HOLA!

I am the newest member of the Stela 9 crew and I will be providing you with daily blog posts to inspire you thru the week! This blog is a glimpse of the spirit behind Stela 9 and I am excited to share the visual diary of our inspiration and creativity!

My name is Courtney or as the locals pronounce my name here in Guatemala as “Korny” (flattering I know.) I am a self proclaimed beach bum, adventure seeker, moon chaser, dreamer, wanderer, nature frolicker, sea dweller, yogini, vegetarian. Quite a combination, I know. I love practicing yoga, surfing and being inspired.  I have a gypsy bohemian fashion style. I like to mix old with the new. I am incredibly conscious of where my clothing comes from and the affect that the fashion industry can have on the environment. My love of exploration, nature, fashion and culture has deepened my passion to do something meaningful with my life.

I was born and raised on the picturesque Jersey Shore (way different from Snooki and JWoww’s Jersey Shore.) My roots began at the beach and this is something that has defined my life thus far.  I feel blessed to have been raised in the beautiful quaint beach towns along the Jersey Coast, but I am also a lover of warm sunshine. Unfortunately, lush greens and warm sunshine only frequent Jersey about 4-5 months out of the year.  In my recent years I have called places like Florida, California and Hawaii, my home.

I have a love for fashion and design, my educational background is in Visual Communications.  Upon graduating I was extremely overwhelmed and unsure of what field to pursue in the design world. I had done internships in pretty much every category you can think of in fashion and design. About a year post college my mind strayed and I got the travel and adventurous bug.  This led me to do some long term traveling thru Puerto Rico, Costa Rica & Nicaragua. 

After living the life a traveling gypsy,  I was back home for a few months and eager for another adventure. I impulsively made the decision to fly 5,000 miles away from home to the remote islands of Hawaii. I picked Maui as my landing point, a place where I did not know a single soul.  Most people do not have the balls to do this, apparently I do! It ended up being one of the best decisions of my life and was one of the craziest adventures I have ever been on.

After returning to the mainland and missing my aloha lifestyle, I was given the most amazing opportunity to intern with Stela 9 as the marketing and social media intern! About two weeks ago I began my journey down to Antigua, Guatemala. I spent the first week here brushing up on my Spanish skills and now I am in full swing of working!

After seeing the beautiful mountains, valleys and beaches of Central America and Hawaii, I need to ensure their serenity and the serenity of our world’s natural environments will never disappear. If I never chose all of the adventurous paths I went down, I would not be where I am today. As every day passes, I am feeling grateful and more comfortable with my new life in Antigua.

My passion for design, culture, new places and landscapes has fueled my love for travel and exploration, leaving me with a wanderlust for discovering the beautiful world.  Check back for daily blog posts to be apart of my journey!