Wardrobe Essentials For Your Travels

Chicwish cotton dress, ¥6,240 / Jersey top, ¥4,580 / Monki ribbed turtleneck, ¥1,495 / Retrò, ¥475 / Nike trainers, ¥26,045 / Salvatore Ferragamo black ballet flat, ¥27,885 / Meli Melo satchel handbag, ¥53,100 / Moschino zip bag, ¥53,100 / Daniel wellington watch, ¥20,730 / Tech accessory, ¥935 / Monki retro sunglasses, ¥1,495 / Tom Ford men s fashion, ¥37,000 / Kate Spade patio umbrella, ¥3,960 / Windbreaker Ralph Lauren, ¥27,075

Way too often, you can immediately distinguish tourists from natives solely by how they are dressed - and usually the natives win the fashion game by lightyears. In the name of traveling, I've created a collage of my personal wardrobe essentials that make dressing stylishly way easier when traveling.

I always makes sure these things are in my luggage case before I leave home: 

• Sunglasses: Obviously this is most important when traveling in summer. I have this one pair of sunglasses that suits me like it was made for me - a nightmare if I'd ever happen to forget it. 

• Bumper: When traveling the phone tends to be out far more often because we take photos of this, photos of that and of course post those photos and our experiences in the foreign country on social media. The downside, however, the more often our phone is out in our hands the more likely we are to drop it and break the precious screen. Hence, bumpers are a good idea.

• Your favourite sweater: I NEVER travel without my favourite sweater & it NEVER not comes to use. Perfect when the urge comes up to roam the streets of Rome or Seoul on those summer nights that suddenly get cool after sunset. 

• Ballet flats: You never know what opportunities come up - or who you meet. When needing to look fancy, ballet flats are the comfortable alternative to high heels. They are also lighter and take up much less space in your suitcase!

• High-waisted denim shorts: These are sooo convenient for traveling around – comfy and stylish. I found my favourite pair in a thrift shop so from my experience that's a pretty good place to find high quality and authentic vintage jeans shorts for a good bargain!

• Backpack: Nothing over a good backpack when you're on a city tour through Sydney or exploring the Canadian wilderness. You can fit all the useful things, such as sunscreen, water bottles & food inside & carry it comfortably.

• Watch: Watches are always a good idea, not only when abroad, and once you're used to wearing them you won't leave to foreign destinations without one.

• Cardholder: I find this very useful, especially when I'm in places that don't use the currency they do in my home country, I prefer to pay with card. It's also good if you wanna save space in your bag or are afraid of your bag being stolen by street thieves because you can easily carry it on your body. 

• Windbreaker: You can hardly ever tell for certain how the weather will be so windbreakers or just waterproof jackets in general are always a good idea to bring! 

• Umbrella: ... Just like umbrellas! I personally like to always have a small foldable umbrella in my suitcase, just in case. 

• Sneakers: A pair of comfy sneakers is pretty mandatory if you wanna avoid blisters and looking like an obvious tourist!

• Your favourite tee: On my most recent travels, my beloved turtleneck tee has never left my side and judging by how much it came to use it was the right decision. I also love having a simple oversized white t-shirt with me when I'm away from home.

• The little black dress: Just like with the ballet flats, you should prepare to look formal/preppy (just in case) so the classic little black dress is your best friend! 

• The small satchel bag: This my personal MUST-BRING-bag when traveling. It doesn't fit as many things as a backpack but is, because of it's size, very convenient to carry all day. When getting one, always make sure the strap is long enough so you can wear it cross body! 

What are your personal wardrobe essentials for traveling? 

xx ♡ Micky 

P.S.: all items featured in this collage more or less just serve an example purpose.

Short Trips: London & Dublin

Over the past three weeks I've had a really nice time traveling again.
I feel strange lately because for some reason I enjoy being away from home a crazy lot, much more than I should. Anyways, lets skip the talking part for this post and lets come straight to the photos I took! 

Here's my impressions of London:

The UK trip consisted mainly of tasty food, spending excessive amounts of money shopping and happy reunions with old friends, it was wonderful :)

I also went to Dublin shortly after but it wasn't that exciting because it was a trip which was mainly thought to be a family reunion for St. Patrick's Day. 
Said St. Patrick's Day was spent at a family get-together at my grandfather's manor so unfortunately we didn't get to see the parade in Dublin but we had a really nice time nevertheless and I did eventually still have the time to visit Dublin plenty!

