Postcard from Andaz Papagayo, Costa Rica

Happy Sunday Darlings, 

I'm finally back in NYC for a little while. I've been traveling nonstop for the past 4 weeks and didn't even have the chance to tell you that I was heading to Costa Rica a week ago!! I'm currently in the process of preparing my new illustrated story for Dubai, but in the meantime I'll share with you some of my favorite photos from my stay at Andaz Papagayo.

I had seen glimpses of this hotel on Instagram prior to visiting but, like most things, nothing compares to seeing it in real life. First off, the climate in Costa Rica is so balmy and tropical. It instantly brought my stress levels down to nonexistent. This photo above is from the reception and it certainly sets the tone for your experience on property. Andaz Papagayo is a perfect paradise retreat for the NYC city girl or boy.

Just look at their sparkling infinity pool above, which we had nearly to ourselves the entire time we were there. We were visiting right at the end of their rainy season and got so lucky with sunshine everyday.

I knew I was in for serious trouble though when I first entered my room and saw my own personal terrace overlooking the bay. How was I ever going to be able to leave this place?! That balcony became my outdoor studio for the week and it was perfection...

Our first morning there, Andaz took us to a small local village where we got to see traditional folk dancing performed by the most beautiful Cost Rican students. I was so beyond inspired watching them dance that I had to keep painting them in my sketchbook to express how I felt.

We also got to learn about the coffee growing process in Costa Rica and pick beans straight from the trees (see below).

As soon as I got back to property, I immediately started getting down all that inspiration. There is nothing like drawing straight from your travels and capturing all those vivid first impressions.

The next morning I was greeted by a monkey on my terrace who came charging towards me when I made the quietest hello. I have never experienced anything like that before. It was the perfect reminder that Andaz Papagayo is really built into a very natural, tropical landscape.

Some of my favorite memories on property were having a hot stone massage in the open air cabana overlooking the water, learning mixology at Chao Pescao while designing my own signature cocktail, as well as eating the most incredible ceviche our last night at Ostra. It was the perfect getaway to recharge before the holiday season in NYC.

I'm so excited to share my last few projects and adventures of 2016 with you soon. Stay tuned and as always, follow along daily on INSTAGRAM @TRAVELWRITEDRAW for more.

Much love,
Meag xx

Heading to Dubai Tomorrow with Atlantis, The Palm!!

Hello My Loves,

I wanted to post a quick update to let you all know that I'm heading to Dubai tomorrow with Atlantis, The Palm!! This will be my first time returning to the city since my original visit 6 years. As some of you know, Dubai was the trip that inspired me to start TravelWriteDraw which is why I'm so excited to be returning for my career. I can't wait to share what I'll be working on from this trip. Be sure to follow my adventure over on Instagram @TravelWriteDraw. I'll be posting there daily.

Stay tuned for more darlings!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Croatia Bound Today, Wahoo!!

My Darlings!!

I can't even believe it but today I am heading off to Croatia!! I booked this vacation thinking work would be calm during August, but as it turns out, I am completely WRONG. I have so much on my plate in preparation for September/Fashion Month and I'm completely overwhelmed. Looks like I'll be very much on email for the next 9 days lol.

As always, be sure to follow my adventures in Croatia on INSTAGRAM @TravelWriteDraw!!

Excited to share all the new partnerships I have coming up next month.

Much love,
Meag xx

Postcard from Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria

Hello Darlings, 

I've finally returned from my whirlwind adventure in Italy and can't wait to share with you the highlights of my trip with the beautiful Rome Cavalieri. For those of you who aren't familiar with the property, it sits right above the eternal city, giving you the most unparalleled panorama views of Rome. And despite all the gold embellishment and 5 star sparkle, it feels like a true home away from home. In fact, it feels like you are visiting your very wealthy relatives who host the most lively pool parties, own the most extensive personal Italian art-collection, and boast the most warmhearted staff who make you feel so cared for.

