In this episode of The Empowered Creative, I respond to a call from a woman asking; “How can I stop hiding my light? And how can I overcome the fear of putting myself out there?”
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If there’s one thing I love more than anything, it is to travel with just ONE of my kids. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m not that into the big family vacations! We are five strong, opinion minded people and when we travel together we have five different agendas!
We can spend hours debating what to do, where and when + I will be having my mommy-hat on all the time to make sure everything runs smoothly and that no one goes to bed hungry or unhappy. If you’re a mom I think you know what I’m talking about, right. And honestly, sometimes after a family vacation I really do NEED a NEW vacation..haha.
So the ultimate luxury for me is to travel with just one kid. As a mother I feel it is the most amazing way to have quality time together, with time to really listen without interruptions, time to ask the right questions about what’t going on in the mind of a young adult and just get closer, laugh, be silly and enjoy each other’s company.
So I recently took my youngest daughter Camilla with me for a little getaway to one of my favourite hotels in Northern Germany; Vitalhotel Alter Meierhof in Glücksburg. The hotel is located at the coast just outside of Flensburg and offers the most breathtaking view over the fjord.
I have stayed at the hotel a few times before, but mostly during winter, so to experience this five star hotel during the beauty of August was truly fantastic. And we were blessed with sunshine, fresh air and thoughtful service from the lovely hotel team. Alter Meierhof is a place where they know your name and they care that you have a great time – you feel like the guest of honor – a passion for service that is rare to find these days.
When we stepped into our suite, I immediately felt an inside calmness. I love how they have decorated the rooms in white and creamy tones, which match the marble bathroom and of course the seaview! Chocolate, fresh berries and fruit was waiting for us which we enjoyed while getting ready for our first visit to the spa.
I was excited to show my daughter the beautiful infinity pool, because THIS pool is magical. You swim from inside to outside and back again. When you are inside the water feels cooler and when you’re outside under the open sky the water feels wonderfully warm. This is pure therapy – especially when you swim at night time under a clear, dark sky full of stars.
Our days at Vitalhotel Alter Meierhof felt like a spiritual retreat, with days spend nurturing the mind, body and soul. Enjoying the spa, relaxing in the sun, eating gourmet food, getting facials and massage. It was like being in another world for a few days and I always think that’s the best way to relax and rejuvenate; to unplug from your daily life and put everything on pause.
Unplugging from chores, grocery shopping and work makes it easier to really THINK and re-connect with yourself. And for me as a busy business owner, wife and mother unplugging keeps me sane – it is super important. I always use this time to tune in on myself and just be in the present moment. I also ponder a lot…and I allow myself to check-in and make sure I’m on the right track in my life.
I focus on putting my own “oxygen mask” on first so I can be there 100% for the people I love. I have to take care of me before I can show up and be the coach and mentor I want to be for my students and clients.
One of the things I love the most about Vitalhotel Alter Meierhof is their spa treatments. They are unlike anywhere else. You can feel how much they care about doing a good job. Nothing is rushed; the focus is to get you to relax and feel comfortable. I got this amazing facial treatment that felt more like a therapeutic experience than an actual facial. The cosmetologist massaged my face very slowly for an hour using different products and massage techniques. It was absolutely wonderful. That treatment alone makes me determined to come back again soon!
I also booked a full-body massage for me and my daughter in the same room, which was really nice. The massage was called St. Barth Harmony and they used Natural oils from the brand Ligne St. Bath. If you don’t know that brand you got to check it out, it is fabulous! I’m addicted to their Avocade Oil. (not affiliate just pure love).
On our second day we decided to have a picnic and asked the hotel to prepare us a picnic basket with lunch. We drove just five minutes to the nearby Glücksburg Castle. In English that translate into castle of luck which makes the castle even more magical. The castle was built in 1582 and was used by the Danish Kings. Today the Castle is a museum owned by a foundation. We didn’t go inside but stayed just outside in the park with our picnic blanket and basket.
It was such a fantastic spot and I said to my daughter; let me just take a few pictures of you before we eat. I grabbed the camera and took a few steps back, and just as I was about to push the shutter button a big white limousine parked right behind me. Out came a bride with her entire entourage. Apparently we had picked THE spot in town to take pictures because while we ate our lunch there where FIVE photoshoots going on – one after the other during our entire lunch. It was hilarious!
On our last evening we had a reservation for the Michelin restaurant located in the hotel. The culinary chef is Dirk Luther. Since 2008, the Michelin Guide has continually honored Luther’s creative and flawless preparation of the finest products with two stars. Needless to say we were very excited to test his food.
Dirk Luther focus on Classic French cooking with a modern touch. And the menu we was called “Tour The France”. We had 6 different meals – every meal served with carefully selected organic-made wine from France. It was an amazing experience and so fun to do this with my daughter who normally just prefers pasta with cheddar cheese 🙂
After three days it was time to go back to the real world. When we checked out the team gave us a “have a great trip home” goodie bag. Inside was fruit and bottles of water. What a sweet gesture. I definitely have to come back soon!
On our way home we decided to listen to some podcasts and I asked my daughter to pick them, because she listen to so many podcasts that I don’t know about and I wanted to explore some new ones. Our drive was three hours and that fitted with three podcast episodes. The episodes we heard were really great, so great that I decided to share them with you.
A really touching story about a woman who spies on her new neighbors across the street through her window. And one day something tragically happens…. this story made me cry a few tears…so now you are warned.
This was a surprising podcast about how the “Stockholm Syndrome” became a “thing”. I have always know through my psychology knowledge what the Stockholm syndrome was and that it came from a bank robbery that happened back in 1973. But I’d never heard the REAL story behind it. In this episode the host interviews the retired bank robber Clark Olofsson and he tells the story with his own words. Really worth listening to!
In this podcast the host interviews people about their biggest secrets, and in the episode I recommend he talks to a women; an Instagram Influencer who found out her husband was cheating on her. How did she found out? One of her Instagram followers send her a direct message! Scary stuff, but also such a great converstation to listen to and reflect about.
So that’t it for this long post! I hope you enjoyed it!
EP12. What does it really take to capture beautiful magazine-worthy pictures? That’s the question I will do my best to answer today. Of course, there’s a lot of elements at play here, like having good light, a great composition, and a good subject, but in this episode, I want to talk about some of the elements that are not spoken much about in the photography industry. Let’s called it the best-kept secrets to taking better photos.