Have a selfie with my favourite cousin who paid for me way too many times during my time in Dublin because I really could've sworn I was broke after London but actually I wasn't lol, I love him though ~ the kind of person that has my back when I'm right and also when I'm wrong :)

And now? Now I'm back home again, not knowing what to do with my time until my next adventure/the start of university in autumn but I'm working on some new posts and also planning to actually find a part-time job somewhere and earn some own money to spend. 

Hopefully that plan will work! 

Have you ever been to London or Dublin? 

They are two of my favourite cities personally, but how did you like them and which places did you like best? 

xx ♡ Micky 

"My Melbourne"

Opening my eyes to another day in Melbourne, my now official favourite place in the world, this morning I grunt, turn in bed and decide to sleep a little longer.
Rain. It's raining. And that happens to be a rare event here in Melbourne!

After finally having gathered enough power to get myself out of bed I immediately start packing.
I'm moving today! Another place, not far from where I've been living for the past few days, I'm gonna be living with a couple of friends I've made over the past weeks in Australia – it's funny how quick you can meet new people in a destination so far away from your original "home", but coming to speak of "home", I feel like Melbourne has grown more and more into such for me since I'm here.
It's no longer just "Melbourne", "Melbourne, the capital of the state Victoria" or "Melbourne, one of Australia's most favourite tourist destinations", no! – it's MY Melbourne now.

I find it really hard to describe my affinity for this place in words but never have I felt so content, settled and "home" before and I think for somebody as well-traveled as me, admitting this says quite a lot about this city!

I glance through my old apartment one last time before I take a deep breath and close the door behind me. This is it, new home I'm coming! And although I have already extended my stay, looking at the date on my phone or in my calendar kind of hurts me because it's a painful reminder that my time here is only temporary and will eventually come to an end. I don't want it to end. Not yet, and probably not on the day I will have to leave either.

And even on rainy days like this one, Melbourne still hasn't lost one bit of it's charme for me.

xx ♡ Micky

Dem Summer Feelz

It's so strange, getting onto an airplane traveling from Europe to Australia.
So strange, because it's not only a journey between the continents but also a journey between the seasons! 
It was the coldest winter when I got onto the plane and the nicest summer when I got off..Crazy. 
I guess it's one of those things that you actually know about and expect before you leave but when you there and are actually experiencing the change, it still leaves you feeling startled. 

I'm really, really sorry I've kept you all waiting but it always takes some time to settle in after a little move like this and I'm glad to say that I now actually have. I've already met SO MANY nice & interesting people to spend time with, have a roof over my head & last but not least a pretty stable internet connection, all it needs to feel at home. The only thing currently missing is a job, but I'm working on changing that. 

So just like my usual travel posts, this is going to be a very photo heavy one, because hey, I'm also basically a tourist here so it's my duty to document every step I take photographically, isn't it?! :P
Without wanting to keep you waiting any longer, here you go: 

This was actually a drawing, like some crazy motivated person must have
taken hours to practice their artistic skills on a drawing of Melbourne. Probably an art-student.. 

Of course I also saw the mascot of Australia! 

Lastly, I've come to the conclusion that time just passes way too fast down under, so the 2 months I've decided to spend down here are definitely not enough leading to me I'll probably leaving very heavy hearted but certainly returning asap! 

Have you ever been to Australia or another country on the southern hemisphere? 

If, then how did you deal with the dramatic weather changes? 

xx ♡ Micky 

Switzerland 2015

I just arrived back home a few days ago after my little trip to Switzerland to which my swiss friend Muriel invited me and it was so amazing!
I was really positively surprised by how friendly and helpful swiss people were- It turned out they are very generous, too - hahah. 
During my stay i basically went to each part of Switzerland, the german swiss, the french swiss and the italian swiss - I am so glad my friend who invited me has a car so the whole traveling around was quite convenient. It was surprising to see how architecture, culture and mentality of the people changed depending on the region they were living in although Switzerland is not a big country.

However, out of all those linguistically different regions I liked the italian Swiss the most, probably because with it’s palm trees and italian inhabitants it just felt most like a vacation for quite a northern person like me. 
We chose to travel to Lugano, which is located near a lake which is called Lugano as well, the food and houses were very italian, just like the people and if you wanna see a lot of expensive italian sports cars, this is the place to go for you! 
If you wanna grab a cocktail I found a bar called ‘seven’ best for this because they really make awesome cocktails! 

Here are some photos I took during our little journey; 

photos of (us in) Lugano, as you can see the architecture and atmosphere was very italian!

