds would have been covered in orchids 🥹💔!! Can you imagine what it must have looked like all those years ago?! The sacred energy was palpable!! We’re in the presence of the divine...

Caption continued in my comments…

Darlings!! Welcome to our final “home” of the

Darlings!! Welcome to our final “home” of the trip, the majestic @HotelTamboDelInka in the heart of the Sacred Valley 😍🙌🏼⛰️🇵🇪💫!! To prep for our trek to one of the world’s greatest wonders tomorrow, we are starting our stay here with an EXQUISITE farm-to-table experience right on property!! The hotel has one of the most revered organic gardens in the country, where you can pick all the veggies you’d like to consume with your meal 👩🏼‍🌾, to be prepared by their most talented chef!! My mouth is still watering thinking about each incredible dish they prepared for me!!

And since “tambo” quite literally means resting spot between journeys, I relished in the opportunity to further my education in the art of Chinchero with Marleny of @AwanallaqtaTocapo, and a beer tasting experience with @KikePolack5 at the properties @LaCerveceria.Tambo 🍻💫. Then it was back to my room to quickly change for a special 7 course meal by the fire at Hawa!! Oh and I’d be remiss not to mention just HOW much thought and care Tambo Del Inka put into making my room so special for me, with an easel, colored pencils, and traditional breads & sweets 🥹!!

But for now It’s time to rest because we are starting our day bright and early tomorrow for the journey of a lifetime!! Can you guess what’s coming next?!

All my love, xx MM

THE MAGIC & MYSTICISM OF CUSCO 🥹🙌🏼⛰️🇵🇪💫!! From the minute my plane landed, I could FEEL the energy shift from the Coast to the Andes!! I guess you could argue it was also the altitude kicking in lol, but I like to think it was the living, breathing history permeating from every single corner of the city, that moved me so!! Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire after all. To truly appreciate Peru, you MUST visit Cusco. Seeing the original stone buildings change from Inca designs on the first level, to the Spanish colonial style on the second, is only the beginning.

My first full day of exploration began with a cuddle from baby Panchita, Chaska’s sister 🦙🫶🏻, in the courtyard of @JWMarriottCusco, where I also got to see how the red pigment for the traditional Peruvian Chinchero textiles is created from a cactus parasite 🌵🩸!! From there I joined my guide Martín, to head up into the mountains to the site of the ancient citadel, Saqsaywaman. Built by the Inca’s in the 15th century, it was used as a place to observe astronomy and perform important ceremonies before operating as a fortress during the Spanish conquest.

We stopped along the way to feed some very picky Llamas and Alpacas 😆 then headed back down to the Historic Center to explore San Pedro Market and the city streets. I stopped in my tracks when I saw that matriarch selling bread, wearing her sombrero blanco!! The way the mountains cascade down into the city made my heart ache!! But the absolute cherry to my day 💫 was when I visited @HotelPalacioDelInka for an Andean ceremony where the Inca Kuntur began blessing me with a vulture feather, tapped my third eye, and said the universe had a msg for me!!

My spiritual pilgrimage here is only just beginning though, loves!! Stay tuned as we head into the Sacred Valley next!!

All my love, xx MM

Loves, our journey through Peru continues, as we c

Loves, our journey through Peru continues, as we check-in to our new “home” in the Presidential Suite of the breathtaking @JWMarriottCusco 🥹💛✨!! Built within a restored 16th-century convent, the hotel positively GLOWS from the inside out. I was absolutely awestruck when my eyes landed on their Incan Sun sculpture hanging behind the front desk 🌞, radiating with 76,500 Swarovski Crystals!! But my heart officially burst when one of the hotel’s 5 month old baby Alpacas named Chaska, meaning bright star in Quechua ⭐️, came running out to greet me 😭.

When I arrived in my room, there was a tree of traditional Peruvian desserts waiting for me, a gorgeous Chinchero table runner, and a kismet handwritten note from the hotel’s GM, Eduardo. I didn’t think it could possibly get any better but then the incredible team @JWMarriottCusco, surprised me by commissioning local artist, @Retratos_Dibujo_Cusco Juan José Huamán Rojas, to illustrate my portrait with the baby 🦙😭🫶🏻. To say I’m SPEECHLESS is an understatement. I finally know what it’s like to be on the other end of a custom work of art and I’m so beyond grateful!!

But the gifts and magic of Cusco have only just begun, my loves!! We are 11,000 feet above sea level, in the birthplace of the Inca Empire, and the energy is truly unlike anything I’ve felt before. Stay tuned for more!!

All my love, xx MM

Darlings, come with me to see Peruvian sea lions 🦭, Humboldt penguins 🐧, and a mysterious pre-historic geoglyph off the coast of Paracas!! From the private dock of @HotelParacas, board a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands and enter another world entirely!! This was truly one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I’m so humbled and grateful to be able to witness such unbridled nature.

