Have you ever wondered what physician family life is really like? Is it all champagne and caviar, or more like 5-hour energy drink and Cup O' Noodles ramen? 

I'm demystifying it all in a new guest blog for The Flipside Life, an organization dedicated to the well-being of physician families (like mine). 

Read more about medical life glitz vs. grit in The Flipside Life blog, which features an excerpt from my book, "Memoirs of a Surgeon's Wife: I'm Throwing Your Damn Pager into the Ocean." 

Find all of my bylines and media mentions here. 

Raise a glass and get to reading!

Ya'll, it's been 5 years since I started writing The Savvy Surgeon's Wife blog!

I cannot believe how the years have flown by. 

To celebrate, I'm sharing the top 40 most popular Savvy Surgeon's Wife blogs on writing, work, parenthood, travel, and being married to medicine. Dig in, it's going to be a fun one!

Travel

​Vacation fun: 44 things you only do when you're on vacation or holiday

Baby/toddler travel guide series: what to pack

Baby/toddler travel guide series: going international

Why travel? 9 reasons I will never stop traveling

Cruise with kids: Entertainment strategies that keep the whole family happy (baby/toddler travel guide series)

Cruise with kids: Travel tips for cruising with toddlers (baby/toddler travel guide series

Your insider Seattle trip planner: lodging (where to stay) and getting around (rental car or no rental car?)
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An insider’s guide to Seattle’s Pike Place Market

Hello, friends! Dropping a quick note on the blog to let you know that I'm soon to be a second-time mama, and now *officially* on maternity leave.

My husband, daughter and I can't wait to welcome our second baby girl into the world. 

Since I've done this once before, I know that I won't be emerging from my baby bubble for at least 2 months, and I plan to enjoy each and every kiss on those cute little toesies. 

As an independent author and freelance writer, I am so blessed to be able to set my own schedule and the direction of my creative pursuits. 

Big plans for new books are in the works for 2019! I promise to keep you posted here and on social media. 

See you on the other side of motherhood round 2! 

I’m about as Type A as they come, so this is difficult for me to come to terms with: pregnancy is utterly exhausting, and it’s time for me to start slowing down a bit.
 
In a little less than 10 weeks, I’ll be having my second child. My husband, daughter and I are thrilled to welcome another baby girl into the world in December.
 
Here’s the problem – I’ve been beating myself up internally about all the things I should be doing with my writing and book promotion, on social media, around the house, and in preparation for our growing family, even though it’s physically impossible for me to tackle everything on my to-do list.
 
I’m at the point where it’s an extreme challenge just to put on my own shoes (aside from flip flops, standing up, of course).
 
Heartburn strikes at all hours, regardless of what I’ve eaten.
 
A daily nap is a must.
 
If I get two hours of writing work done on any given day, that’s a major win.
 
I’m now completely useless in the evenings, when I previously tied up loose ends and caught up on whatever I didn’t have time for during the day.
 
But, you know what? I also published a book while pregnant.
 
I suffered through months of debilitating nausea and still managed to complete and publish a freaking book – doing everything but the cover design and professional editing myself.
 
I’ve been interviewed on a podcast, in a local magazine, and for my business email and grammar expertise. 

And I also managed to care for a three-year-old and a surgeon hubby on top of it all.
 
I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in 2018.
 
Now I’m choosing to shift my own paradigm – altering the expectations I have for myself.
 
The reality is that I have about 2-4 hours of quality energy in my personal tank every day. Rather than moaning and groaning or denying this fact, I am going to start using that time wisely.
 
I will NOT waste energy obsessing over what I should be doing. I will NOT waste energy feeling guilty.
 
Instead, I’m going to enjoy this time that I will never get back: quality 1:1 time with my daughter and husband, and the joys of nesting and preparing for a new baby.
 
Ultimately, this means I’ll be taking an extended break from this blog, as well as social media.
 
I’ll be revving down instead of up so that I can focus on my family and stay sane and healthy.
 
I’ll be recharging my batteries so that I can enter this next exciting phase of life and give it my all.
 
I’ll share this journey with you, my readers, as time and energy allow.
 
In the meantime, I wish you all the best and brightest! If you need me, I'll probably be sleeping (while I can!). 

This month on The Write Life, a trusted resource for the business and craft of writing, I'm drawing inspiration from real life. 
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Specifically, on life with a toddler and as a writer, and where the two paths intersect.

So, what do toddlers and bad writers have in common? 