And for a moment the idea to just grab a backpack and tramp through italy crossed my mind and I thought about all the people I'd meet and all the things I'd discover on this spontaneous adventure but then reality had me back and I decided to focus on finishing my plate of pasta instead. 

Photos of (us in) Lucern, the architecture was quite french but the mentality of the people was rather german, not as grumpy though! :'D

We also did some fun things like driving up a mountain with the Quad and going for a horseback ride. 

The view during the Quad ride. It was so different to what I was used to seeing every day that I almost got a little angry at my friend for taking the beauty of the surrounding nature for so granted..

All over, I’d say Switzerland is a place I certainly do not regret going and would recommend everyone to visit at least once in their lifetime - it’s definitely very unique!

Vegan update: 
it’s only day 5 of my experiment but it has worked really well so far, I’ve even found that when eating out you can order pizza and stuff without the cheese and other animal products which makes it not too hard to find places that actually offer ‘vega’ foods. 

Since many shampoos and cosmetic products are often tested on animals, too, I wanna try to cut down on those as well during this month and see how long I could go without using any shampoo or conditioner for a while. 

Oh! And I've discovered this vegan bar which tastes just awesome and gives you nearly all the energy you need! - So if you're a vegan and wanna try it, look for this - maybe you can find it where you live! I've bought these in Switzerland..

PS.: All photos in this post are taken by me, if you'd like to use them, please ask for my permission first. 

I hope this post was able to give you a little insight into the small but very nice country of Switzerland and you enjoyed reading it. 

Where did you travel recently and did you like the experience?

xx ♡ Micky

What's in my bag for summer?

It might seem like we ladies always carry around those huge bags and totes full of things we don't actually need and not only are they taking up space in our bags but they're also an unnecessary additional weight. And surely one or two things might not matter but it can quickly sum up to a lot. Ugh..
That's why I always try to avoid these situations from happening by changing my 'in bag'-must haves every season since I've found that the things I need when away from home can change over time. 


So let's see what's in my bag this summer:

- EOS lipbalm  
an absolute must-have for me no matter what season we're in

- Estée Lauder Lipstick & Estée Lauder Concealer
I'm admittedly a really big fan of Estée Lauder for make-up & usually the only things I really find that I need to top up about my make-up are lipstick and concealer since I'm often in a hurry and might find that I've forgot to cover up some areas of my face just after I left already, so these always come in handy for me. 

- Snacks
for some reason I always seem afraid I might starve to death when going on a day-trip so I will always make sure there are some snacks in my bag - I really like fruity snacks or even fresh fruits like apples and bananas in summer. I also always make sure I have either TicTacs or Chewing gum in my bag before I leave the house.

-Anti Bac Hand Gel
Of course it's important to wash your hands before you eat or touch your face but sometimes when away you don't really have the opportunity to wash your hands right away - that's why I always keep these useful little bottles in my bag, this way I stay hygienic and don't have to be afraid to put on new make-up or simply eat one of my snacks, for instance.. Some of them also smell very nice!

- Contact Lens Case & Eyedrops
These are absolute necessities for me as I wear contact lenses almost on a daily basis.
I really like using Rohto Eye drops because they allow me to use them even while wearing my contacts since many other eye drops require you to take the contacts out first.

- Deodrant & Body Mist
I find that I hear the question "do you have any deodrant with you?" wayyy too much when I'm away with my friends. I think it should kind of go without saying that a deodrant should be in every girls bag in summer. Instead of heavy perfumes I prefer using lighter body sprays for fragrance in summer. Especially those that smell very fresh and fruity.  

- Hair ties, clips and a brush
I found this very useful almost every time I go out, since I often straighten my hair it is very prone to get frizzy when the weather changed unexpectedly - many times I've found that putting my hair up with hair clips or ties was a way to kind of save it in the past. 

- Shiseido Oil absorbing sheets
These sheets usually help me to keep in control of my occasionally oily skin. 
They're especially convenient for me to use in summer since I don't usually wear any foundations or powders in the first place.

- MiPow Power Tube
This portable little phone charger has proven to have been worth every single cent a lot of times for me now and I would never leave the house without it, especially when my phone is running low on battery. 

- Sunglasses
These are super useful for summer of course but I found that I especially use them a lot when I drive somewhere since I find that driving without any sunglasses in the bright sunlight could potentially even be very dangerous! That's why I think a second pair should definitely always be in your car if you wanna go on a road trip.

- Sun protection 
Another really important piece for summer is sun protection since it protects you from the dangerous UV-radiation which can cause skin cancer and make your skin age faster, just apart from causing horrible sunburns! Everybody should use sun protection but usually the SPF factor should go up with the 'lightness' of the skin, so for instance an extremely fair skinned person like me has to use sun protection with a very high SPF factor (I usually use 50+) for it to still be effective.