My fellow travel mates and I, including Meagan Cignoli, Sam Horine, Katie Sturino, and Melanie Brandman, arrived in Rome bright and early on Saturday July 9th and kicked off our day with breakfast by the pool at L'Uliveto. The photo above was taken from my Imperial Room bedroom balcony. The view was just breathtaking spanning the entire city (you can see the dome of St. Peter's Bascilia to the far right).

For us, Day 1 was really about familiarizing ourselves with the property. We got to have a personal tour of the art collection, followed by an incredible walk through of the wine cellar with Sommelier Marco Reitano, before heading upstairs to the top floor for dinner at La Pergola. You can see from the photo above that the art collection hangs freely and openly amongst the hallways. The hotel is like an all access art gallery.

Honestly, I'm not quite sure I have the words to portray just HOW incredible the meal was at La Pergola. It is the only three Michelin star restaurant in Rome, and certainly one of the best in all of Italy. We got to meet the lovely and humble resident chef Heinz Beck and I had the privilege to chat with him one on one regarding his research/practice in molecular gastronomy. The dish pictured above was the first on our 7 course menu, amberjack tartare on strawberry ice crush, almond mouse and finger lime.

Day 2 began with an amazing yoga session in the hotel park, followed by a mind-blowing chakra stone massage at the Cavalieri Grand Spa Club, and the famous Sunday Brunch at L'Uliveto. I promised myself I would exercise self-control on this trip, but honestly once you see a fresh bowl of stracciatella sitting next to a mountain of fresh basil, I threw all rules out the window...



Fortunately we had the afternoon at leisure to run off some of our breakfast before our evening food tour...



I've never really mentioned this here but I am an enormous Anthony Bourdain fangirl, so you can imagine how absolutely elated I was when we kicked off the food tour at Bonci (the same pizza spot from Bourdain's layover episode in Rome). AND it was every bit as mouthwatering as I had hoped it would be.



From there things escalated to a dinner overlooking the Trevi Fountain, I repeat TREVI FOUNTAIN!! In all the times I've visited Rome, I have never seen this spectacular site from above. And as if things couldn't get any better, we finished the evening with gelato at Giolitti and all 5 New Yorkers boarded our personal vintage Bici & Baci vespas to tour Rome by night.



Rome Cavalieri, let me just say in the interest of full disclosure, that was probably the greatest night I have ever had in Italy!! I can't thank you enough. AND to think there was still another day of the trip to go...Day 3 started with a private tour of the Vatican Gardens and of course St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.



The last time I visited Vatican City I was an art history student at McGill University. It felt absolutely surreal to be walking through 10 years later as a professional artist. It's amazing how life plays out sometimes.



And I honestly appreciate it even more today, than the first time I ever saw it.



A very special thank you to Meagan Cignoli for capturing this moment above. There was something so beautiful and divine about the lighting in the garden.

After our tour we headed back to the hotel for a beautiful picnic at Rome Cavalieri. The kitchen prepared the most amazing dishes complemented by Moet Chandon and our two celebrity dogs (my new best friends), Toast Meets World and Muppets Revenge.

Just look at Toast and I above laughing at all of our inside jokes. Rome Cavalieri actually has a VIP dog program which is pretty darn glamorous if you ask me.

After our picnic, it was time for a little cabana experience by the pool before getting ready for dinner in the Trastevere.

The next morning I left for Milan and eventually returned to Rome Cavalieri to finish off my last few evenings in Italy with them. I felt this huge sense of relief returning to the hotel, when the transfer arrived at Termini station to retrieve me. It had truly become a home away from home for me and I think that is a testimony to the staff and culture they foster there. I would like to extend a very BIG thank you to Frederick Hawkins and Britta Krug for making this trip so extraordinarily special. Your kindness, knowledge, and warmth made this trip so unforgettable. I'm still dreaming of my days there...

Until the next adventure!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Rome Italy Bound with Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria!!

