BY SHANIA PERERA Currently juggling multiple aspects of her life, Megara Wijemanne is no stranger to hard work. She balances her blogs, modeling career, and studies, and will keep at it till she reaches the height of success. Megara spoke to The Sunday Morning Happinez about how she does it all. Tell us about yourself. I’m 21 years old and I’m currently an undergraduate of finance and management at the University of Colombo as well as a CIMA student. I mainly focus on blogging and modeling – I have modeled for a few high-end brands such as Sonar Mandir, Avirate, and Bollywood Boutique. I have a few more upcoming shoots too. I mostly focus on blogging and have been invited to many places to write reviews. I also formed a team called TSF which consists of around 20 influencers. We all go for group reviews and I manage to get gigs for them as well. I like keeping myself occupied with all this work. I try my best to balance it with my Instagram page and I’m planning on starting my own YouTube channel in a few months’ time. What does blogging mean to you? Blogging is actually what I’m most passionate about; it’s what I love doing and it makes me happy. It’s also a stress reliever for me. I really enjoy modeling too. I’m exploring my options at the moment and considering incorporating the exposure I gain from my degree into blogging to take it to the next level. Sri Lanka has a lot to offer when it comes to influencer content. Tell us about the projects you’ve done or you’re involved in. I started off last August when I was invited to Hilton to attend their Strawberry High Tea event. I was invited to Galle Face Hotel where Lonely Planet organized an event for Sri Lanka when it became the number one travel destination in their listing. I also reviewed a small restaurant in Galle as well as places like Tea Avenue, The Four Leafed Clover, Pastamania, Indian Summer, and many more. I have also done promotions for Daraz. What is your typical day like? A typical day for me consists of a balance of whatever I do. I make sure I go to the gym at least twice a week; on a typical day, I would go to the gym, then attend lectures, following which I would come home and plan content for social media and then decide what projects I can be involved with or initiate in the future. I’m really into social media and I like helping brands through social media. What are the latest trends you follow? Currently, a lot of people on social media are open about their opinions and Keep going exactly the way you are now. You have come a long way and trust me, in five years all your hard work will pay off. I’m a strong believer of speaking one’s mind. For example, the latest social media movement that I’ve been following is the Be Kind Movement. The whole idea is to spread positivity. When browsing social media, you may feel that people are having better lives than you, and it’s completely normal to want what they have – we’re all human beings after all. But then it is also necessary to have a reality check more times than you think necessary. Describe your greatest passion. My greatest passions are modeling and blogging. I want my Instagram page to grow to new heights with an extensive follower base and later on, I would like to build a career out of it. Tell us about your travels. The last time I traveled, I covered a trip around Europe – mostly around Spain and Portugal. Since I don’t get to travel a lot with my family, when I do travel with them, it’s like an adventure of a lifetime. Recently, we went to Kitulgala and we were white water rafting, canoeing, and we took the confidence jump too – it’s a very cool thing to do. I’m planning to blog about my travels as well in the near future. Internationally, I’ve traveled to more than 10 countries since I was a kid, from what I can remember. I really liked Australia because it’s an amazingly beautiful country. I also liked Spain and Portugal very much. How does your passion make an impact in your life? I always try to balance my passion and hard work. At the moment, there’s a lot going on in my life with my studies, modeling, and blogging – not to mention traveling too. I do my best to balance all of this because this is where my passion lies. I believe my hard work pays off eventually. For example, last week I did an Avirate shoot, along with which I was studying for an exam set for the same week. So, finding that balance between work and studies may be tough but at the end of the day, I’m humbled to have reaped the best out of my hard work and dedication. Blogging and modeling have played a big role in my life in terms of relieving me of stress. It’s my way to unwind. I always have a good time with my TSF team when we go for food reviews; we always enjoy ourselves and have a good time. What is the best advice you would give to your 16-year- old self? The best advice I could give is: Keep going exactly the way you are now. You have come a long way and trust me, in five years all your hard work will pay off.  What do you always notice about someone when you meet them? I always notice their eyes and smile. You can always see how people react to you when you see their eyes, and even before getting to know each person, I always notice if there’s a reassuring smile and I make eye contact too. As the saying goes, “the eyes are the windows to the soul” PHOTOS MEGARA WIJEMANNE