For the first time since starting this brand, I did that absolute unthinkable: I took a full week off from touching my phone and computer.

I have a couple projects I’m bringing to life in addition to the changing grinds at Modern Jetsetter, including a novel and something wild which I’ll start sharing a few behind-the-scenes details this summer…so creative energy? Running low. Moving into a new apartment seemed like the perfect time to clear the inspiration palate and reset my creative reserves…so I took off to magical Cape Cod for a week. One of my favorite places on the East Coast.

My week was spent reading (three novels down), outlining my second book, observing local life, iced coffee runs, ice cream dates (daily), nautical antique hunting and exploring the Cape for future content. It was perfect. I hardly took any photos and focused on absorbing the destination with my eyes and notebook only; it was exactly what I needed.

Most importantly, I decided a destination which we will one day call our second home in America. A destination I want to write about for many future novels to come…over, over and over again. Cape Cod and its gorgeous islands (Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard) completely captivated our hearts. We’ll start house hunting for our regular away-from-the-city coastal escape in 2019.

Some of you may be wondering why I’m not in Italy or Europe this June as I regularly am. I needed to be in the United States for one grand reason: I needed to reconnect with my roots. This is my first American summer in seven years and I don’t think I’ll ever spend a full summer away again…there is something so quintessentially perfect about endless summer days in New England. Coastal days full of sailboats, dockside conversations, beach sunrises, ice cream dates and simply being home…it’s filling me up in ways I never anticipated. Europe can wait until August.

For any creative, I can’t encourage you enough to regularly ditch your iPhones, Instagram and Pinterest boards for the sake of breathing in and creating your own inspiration. It’s so important for all business owners to routinely clear the “noise” around them and truly devour the sound of their own beat. Write down your notes instead of jamming them into your iPhone. Read the newspaper instead of depending on breaking news alerts. Read and hold a book instead of listening to podcasts or watching TV. My week in Cape taught me an important lesson on successful creative life: be overly selective with everything you invest your time into, and critically mindful with your inspiration sources.

I’ll absolutely be incorporating a few of my digital-free habits into my everyday routine (I’ve already ordered New York Times daily paper delivery to my doorstep) and decided to make our new city nest TV-free. Oh, and the setting for my second novel has a winning destination.

Full Cape Cod guide coming later this fall.