Hello, Hello Again My Loves!!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week. I'm still suffering from jetlag post Hong Kong but the good news is I'm heading to Romaaaa tomorrow and will likely get my sleep in order there. It's been 10 years since I last visited Rome (yes 10 years!!) and I can't wait to experience it with the exquisitiely beautiful Rome Cavalieri. I'll also be making a quick trip to Milan for the first time too. As always, be sure to follow along on Instagram @TravelWriteDraw for all the hourly updates as well as my Snapchat: meagan_morrison!!

Can't wait to show you how Travel Write Draw does Italy!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Postcard from Hong Kong

Hola Darlings!!

I hope you are all having an amazing weekend. I just returned from my Hong Kong adventure and wanted to share a few of my favorite snapshots before I get too busy again. I absolutely LOVED HK!! It quite honestly might be one of my all time favorite cities. We spent a good two days filming for DFS T Galleria's newest campaign, which will launch in a few weeks time, and got to see the very best of the city. I'm battling some serious jetlag at the moment and leave for Rome on Friday so wish me luck and enjoy!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Can you spot our camera guy in the left corner, white t-shirt, over my shoulder?

Postcard from Corinthia Hotel, Lisbon

Hello Darlings!!

Finally I get to share with you my Postcard from the AMAZING Corinthia Hotel Lisbon. It took me a minute to figure out how I was going to capture this heartwarming experience in a single image to open this post. But then I remembered that my first wow impression of this exquisite five-star hotel, happened when I opened the curtains in my room (see below), and saw this glorious view of the city from my window. I knew I had to portray the wonderful cityscape in her chic, wide-leg pants...

So here is the thing my friends, I want to get really real with you about this hotel experience, because it was unlike any trip I have ever been on. Corinthia Lisbon makes it their mission to show you not only an impeccable stay at their hotel, but ALSO the very best of what this city has to offer. So if you are wanting to go to Lisbon and leave feeling like you dove right into the heart of the city, look no further than this hotel.

When I first arrived at my room, my dining table was adorned with a beautiful fruit tart and welcome letter from the sweet general manager Roderick Micallef (see above). Almost immediately after settling in, the hotel's pr manager Maria Galante, aka the heart & soul of Hotel Corinthia Lisbon, whisked myself and my travel mates down to the SPA for an aromatherapy massage to get us back in balance after our flight from NYC. And from there we got dressed and ready to head into the city for our first day of adventures...

We started off in the very cool LX Factory area where we had lunch at A Praca restaurant (see below).

Almost immediately I started to feel the vibes of the Lisboa way of lifeeee. A little red sangria with our lunch, and some amazing majestic tunes floating across the restaurant, made NYC seem like a distant memory. After finishing our delicious meal of traditional Portuguese fresh fish and tapas cuisine, we headed out to the streets of this neighborhood to explore...

We happened upon this amazing labyrinthe bookstore, Ler Devagar, (see above) and of course I waited until the perfect moment when all the pathways cleared to take this photo ;p!!

From there we ventured to Mercado da Ribeira (see above), Lisbon's main food market since 1892, which was reinvigorated in 2014 when Time Out Magazine transformed the space into a foodies paradise.

We got so lucky with the gorgeous weather from the minute we arrived. All the incredible pastel colored buildings just glistened in the sunshine. Above is a view of the stunning Rua Augusta Arch and below is the view when you climb to the top!! FYI, Lisbon is packed with the most ornate architecture; with every turn of the corner, you get to discover a new jewel.


By this time our jetlag was starting to kick in so Corinthia Lisbon lead us on an adventure up Tram 28 for a pre-dinner drink in Alfama. From here you could see all the breathtaking views over the city (see below).

After we were properly sun-kissed and blissed, we were ready for our mouthwatering dinner at Corinthia's Tipico Restaurant. I can still remember the taste of that citrus glazing the fresh octopus salad and wait...now my stomach is growling!! I fell fast asleep that night with visions of Lisbon racing through my mind.