All my love, xx MM

Painting in Paradise at @HotelParacas, Peru 🥹🌴💕✨!! This iconic @TheLuxuryCollection hotel is just a 3hr drive south of Lima along the coast and is the chosen it-place for a sunny escape with good reason!! The hotel used to be a private members club in the 1940’s, has a private dock and yacht, a thermal circuit in their exquisite spa, and a literal sea-to-table resto @Chalana.Paracas on the water which serves up the most exciting and inventive takes on traditional Peruvian ceviche and more!! But that’s not all, board a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands from the hotel’s dock for the most extraordinary view of sea lions, penguins, and a pre-historic geoglyph!! More on that next!!

All my love, xx MM

THE COLORS & KINDNESS OF LIMA 🥹🎨💕🇵🇪

THE COLORS & KINDNESS OF LIMA 🥹🎨💕🇵🇪!! Without question, the warmth, openness, and generosity I received these past few days in Lima was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before 😭. From returning “home” every evening to @JWMarriottLima only to find surprise gifts from local artisans waiting for me in my room, to the hand-decorated mirror and personal photo card made to greet me @CourtyardMiraFlores, I was left speechless!!

Getting to sample Peruvian cacao and fresh sea urchin from the local Mercado with @JWMarriottLima’s Executive Chef @Rafael_Casin and Pastry Chef @ValerySchroths, exploring the Love Park and Inka Markets of Miraflores, and the artisan neighborhood of Barranco, has lit my heart on fire ❤️‍🔥!! I finally, FINALLY feel inspired to paint again. I would be remiss not to mention how the whole team at @JWMarriottLima bid me farewell yesterday, clapping in the lobby 😩!!

I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve such kindness but man am I grateful!! I’ve since made my way to Paracas and have so much more to share with you, loves!! Thank you for being on this journey with me thus far.

All my love, xx MM

Greetings from LIMA, loves 🥹🫶🏻🇵🇪✨

Greetings from LIMA, loves 🥹🫶🏻🇵🇪✨!! I’m SO thrilled to finally share that I’ve been commissioned by @MarriottIntl & @BrandmanAgency, to travel through and paint from the glorious country of PERU, in a 5-piece painting series to be revealed this fall!! Some of you may recall that I was quite literally en route to Lima in March 2020 when a rather large world event derailed my travels. I was determined to finally complete my bucket list journey this year, and in the most serendipitous fashion, I got the call about this project completely at random this past May!! Words cannot express just HOW grateful I am to be here!! So much more to come this week, sweet friends!! Stay tuned!!

All my love, xx MM

Darlings!! In just 2 DAYS we are heading out on ou

Darlings!! In just 2 DAYS we are heading out on our next great work adventure ✈️✨!! This destination has long been on my bucket list, it’s the one place I said I wanted to visit in 2023, the country I was quite literally en route to when the *virus* hit March 15th, 2020, and the missing country to this art series. I’m pinching myself that life came full-circle this year, and the opportunity to complete my journey (with a phenomenal project to boot) landed in my inbox a few months ago!! Without further ado, can you guess where we are flying to this Sunday?! The journey of a lifetime awaits us, loves!! xx MM

Caught my breath in beautiful Canada 🥹🩵🇨🇦✨. Hello, hello, again loves!! I didn’t mean to disappear from posting for two weeks. I guess I just really needed a break to rest and reset. I was so depleted at the end of my two month Euro spree. I came back to NYC feeling quite ill but a week at home in the Great White North was all it took to bring me back to life 🥰🫶🏻. And thank goodness for that because we have ONE MORE summer work adventure coming up in a lil over a week’s time (more on that shortly)!! For now I’m sharing just a few gems from my time with my most precious humans.

All my love & forever grateful, xx MM

Take Me to Capri, please ✈️🇮🇹🌊⛱️!

Take Me to Capri, please ✈️🇮🇹🌊⛱️!! These love rock socks, next to their mini blue & white striped Fontelina Beach Club chairs, are tugging at my insatiable wanderlust heartstrings!! Darlings, have you checked out the third stop on the @TravelWriteDraw x @HotSoxCo Collection World Tour yet?! Head to the HOTSOX 🔗 in my bio to get your hands on these dreamy Med creations!!

All my love, xx MM

Darlings, a little secret from me to you 🤭🇬🇧💕: if you find yourself in London this summer, DO NOT MISS the opportunity to dine at Skye Gyngell’s Spring, followed by a walk along the River Thames at dusk ✨. Seasonal dishes served in a restored 19th-century drawing room, tucked within the heartachingly beautiful Somerset House…need I say more 😩?! Just when I think I’ve seen the best this city has to offer, another new gem reveals itself, and humbles me even more!! My already sizeable list of recs in my “LONDON CITY GUIDE” is about to get updated with a handful more!! Watch this space, friends!!

All my love, xx MM