With a contented confidence, she won us over.
A friend, a partner, a mum and daughter.
Megan is a midwife from the Sapphire Coast - a raw and nostalgic region on NSW’s far south coast. Like many Australian’s she has a strong connection to the bush and the sea. From growing up as a child in Oberon, then moving to the beach town of Pambula at 11, her adventurous spirit with an affinity to the land was ignited.
And where the bush and the sea meet, is where we will always find her. How do we describe her? Here’s a few words:
Water baby
Soul nourisher
Good hugger
Kind soul
Curious nature
Warm mother.
A woman in love with being a woman.
For a little context on how we met. I was at University and my friend, Kate, and I decided during our July break to head to the UK and travel around Ireland and Scotland. Little did we know we’d meet Megan, who we would fall in love with instantly.
We were all on the same bus tour and Megan was in our bunk room that first night (and every night after). Kate and I walked into the room and there was Megan, already pants off lying in her t-shirt and undies. I remember being in awe of this woman who was so confident just letting us all see her in her comfies. God I wish I’d had that level of confidence! And then she let out a giant rip - that’s right, a biggggg fart. I think my eyes welled up laughing and all I could think then and there was, I have to be friends with this person. And friends we’ve been ever since. (And yes I asked if I could include this! Her response: “You gotta be comfortable in this life, or it’s not worth living.”)
I have vivid memories of her whit and candidness igniting every conversation. Her excitement for new adventures getting us all out of our comfort zone. And the visual of her running full pelt from the bathrooms of Luskentyre beach in a one piece swimsuit and diving head first into the 10 degree water will forever be burnt into my mind. It is how I will always see her. A 25 year old who never let a little discomfort get in the way of her doing exactly what she wanted.
To create an heirloom piece with the birthstones of her two children was a complete pleasure and privilege I do not take lightly. Made from 9ct Rose Gold and embedded with an alexandrite and a green sapphire, the piece captures the warmth of Megan’s heart and the love that lies within it.
Here’s Megan.
When we met, you were travelling around Scotland before moving to Edinburgh for a job. What made you want to leave the shores of the Sapphire Coast to explore the UK?
”The shortest answer would be that I didn’t realise or appreciate what I had in my own backyard. I’ve always searched for adventure and I had a friend that had lived in London in her early twenties and spoke about it with such fond memories. I thought, that’s cool, I’d like to give that a go. Everyone I spoke to about it said it was a huge challenge I was embarking upon, but I naively chose to ignore them.
There were so many hurdles to overcome, like sitting an English Language Test to start. I thought I would pass it with flying colours, with English being the only language I know. I think I got 12 or 13/15 which was a rude shock. I am so grateful for my time in the UK and in Europe. Not only did I make fantastic memories and see and do some incredible things, but I also woke up to the beauty of Australia that I had taken for granted my whole life.”
For memory, you didn’t stay in Edinburgh all too long. What pulled you back home?
”Gumtrees. I remember seeing so many old buildings in Europe and their significance started to become lost on me. They were a dime a dozen. I began to crave the sight and smell of gumtrees.
I was also living in a less than desirable living situation. I moved to Edinburgh at the same time as the Fringe Festival, and there was nothing available to rent.
I found myself living with a family of four in a 3 bedroom house, they all lived in the living room and rented the three bedrooms out. I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen, I had a mini fridge and microwave in my room to prepare food. Weetbix and sainsbury’s soups were my lifeline. The laundry was also in the kitchen. I had a really late period (from stress and travel) and it came after attending a comedy gig one night. It was a big one. I flooded the bed. I knew then, when I was hiding in the bathroom washing my sheets in the bathtub that it was time to leave. I had enough money left to either sit my final nursing exam or pay for a flight back home. I had a job interview to become a midwife waiting for me back at home. I trusted my gut and that’s the option I took.”
Much like me, you also had a change of career from what you originally studied. Personally, I had a gut feeling there was something better suited to me out there. What were you doing before Midwifery and what made you want to change?
”I started a Bachelor of Photography after highschool and I had just entered the subject where you have to create a business plan and figure out how to turn your skills in to a liveable career. It was way less fun than playing in the studio or the darkroom, and I didn’t take it seriously. I was failing the class. I had a 2am meltdown, wondering what else I might be good at.
I remember throughout highschool, my Dad telling me I would make a good nurse. I went to a nursing session at a Uni open day and thought, no way. Gross. No thanks. But in times of crisis, I often listen to the advice my parents have given me, I messaged a friend I knew who was studying nursing and she said it wasn’t so bad so I thought I’d see what it was like. I applied in person at the small campus on the coast and got in straight away.