You'll have to read the article to find out. If you're a parent, writer, or both -- this one is not to be missed.

Find all of my articles on The Write Life here.  

You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
On The Write Life: 18 Ways to Support an Author (Besides Buying Their Book)
On The Write Life: 17 Incredible Possibilities if Writers Ran The World
On The Write Life: Get Inspired! 20 Writers to Follow on Twitter
Article on The Write Life: Think Like a Journalist to Improve Your Writing (Trench Coat Optional!)
How to be the perfect friend: a guide for the ladies
Writing tips: What I want to blog about vs. what I actually blog about
One year after my major career change from full-time mom to full-time writer: reflections and lessons learned
For writers: All your writing fears, squashed!
A real, imperfect day in the life of a writer: me
Your writing conference checklist: how to make it worth every minute and every penny (takeaways from the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference) 
The write stuff: An author’s favorite books and authors 
Writing tips: Cutting down on word fat and other newsletter best practices 
All about writing: writing 'til it hurts 

Hello, friends! Happy New Year to all of you!
 
I, for one, am especially pumped about 2018.
 
Why?
 
Because this is the year I will self-publish my debut nonfiction book: “Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife: I’m Throwing Your Damn Pager into the Ocean”.
 
And let me tell ya, this thing, this passion project of mine, has been a long time coming. 

I started writing “Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife” in 2013 while I was working full-time as a Corporate Communications Manager. It was something I did on weeknights and weekends whenever I could muster the energy and inspiration.
 
Then, life decided to throw me a few more curve balls – namely, pregnancy and motherhood.
 
I didn’t work on the book for a whole YEAR.
 
It wasn’t until my daughter was 15 months old and started part-time day care that I was finally able to turn my attention to my book once again.
 
In less than six months, I finished the first draft. I was elated. I had written a BOOK! 

To keep things moving, I strategically planned to attend the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference, which forced me to quickly write my nonfiction book proposal, create and hone my elevator pitch, and research potential literary agents to represent my book.
 
At the conference last February, I pitched my book to several literary agents in person, and received three requests for my manuscript and book proposal, a huge win.
 
I also started tackling a necessity for today’s authors: building an ‘author platform’, or online presence for readers. Most of 2017 was spent in pursuit of this challenging endeavor.
 
I am thrilled to report that I now have nearly 10,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and my email subscribers (and growing). 

The one thing I was not able to accomplish in 2017 was to contract with a literary agent to represent my work, with the goal of securing a traditional publishing contract. I did have conversations with a few individuals and some positive feedback, but nothing more materialized. I could sit around and moan and whine about it all day, but I won’t.
 
Instead, I’m taking matters into my own hands: I’m self-publishing my memoir in 2018.
 
Have I done this before? Kinda.
 
I mean, I did publish this book, 100 of Your Toughest Business Emails: Solved, so I have some experience. 

But taking charge of the complete book production, launch and marketing strategy for a full-length memoir? Nope, haven’t done it yet.
 
Here’s the thing: I’m not worried. I’m beyond-words excited.
 
What I don’t know how to do now I will figure out. I will ask for help when I need it. And I will remember that if something doesn’t seem just a tad bit scary, it’s probably not worth doing.
 
Why, exactly, have I decided to self-publish?
 
Because the very thought of it fills me with joy, honestly. And I want other medical couples out there to know that they can and will get through the training years and the difficult times.
 
So, that’s the big news for 2018. 

Want to get involved?
 
I will be recruiting an exclusive launch team to help me spread the word about “Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife”. These folks will get to read the book before everyone else, will score a free copy, and will be privy to and part of the action behind the scenes of a real live book launch.
 
More on this soon – watch this blog for details.
 
What challenges are YOU taking on this year? Cheers to possibility! 

You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
It's Here! Get My Free E-Book: 100 of Your Toughest Business Emails: Solved on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks and more
Writing tips: What I want to blog about vs. what I actually blog about
One year after my major career change from full-time mom to full-time writer: reflections and lessons learned
For writers: All your writing fears, squashed!
A real, imperfect day in the life of a writer: me
Your writing conference checklist: how to make it worth every minute and every penny (takeaways from the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference) 
Physician Family guest blog: Does Match Day dictate your destiny? A surgeon’s wife weighs in
Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: A word to mothers who aspire to have a surgeon-in-law
Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: No, I don’t want no scrubs
Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: For the love of Danskos
Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: The other shoe