Recharge and Refocus

ItalyLifestyle Musings
Written By Catherine Courtney

Buongiorno amici! Some of you may have been wondering where I have been. No, I have not fallen victim to a food coma nor did I fall out of the blogosphere. To say that life has been a hot mess lately is quite the understatement. I decided to take some time to recharge and refocus...in Italy! Over the next couple of weeks, I plan on sharing all of the juicy details of my adventures through Puglia, the southern region of Italy forming the "heel" of Italy's "boot" as well as my escapades through the canals of Venice. By far a trip of a lifetime.

Relaxing after a wine tasting at I Pastini

In the midst of my travel scheming, I stumbled upon this question:" what if we recharged ourselves as often as we do our phones?" Immediate uncontrollable laughter. I don't know about you, but I make sure my phone is charged at all times. Rarely does it get below 50% without me grabbing a power cord. While this holds true for my phone, it's not my personal philosophy. Between the never-ending to-do lists, adulting and my "real" job, I find it hard to carve out time where I unplug from my daily tasks and recharge my own battery. My travel to Italy allowed me to re-energize and stimulate my senses with new surroundings and experiences. I even had a chance to take a small tech detox (note, I said small)  While I can't say that I am 100%, this trip most certainly put things into perspective. 

What do you do to recharge your battery and live your best life? 

Until next time! 

Overlooking the grotto restaurant in Polignano di Mare at sunset

Catherine Courtney

Welcome to Blonde Voyage Nashville!

I am so excited to finally see this dream become a reality.  Between the destination restaurants, the copious amount of food photos and insanely crazy travel stories, I have decided to share my journey. 

My name is Catherine Courtney and I am a Nashville native with a penchant for culinary creativity and epic travel adventures. I'll admit... I also have a slight obsession with handbags.

Two years ago, my life changed completely.  Everything that I knew to be was completely turned upside down.  I quickly realized that time is our greatest commodity and it's not to be taken for granted. I couldn't wait for the perfect time, who knew when that would be.  I needed to take the leap and explore the world on my own.  There were so many places I wanted to go, but where would I start. 

France was always one of those places that I had romanticized.  Wandering the streets of Paris and seeing the Eiffel tower were at the top of my list. Without hesitation, I booked a two week trip to the French Rivera and Paris.  It was a journey of a lifetime.  Not only were amazing friendships cultivated, but it was on that trip that i discovered that food and travel are the embers that that keep my soul on fire. 

It wasn't until I arrived back in Nashville with my passport that I realized I had been bit. Wanderlust had completely taken over.  I already started thinking about where I wanted to go next.  It was then that I decided that it was more important to have camera full of photos and a tattered journal full of stories than anything else. My heart was overflowing.

One of my favorite quotes that resonates is from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland:

"Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures...."

Join me as I explore near and far away places, filling my passport full of stamps and satiating my appetite with some of the most amazing cuisine the world has to offer. 

Thanks for reading! 

       

 

 

http://blondevoyagenashville.com
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