SLL

I’ve spent a lot of time in LA in my lifetime and still love the city today. LA, just like many of its inhabitants, continues to evolve in pleasantly surprising ways. It also has an incredible food scene which excites me – some of my favourites are Bavel in DTLA, Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong in Koreatown, Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood (if you’re looking for a new experience and chill vibes, it’s LA’s first cannabis cafe) and of course, there’s always a few staples I have to stop by when I’m there: Malibu Farm, Pace and Sugarfish.

I’m probably my favourite travel companion – the experience you have alone is an entirely different experience. There’s something to be said about being able to completely choose your own adventure – no complaints, requirements or distractions. I always try to have a bit of a plan to keep myself occupied to ensure I’m maximising my time when there’s not someone to push me in one direction or another. All that said, some of my fondest memories ever are going away with a group of close friends, who travel well together.

On my first trip to Morocco, I was overwhelmed by the amount of incredible textiles and cookware, all at great prices. My first and most exhilarating stop was a rug store: I purchased three rugs, tightly and neatly packed up for me to make travel back to New York easy. However, the budget airline I was travelling on cancelled my flight; I was never contacted and ended up desperately trying to find a flight to make my Madrid connection. After a few long lines, I managed to get on a flight only to end up paying double what I paid for the rugs themselves – there goes the great price. Regardless, to date I still have the rugs, which I hand-carried back – it was the moment I learned to not fly budget airlines with excess baggage!

La Mer in travel size, Haribo gummies and Kinder Eggs – the ones available in Europe, since they are banned in the US because they are considered a choking hazard…

My favourite, which I’ve used consistently for the last ten plus years, is Clarins After Sun. The smell reminds me of holidays. Other than that, I always opt for 15-30 SPF.

Oanda for currency conversion, Fly Delta and Google Translate.

Stills from The Talented Mr Ripley are constantly on my travel moodboard. The colours, fit and styles are timeless.

I’ve been thinking about this extensively these past few months – I’ve never digitally detoxed, and I’m slowly finding myself completely fixated by my phone, laptop, or iPad. I miss the days when distractions came in other forms. I’ve been thinking about a return trip to Big Sur where wifi is limited – it might be the best way to ease into a digital detox before fully taking the plunge!

After ten days of exploring Nepal and southern India, my friends and I had decided to spend our last night in Mumbai. The morning after a celebratory night, we learned our hotel was offering an all you can eat (and drink) Easter buffet. We decided the right thing to do was to continue our celebration for most of the day prior to our evening flight… After many Veuve Clicquot bottles later, it was time to board our flight. I already knew it was a bad idea to fly directly to Germany for work, but I was definitely not prepared for the hangover that would ensue when I landed!