This was a big year personally – my husband Tom and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary!

Such an occasion calls for a celebration  – even during a pandemic.  While we were a bit weary to get on a plane,  we were more than happy to hit the road and head north to Ostsee, otherwise known as the the Baltic Sea.

I’m so happy to finally share some memories with you – take a look!

A Romantic Getaway

This last six months have been oddly stressful and unsettling, so it was nice to finally be able to take some time to explore our new surroundings and still feel safe. I’ve always loved a good road trip, and we were really looking forward to getting out of town.

 

I’m so grateful we were able to get away, even for a few days. There’s just something so inspiring about the sense of place and history that comes with old places big or small, and Europe has been a constant source of inspiration for me in this respect.

Both my husband and I are super low key when it comes to travel and tend towards living in the moment, so I was entirely charmed when he surprised me with unexpected accommodations – he booked a room in a romantic and beautifully renovated castle!

It was so sweet and reminded me of why I fell for him in the first place. What can I say? The man did good.

As you can imagine, I was ecstatic – as was my unapologetically princess-obsessed inner child who insisted I immediately pack a tulle skirt to satisfy the need for full princess vibes. As for jewelry, I chose a to bring a long few go-to effortless and easy pieces that always make me feel beautiful and put together. 

I wore my favorite daily hoops, the petite lotus hoops in 14K gold fill, and opted for to pair them with a solitary emerald cut crystal necklace (check out a similar style here), and my white moonstone triplet bangle.

Along with flowy summer dresses and a bathing suit, I packed my camera so I could capture some colorful memories of the countryside.

Perfect Vacation Jewelry

A Four-Day Getaway

We were planning on a short and sweet four-day getaway, leaving on Monday and coming back on Thursday. It’s been crazy hot in Berlin, and I think that was all my poor outdoor plants can handle. It was great practice for a longer trip in the future. I had been asking around for months about where to go and what to see, and the general consensus was that everything was beautiful, and we would not be disappointed wherever we stayed.

Trip to the Butterfly Farm!

I was a little skeptical, but it turned out to be completely true. Although it rained a bit every day, and we never ended up having an opportunity to get in the Baltic for a swim, we were happy to drive around the countryside and stop along the way. During one of the more heavy rains, we took shelter in a butterfly farm, which I loved.

The last time I was in a butterfly farm was when I was eleven years old visiting family in Penang. It brought back lots of memories, and made for an charming afternoon. The facility was also home to a huge number of insect specimens and other creepy crawlies, but I love colorful quirk, so I was all for it.

 

In some ways it reminded me of different parts of the country back in the States. The rolling landscape inland recalled my memories of Midwest farmland, but instead of miles of corn, we saw fields golden wheat, rye, and my personal favorite, sunflowers! There were also fields of wildflowers everywhere, along with wooded recreation areas, and historical sites.

Getting closer to the Baltic, I was reminded of the Pacific Northwest, primarily areas like Astoria and Tillamook. There’s just something about towns near the sea that have a similar vibe, no matter where you seem to be in the world. Looking over the water, with the crisp sea air, sand and sailboats with seagulls flying above always seem to bring me that familiar sense of calm reflection that I don’t get in any other setting. 

Beautiful flowers along the way.

As we took our time and zoomed around the seaside and countryside, we stopped whenever we felt like it to see horses along the road or take a stroll in a small, picturesque hamlet near the sea. It was so perfect for us – carefree, no stress, totally romantic and completely relaxing. 

It was everything we needed to celebrate the love and life we’ve built together, and look forward to many, many more years to come!

Have You Travelled or Celebrated a Big Milestone this Summer?

Taking the time to celebrate exciting things during a pandemic is still so important – as long as it’s safe and responsible. For us, things were pretty easy as there weren’t huge crowds and everything was done with social distancing precautions. It all felt very safe and manageable, which made it easy to relax and enjoy ourselves.  

I’d love to know how you’ve celebrated big events or enjoyed a little summer getaway. Tell me all about your experience in the comments below! 

Until next time, take care. Ciao!