- iPod
I'm starting to feel like I'm one of the very few people who actually still carry one of those handy little iPods around. I'm just an absolute music addict and would listen to it on any possible occasion, even while going shopping. Of course I could listen to music over my phone but I really prefer to save it's battery for other things and therefore always rather choose my iPod, my little friend.. ^^;

These are my summer must-haves for my bag and with these I can always make sure to enjoy my trips and all the times I'm out. Of course they vary depending on the occasion but these would be the things I would typically take on a day- or shopping trip and since I usually use and love all of them I can be sure none of these products are a waste of space in my bag. My phone, wallet & a pen are things, like for so many others, I always make sure to take with me when I go somewhere.

What's in your bag this summer? :)

xx ♡ Micky

Amsterdam, May 2015

So at the end of may before finally returning back home after spending the past 2 years in the UK, I made a stop at Amsterdam! The dutch capital is commonly known for it's great cheese and it's canals but I was looking to explore a different side of it all and, as a 'foodie', just felt like it was my mission to find the best places for having a snack or a proper meal, so that I can give you guys advice on where to go if you ever stop by Amsterdam! ;)

It's a great city for a trip, the atmosphere between the rows of small houses and countless canals is very relaxed and nearly everybody is calm and very friendly. You come to Amsterdam and time simply doesn't seem to matter this much anymore.. Hectic? What's that?!

Of course such a friendly, relaxed city is also great for green foods and clean eating! Even on my way to the city centre I already passed by a lot of shops and restaurants that offer non-processed foods.

My favourite however was the 'Peperwortel', located at the Overtoom 140.

Just look at how cute it already looks from the outside!

I decided to try their veggie curry which came with a flatbread and tasted even better than it looked.

It was simply amazing and apart from curry the deli also offers sandwiches, salads and tempting picnic baskets.

If you are more into sweet stuff however, there are countless of candy shops in the shopping area of Amsterdam offering fantastic Churros, Crepes and Belgian Waffles! 

My favourite here was the 'Jamin Amsterdam' at Leidsestraat 98-100 (it's a chain) where I tried a Belgian Waffle with Nutella, fresh Strawberry & Kitkat topping and it was by far the best Belgian waffle I've had in a while.

Are you hungry, yet?

Look at these delicious snacks! 

Okay okay, I'm not gonna torture you any longer..Of course I also went shopping a lot since the sheer endless shopping area is just amazing for that, regardless of what shop you're looking for, it's there! 

There's a canal behind me

One of the dresses I've bought

I also found traditional dutch wooden shoes! A little oversized maybe.. 

In addition to the food and shopping I also passed by this cute little art shop and just couldn't resist going inside.. 

So who did I go with on this beautiful trip? 

I went with my wonderful mom who also picked me up at the airport! 

After half a year, it was really nice to do something together.

Check out my Instagram for more photos 

(still uploading Amsterdam snaps here and then)!

Thank you for reading! 

xx ♡ Micky 

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year! ~♡ ♡ ♡

So.. now it's all over again...

The annual christmas madness and the new year's binge drinkings.

I hope you've all had very nice ones. 

Since for me, it can still only get better each year.

I have to admit, I've enjoyed Christmas Parties back in England, Christmas Parties & - shopping in Luxembourg and Germany very much this year. 

And now it's almost time to go back to the UK already again.. 

Time this vacation really passed so fast for me 

and it just made me realise how much i really love my friends and family.

The more I'm gonna miss them when i'm back for studying I fear...

Well, here are some photos:

We've even met Santa on the EF Christmas Party! 

back home i've really enjoyed being reunited with my friends again (♥´◡｀♥)

especially my best friend Benny ! 

Besides Party I also went shopping on beautiful christmas markets quite a lot! (´･ω･`)

and here the beautiful christmas decoration on the streets, in the mall & at home! 

 

and what would christmas be without the tastiest traditional self-made christmas biscuits? ^.^

we even have a nutcracker, look! 

I wonder if he turns into a prince if i kiss him? *^^*

i've also received some beautiful christmas cards from my lovely friends in spain and japan!

And this was my New Year's Eve! 

(yup, i dyed my hair that day! ^^)

Well, that's how my vacation went so far & i loved it since i've had a pretty exciting one!

I hope you all had an amazing year 2013 as well,

but i also hope you'll have an even more amazing 2014 of course! 

xoxo ♡ Micky