I remember sitting in photography tutorials being so confused, thinking, what am I doing here? This doesn’t make sense to me. During my nursing tutorials, I remember thinking, Oh yeah, I get this, this makes sense, I understand this science. I enjoyed the job and the satisfaction it gave me making a difference in peoples lives. While I was a nursing student I did a placement on a maternity ward. It turned me off Midwifery no end. Screaming ladies and crying babies, witnessing an Obstetrician do an episiotomy on a woman with no anaesthetic. It seemed a far too brutal and confronting career choice for me.
Fast forward to me sitting up past midnight in an Airbnb in Croatia the night before I was about to jump on a yacht for a week with no service, applying for a student Midwife role. I don’t know what came over me. I just trusted in my intuition and for good reason.
I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was always meant to be. My favourite book as a child was a human anatomy pregnancy book. It absolutely fascinated me how a baby could form inside of a woman.
I remember sitting in midwifery tutorials thinking, I get this!! And its amazing, I love it. It’s so fascinating. It has honestly worked out to be the best career choice I could have ever imagined for myself. Working with women, babies, families. It’s like hanging out with your friends all day. And you get paid for it.”
A conversation that comes up so often these days is finding something that is your purpose. But I really believe your purpose can change and pivot as life develops. Where do you feel your strongest sense of purpose at the moment?
”Without a doubt, 100% at home with my family. That’s a short but sweet one. Raising my daughter and preparing to raise a son too. Everything else I have done in life feels like I was just biding my time until I started a family of my own. It’s the most fulfilling role I have ever signed up for and I am entirely committed to it.
Sometimes I feel as if I have manifested this life for myself. Its something I have dreamed of since I was a little girl. A beautiful man to love, who loves me back, where our love has created a whole new way of life for both of us, one that we never imagined could be so profound or purposeful.”
“I appreciate that I am now at a place in life where if I’m not enjoying myself, I know I don’t have to stay. Once upon a time I would have just hung around and endured the situation. Becoming a mother has shortened my tolerance for discomfort.”
You have always had such an exuberance, an independence, a knowing of self. It’s the first thing that drew me to you as a friend - how boldly you show the world exactly who you are. Tell me your thoughts on confidence.
”I think mine comes from the security of knowing I am loved and accepted, just as I am from my family. And sometimes I think it’s a fake it til you make it situation.
Working with strangers at a time in life when they’re at their most vulnerable requires you to put on a confident façade for their sake. You want the person in your care to feel trust and ease in your presence, even if you’re not feeling your most confident at the time.
I also think I have accepted myself for who I am, early on in life. I have asked myself before, If I met me, would I want to be friends with me? The answer is always yes. I love to surround myself with people I see parts of myself in. They’re real and raw and hilarious and make me feel like sunshine. That’s the feeling I want to leave other people feeling after spending time with them too. I love making genuine and authentic connections with people, and when you’ve got that foundation, you’re free to be exactly you, which allows natural confidence to shine through. From acceptance I suppose.”
As time has continued on, what is something you miss about your past self? And what do you appreciate most about your present self?
”Superficially, the body I once had. I probably won’t ever have that again, especially after having babies. And recently, my hair. Haha, I got a mum cut in preparation for life with the new baby. Its just not me. I don’t think I miss anything about my character though. I think I’ve evolved and changed as time has gone on, letting parts of my life go that are no longer serving me, perhaps to make room for the bigger things like my family.
I appreciate that I am now at a place in life where if I’m not enjoying myself, I know I don’t have to stay. Once upon a time I would have just hung around and endured the situation. Becoming a mother has shortened my tolerance for discomfort. I think I’ve always been pretty good at a smoke bomb exit though, to be honest.”
We created a necklace with the birthstones of your two children of which you gave me complete creative freedom to design anything I wanted! What are your thoughts on trust? How do you give it so freely?
”I give it so freely to you because I know what you’re capable of. I know your skill and creativity and I know and love your sense of style and aesthetic. I am a total control freak otherwise!!! I will send specific links for gift ideas and I get very disappointed if the gift deviates from the specific I set out.
In regards to trust in other areas of life, I think it comes from being able to read people quickly. In fresh social situations, I will often be the one to sit back and observe and listen to others and get a feel for them before I give anything of myself. In my relationship, I trust freely because I believe it’s the most important foundation for a healthy relationship. I trust Will has my back and will always do what is right by me and our family.”
Looking forward, if you could wish for one thing in your future, what would it be?
”I wish for us to always be as happy and in love as we are now. We are at a very content place in life, living simply and enjoying the smaller treasures life has to offer. Literally and figuratively. Our little darling heart Pippa, walks around the neighbourhood, swings at the park, warming up at the beach under the winter sun. It’s bliss. But also, a lovely north facing house with a big backyard that’s warm in winter and cool in the summer.”
And to finish, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
”If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. I have saved a lot of time and energy practicing by this motto. I am efficient born out of laziness, so I would rather do the job properly once so I have more time to enjoy myself. Because, you know, life is for living!”