The Turtle Chronicles
Where Bold Wines Meet Bolder Paths
"No matter how rough the seas, low the tide, or high the waves, keep swimming."
What's Swimming Here?
In a world obsessed with hares—those fast, flashy creatures prone to burnout—The Turtle Chronicles celebrates the power of the turtle way: deliberate, resilient, and ultimately victorious.
Hi, I'm Yvette Schmitter, tech executive turned joyful warrior, and this newsletter is my testament to taking life at your own pace and finding yourself along the way. From spending my newspaper route money at junkyards to build my first computer to leading teams at Amazon and PwC and now as CEO of Fusion Collective, I've always moved at my own pace—shell strong, glass full, torch lit.
Why Subscribe?
Each week, you'll receive dispatches from the slow lane that will transform how you travel, taste, and traverse life's challenges:
🐢 Shell Strength
Stories of resilience drawn from travel misadventures and cultural wisdom. Learn how vineyard cultivation mirrors personal growth, and how wisdom from ancient philosophers and Winnie the Pooh apply equally to modern challenges.
🍷 Wine Wisdom
Deep dives into bold Italian reds that tell stories of tradition, patience, and terrain. Join me as I explore family-owned vineyards and unveil the cultural traditions behind each glass—proving that the best things in life require time to develop their full complexity.
🌊 Solo Voyages
Honest accounts of traveling alone as a woman, embracing both the freedom and the fears. Discover how solitude in new places fosters self-discovery and how cultural immersion transforms perspective.
⏱️ Turtle Pace
The radical art of slowing down in a world obsessed with speed. Weaved into every issue you’ll find mindfulness practices gathered from various cultures and ways to create meaningful rituals inspired by travel.
🌉 Bridge Building
How technology can connect rather than divide us. Stories of unexpected connections made while traveling solo and creating inclusive spaces in traditionally exclusive settings (like wine culture).
So, Who's Behind the Shell?
As a little girl, I was taught to follow a script—live quietly, stay in my lane, sacrifice everything for family. Instead, I built computers from junkyard parts, saved Girl Scout cookie money for my first Mac, and eventually transformed every brick thrown in my path into an empire of possibility.
My path led from engineering studies at Tufts to leadership roles in tech, and now traveling the world (89 countries and counting) where I discovered that what Star Wars was to my technological journey, wines (specifically Italian) and solo travel have become to my personal one—gateways to infinite possibilities and self-discovery.
I've learned that persistence matters more than speed. And now I'm creating a space for fellow travelers who know what it means to carry their homes on their backs, face storms with courage, and keep swimming through whatever life sends their way.
What Subscribers Say
"Yvette's newsletter isn't just another travel blog or wine review—it's a permission slip to slow down and savor life's journey." – A Fellow Turtle
"I look forward to Wednesday mornings when The Turtle Chronicles lands in my inbox. It's the perfect companion to my morning coffee and weekend planning." – Wine Wisdom Devotee
"As a solo female traveler, I've found both practical advice and philosophical courage in these pages." – Solo Voyager
Join the Journey
Subscribe now to receive weekly updates featuring exclusive content, early access to new posts, and special insights not shared on the blog. Whether you're a fellow solo traveler, a wine enthusiast, a technology optimist, or someone searching for wisdom in unlikely places, there's a shell waiting for you here.
Because that's what turtles do. And that's what we can do too.
So, pour yourself a glass of bold Italian red, settle in, and let's explore these waters together.
Keep swimming,
Yvette
P.S. I believe in leaving people and places better than I found them. When you subscribe, you're not just joining a newsletter—you're joining a movement of joyful warriors taking life at their own pace and finding themselves along the way.
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