WordPress Developer & Project Manager
Posted by Megan Jonas On April 27, 2017
I’m moving to Alaska.
No, seriously. I took a summer job at an adventure lodge in Alaska. It’s a full time job that won’t leave much time for web development, but I am keeping many of my current ongoing clients and will be returning to full time web work in the fall.
I will return to this blog at that point, too.
For more on my trip and adventures in Alaska, check out my blog at Last One Up.
Posted by Megan Jonas On March 15, 2015
Today, I hiked. I woke up to a beautiful, warm, Western North Carolina morning (the first one we’ve had on a weekend I’ve been in town all year) and I decided to put aside work (yes, work on a Sunday… blurg…) and head for the trails.
I chose a challenging trail in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just outside of town. The guide book said the trails can be quite muddy after a rainy week like we had, so I laced up my trusty hiking boots and headed out. It was hard, it was long, and it was amazingly fun. Several times while hiking, I thought to myself, “this is the reason I moved here.”
About one mile to go on an eight mile hike, I felt like something was dragging on my left foot. I looked back and saw that the sole of my boot had almost completely detached from the shoe. I flipped and flopped out to the trail and thought about all the good times I had in those boots, which I’ve owned for about 10 years. They were sturdy but comfortable (and bought on sale!) so I just never saw the need to replace them.
But sometimes you have to replace things that are old, outdated, broken, or just plain falling apart. In business and in life, you have to think about the tools you’ve “always used” and decide if they are still the right tools for the job. Just because I build sites in WordPress and use Dreamweaver, Coda, and Filezilla every single day, doesn’t mean those will always be the right tools to use. Part of succeeding in life is knowing when it’s time to retire some of those things.
And so this week, I’m boot shopping.
Posted by Megan Jonas On February 21, 2015
This weekend, I am returning to D.C. for a visit, something I haven’t done since I left over a year ago. In fact, by the time you read this I will already be there (the joys of scheduled WordPress posts).
I am looking forward to catching up with old friends, most of whom know I am really, really bad at staying in touch, but won’t hold it against me.
I am also hoping for at least a little bit of good weather fortune, as we’re supposed to get something between snow and freezing rain here in Asheville over the weekend, and DC’s forecast looks just about as bad. I’d like to get to some different parts of the city in my brief, 48-hour stay, but the weather might not cooperate.
Still, it’s not a tourist visit or a work visit. The trip is about seeing people who I love and if we spend all weekend camped out on someone’s floor, that’s probably OK too. But I will refuse to leave if I don’t get a cupcake from Sticky Fingers – so consider yourself warned, D.C.
#jonasreturnstodc
Posted by Megan Jonas On February 18, 2015
You may have seen this latest marketing gambit by the city of Ithaca, N.Y. and their travel and tourism website. It involves and unlikely message for most travel marketers: “Don’t come here, go to Florida, instead.”
As someone who spent four cold years just 30 minutes north of Ithaca in Syracuse, let me tell you. They are right. February are dark days for central New Yorkers. It’s been at least a month since they’ve seen more than a day above freezing. They’re digging out from yet another snow storm that would grind any other area of the country to a full, week-long halt. And the sun, when it makes a rare appearance, seems to only make things colder (All former or current CNY residents know that clouds are actually positive because they trap what little heat the area has).
And so, the Visit Ithaca site decided to have a sense of humor about all of this and gently suggest that maybe this isn’t the best time of year to visit. Maybe you might want to consider a warmer climate for your February travels. Oh, and, by the way, it’s a great place to visit in Spring, Summer, and especially early fall, when the gorges that the area is famous for (Ithaca is Gorges t-shirt, anyone?) are lit up with fall colors.
Most tourism bureaus would shy away from this, seeing it as a risky move. But honesty and integrity go a long way, and so has this campaign. It’s now trending in some areas on social media, and people who never even knew where Ithaca was are visiting the site and poking around. Next time your agency suggests something a little out of your comfort zone, don’t be so quick to say no. You might just have the next viral campaign on your hands, or at the very least, you might have the ability to convey that you have a sense of humor about yourself and your destination/brand.
And no one will hate you for that.