Take my breath away, Iceland

Reykjavik, 2013.

A couple weeks ago, I went to Reykjavik, Iceland, with a group of university friends. It was one of the most beautiful experiences ever. Geysers spraying boiling water out of the natural earth, Gullfoss waterfall (which held just so much presence – definitely the big boss at any nature conference), riding chubby Icelandic ponies through icy hills. It makes you take a step back and think, wow, this is the world, this is purely elemental, and this is what true beauty is. The best reality check you could ever imagine. Please go at some point, it’s definitely worth the visit (and maybe you’ll have more luck with seeing the Northern Lights than we did…)

Collage IRL

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Meshit x Daliah Spiegel jacket, Plastic Island furry pullover, Zara dress, Bally bag, Converse sneakers, Alex Monroe necklace
Anyway, this was taken the second day in London when – thank god – it was not pouring a teapot. Lots of touristing around Covent Garden, some perfume tasting, chocolate sampling and shoe-ogling at United Nude, while also making it to some shoes. Also I need to do this hairstyle more – it helps to cancel out my granny personality.

My Lake Hotel

From Tuesday until Thursday, my sister and I took a mini retreat away in the Austrian Riviera in Portschach am Wortersee, around 4-5 hours away by train from Vienna. Lake’s – My Lake Hotel graciously hosted us for the two nights, and it was definitely a much-needed relaxing getaway.




The view from our balcony was spectacular. In the background you see mountains with low flying mist and clouds – almost like an overly photoshopped series of layers, and in front, an endless mass of clear blue lake. After spending time away in Beijing, Shanghai for over a month, it’s made me appreciate scenery like this. Something natural and completely unaffected by trouble.





We stayed in room 116 – the Lake Suite facing the whole lake. The room was spacious with dark wooden floorboards and retro meets clear white furnishings. I had a lot of work to do for KNEON so the balcony was pretty much my staple location for most of the time; with some red wine and my sister as pet, it was a pretty great way to get work done.

We ate at the Lake Bar and Restaurant – I recommend sitting outside facing the lakefront. The hotel also have a state of the art gym, spa services upon request and two pools – outdoors and indoors.



Personally, I get excited by skylines, the busy drive of big hustling cities, and people on the verge of rudeness. It’s the environ that keeps me going. However, this retreat for me was not only cathartic but deeply educational – I learned that peace and quiet should be a gift to oneself, a reward for accomplishment and achievements, and to really reflect on what you’ve done. Lake’s combines elements of casual luxury, space, the beautiful environment and great staff service to really make you feel like you’re taking a break away – at home. So if you’re based in Austria or closeby, definitely have a look.