The birth of this hodgepodge Substack
And in the beginning...
What shall I call you?
When thinking up a name for this Substack, I had originally thought to call it “Musings of a Millennial Maverick.” I ran that by my mother and she said I was not, in fact, a maverick. I was a bit offended, to be honest. I have always considered myself a very independent person. I’m unconventional, I certainly don’t follow the status quo, and I’ve always been a bit of a rebel. But when I sat down and really thought about it, I realized she was right.
What happened to that girl who once went skinny dipping in Greece and hitch hiking in Israel but now goes days without leaving the house or even changing out of her pajamas? She used to have adventures – traipsing through the jungles of Thailand tripping on shrooms with strangers, hot air ballooning in Laos, bungee jumping in Costa Rica – now the highlight of her day is stuffing her face with oily spaghetti from a takeout container.
Alone.
When I reflected on my life at present, I was reminded of the Talking Heads song “Once in a Lifetime” with the refrain “and you may find yourself” which reflects not only the monotony of everyday life that we resign ourselves to, but also a false sense of autonomy we possess over our own lives. As if we haven’t actively made decisions and taken courses of action that led us to whatever life we’re currently living. At the end of the first verse, Byrne sings: “And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”
How, indeed.
An ending that led to a new beginning
After three years working a cushy job that allowed me to work remotely and make my own schedule, I got sacked. It was the first time in a 27-year work history that that had ever happened to me. Within minutes of opening the damning email, I ran the gamut of emotions in the stages of grief from indignance to shock, from denial to bargaining (yes, I admit I put my pride aside and bargained shamelessly like I was down to my last cent), and finally (after rage sobbing for a good 45 minutes) acceptance.
After shoving some toaster waffles down my gullet, I felt a lot better. I realized I was crying and carrying on over a job I never even liked. It was soul sucking, mind numbing, tedious, and monotonous. Now, I thought to myself, I will finally have the time to do what I really want to do! What I had been putting off all these years!
Write.
Well, no sooner had I made myself feel better with this realization that another, conflicting realization dawned on me: I was stuck in the age-old paradox of “time but no money, money but no time.” And for the first time, I was on the other side of it. I had just put the majority of my savings in a CD, which I wouldn’t be able to access for the next 13 months and had just invested what little was left in some e-learning courses.
Besides, what was I going to write about anyway? I have so many hobbies and interests, I couldn’t possibly choose just one. I am the poster child for “jack of all trades, master of not a damn thing.” If I had a nickel for every hobby, instrument, language, project, job, degree or career path started and stopped, my inaccessible funds would be a non-issue. But even with all these uncertainties and my financial future hanging in the balance, I knew I wanted to do one thing for certain.
Write.
I had no focus or specific direction I wanted to go in. I just knew I had to do something other than sit on the couch with a plate of toaster waffles feeling sorry for myself.
Hence the birth of three different publications (Flash Flex, Musings & Meanderings, and The Globetrotting Bookworm) under the single Substack Morgan in Wanderland. I wanted to give myself the freedom to write about anything and everything that interested me without confining myself to a single category, but also recognized I needed some focus and direction so as not to confuse my readers.
Morgan in Wanderland 💫
I decided on this name for my Substack because I am a wanderer at heart, and no matter how many hobbies I pick up and drop, languages I learn and forget, relationships I start and end, this sense of wanderlust has always been the one constant in my life. From a tiny tot running off in the woods with the neighbor’s dog, to a runaway tween, to a solo backpacking adult, wanderlust is my driving force.
Flash Flex 💪
I knew I wanted to write fiction, but having started and ultimately shelving a book project in the past, I felt it was too daunting to launch straight into a full-length novel. I always have loads of ideas just floating around in my mind keeping me up at night but lack the follow-through (and patience) to flesh them out into something anywhere near the requisite 80,000-word count for standard adult fiction. So, when I came across some 30-day flash fiction writing prompts and started having fun getting my creative juices flowing again, I thought this would be the perfect way to get over my fear of putting my writing out into the world.
Writing is a muscle like any other; it needs to be flexed to grow. In this space, I will publish flash fiction and short stories, forcing myself into the super uncomfortable, but necessary position of being critiqued. I will also encourage you to join in the writing prompts challenges and flex your writing muscle with me.
Musings & Meanderings 💭
So as not to box myself in to any one category, I created this space for random ramblings. Here you will find commentary, observations, unsolicited advice and opinions on a variety of topics ranging from AI to Zen retreats. Basically, a brain dump for whatever thoughts are swirling around in my head when I should be sleeping or focusing on a task or conversation.
The Globetrotting Bookworm 📚
This project is my baby. A global online book club dedicated to reading books by women authors from every country. We’ll travel the world one book at a time and engage in lively discussions, building community with other internationally minded readers and thinkers.
Join me in Wanderland
Whether or not you’re a reader, writer or lover of rambles, I’m confident you’ll find something here that will entertain you, and I would love to have you along for the ride.
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