Hi there! I'm Courtny, the creator of Wandering Sparkles.

So how did I end up here, crafting and selling colorful, travel-inspired earrings? Well, I always dreamed of being an on-camera news reporter, and I worked hard to realize that dream. After five years in an industry that just wasn't fulfilling for me anymore, I made the difficult decision to leave news.

What do you do when you quit the career you always thought you wanted? Scrounge up some money and travel, of course! I affectionately refer to that time of my life as "The Wandering Phase". My husband and I loaded up a storage unit and backpacked Europe for four months, exploring stunning landscapes, embracing new cultures, eating delicious food, and so much more... usually while sleeping in closet-sized AirBnbs. There was such beauty in the simplicity of it, but also so much fear and doubt over the future:

What will I do when I get home? Where does my career go from here? What is my new dream?

In many ways, I'm still trying to figure that out five years later. But I've decided to fearlessly embrace my passions, and realize that my identity doesn't come from my career. Since leaving news, I've grown in so many ways: my faith in God is stronger than ever, my wonderful marriage keeps getting better each day, and I've seen so many beautiful corners of the world. So I'm affectionately referring to this time of my life as "The Sparkling Phase".

I realize I haven't even mentioned the earrings yet. Well, Wandering Sparkles allows me to combine so many of the things I am passionate about. I love being creative: it was one of the aspects of reporting I enjoyed so much. I love wearing fun, colorful jewelry: I like to think it matches my personality. And I love to travel: Nearly every pair of earrings I make is inspired by the beautiful places I've been, or, in many cases, still want to go! So there you have it! Yes, I'm still wandering. And yes, I'm still sparkling.

Always Sparkle When You Wander.