Life & Work with Courtney Hood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Hood.

Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
While country music cliches, boozy ballads, and cowboy boots are still prevalent on lower Broadway, Nashville has assumed a new identity as it has evolved into one of the premier dining destinations in the United States. After years of people asking me for food and travel advice, I decided that it might be fun to memorialize my adventures. Who knew someone other than my friends would read it! Blonde Voyage Nashville is about living a life filled with purpose, passion, and adventure. And of course, there’s going to be amazing food and wine along the way.

As a Nashville native, my hope is to highlight the culinary delights my hometown has to offer and show that there’s so much more to Music City than honky-tonks, hipsters, and hot chicken. I’ve found that people are curious about new restaurants and various types of cuisine and there’s nothing more satisfying than sharing a restaurant or travel recommendation and having someone else enjoy it as much as you do.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Over the past five years, Blonde Voyage Nashville has proved one of the many places I am allowed to revel unapologetically in all things food, wine, and travel. Given that I am not a full-time blogger (I currently serve as a Project Manager for a Fortune 100 company), it’s often difficult to turn off one computer and hop on another. But, life is all about balance. Like many others, the pandemic forced me to get creative with my blog. Since dining out and travel looked so incredibly different last year, I spent time exploring Tennessee, which sounds silly since I’ve lived here my entire life. I’ve chased waterfalls, explored small towns, and tried the best apple fritter in the country. Rather than featuring a new city guide for those that travel or a new restaurant for my food enthusiasts, I created a “Weekend Wandering” section on my blog. Knowing that people were eager to get out of the house and needed a change of scenery, I featured places throughout the state that were easy to day trip to, all while maintaining the proper COVID-19 precautions.

For many of us, we had to refine our cooking and mixology skills during the pandemic. While I am definitely not the person to give you cooking advice (although my takeout skills are second to none), I began to feature more wine reviews on Blonde Voyage Nashville. TJ Tuesday expanded and became a crucial part of my blog and allowed me to interact with my readers in a new and exciting way. I turned what used to be a weekly feature into a regular installment where multiple times a week, I would review wine under $10.00 that I purchased at Aldi, Trader Joe’s, or Costco. Readers responded so well that I started having requests for more wine content than food!

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Of course, nothing makes me happier than the precious time I spend with my family and friends. But as I reflect on this last year, I’ve realized that living through this pandemic has taught me a valuable lesson. I’ll never take the little things for granted ever again. Oftentimes, I get so caught up celebrating life’s momentous occasions that I overlook the small details.

Laughing so hard it hurts
Enjoying a great bottle of wine
Hugs
Packing a suitcase
Boarding an airplane
Exploring a new city or country
Visiting my favorite restaurants and enjoying a meal that I didn’t prepar
High- Fives
Going to a movie
Bartender skills
Live music
Grabbing coffee at my favorite coffee shop
Getting dressed up and putting on my favorite pair of high heels
The invitation to go anywhere with anyone at any given time
Happy Hour.

While these may seem mundane to some, rest assured, it is a luxury I will never take for granted again.

Contact Info:

• Email: courtney@blondevoyagenashville.com
• Website: https://www.blondevoyagenashville.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blonde_voyage_nashville/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blondevoyagenashville
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/blondevoyagebna