Hello!
My name is Courtney, I am 21 years old, and this is my first blog post. I want this to be a space where I share my thoughts, daydreams, and ramblings, and share little snippets of my day. My life is not extraordinary, but I believe that I can give it a bit of sparkle by finding ways to appreciate the small, pretty things - thus, a blog to capture all this, both in words and in photographs. And what better way to introduce myself than to write to you about five things that I love.
1. Reading
Wow. How exciting. But seriously, I have always loved books. I am definitely a fan of a good, old-fashioned paperback book - the idea of a kindle or something similar, although convenient, has never seemed an option to me. I love fairytales. I love stories with magic and beautiful imagery and romance and emotion. I love Harry Potter. Yet I also love classic novels. And perhaps a bit of adventure. Unfortunately, being a university student for the past 3 and a bit years has robbed me of reading time - I spend more time reading cases and academic journal articles than anything. Currently, I am trying to get back into it, starting with a book I picked up from the library, "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier.
2. Breakfast
My favourite meal of the day. I just love the idea of a fresh, crisp morning, walking to a local cafe and dining in the sunshine on pancakes, eggs, toast, french toast, fresh berries, bananas...and of course a lovely cup of coffee. I adore the scent of coffee wafting out of shops as I walk past.
3. Yoga
I love being active, full stop. If I go too long without being active, I feel like something is missing. Yoga is my favourite form of exercise, especially in this wintery city. I love to feel strong, focused, and open. I absolutely adore Tara Stiles and her philosophy on yoga and a healthy life in general - make your own rules! Her classes calm me down, keep me strong, and allow me to focus throughout my day.
4. Travelling
I haven't been to many places. I was born and raised in New Zealand, and have travelled around a little, and have once been overseas to Australia. However, I dream of traveling once I have finished my study. Paris, Italy, England, America, New Caledonia, Thailand...everywhere. Particularly Paris. To be able to see places totally different to what I'm used to here in my little country. Right now, I enjoy everything about going to different towns, and flying or bussing to my hometown for the holidays to see my family. I love packing, picking up travel snacks, a warm takeaway morning coffee, and putting my headphones in and daydreaming. I love the freshness of being somewhere new for a little while.
5. The beach
Oh my. I can't even explain how much I adore the ocean. Every single summer since I was a toddler has been spent at the beach. I even took up a job last summer at my favourite beach just so I could be by the ocean a little longer! I love the sunshine (hence, my blog title!), I love the sand, I love early morning swims in the ocean and the feeling of diving under a wave. I love everything about it. Writing this in the middle of winter makes me especially nostalgic. I find that in summertime I am so much more relaxed, and overall a lot healthier. My body and soul thrive when I'm near the ocean.
