There is a beautiful parallel between travel and flower remedies. Both seem offer a much-needed change of perspective, pulling us out of our familiar bubbles and can offer a sense of renewal when life has begun to feel a bit like groundhog day.
Recently, I’ve been navigating a season of tests - the kind that feel designed to stretch you to your absolute limit. For support, I’ve been taking Upwards Spiral (it has Willow and Gentian in to help us move from victim to victor and a little boost of can do attitude) and a recent trip to Vienna felt like the physical manifestation of that essence. So as well as SOS Formula which I always have with me when travelling, this one came too.
Much like trying a new blend for the first time, exploring a new city can offer that spark of discovery and a zest for life that can be hard to find in the depths of a routine.
We stayed in the 9th district in one of my favourite Airbnbs to date. It was apparently once owned by a renowned opera singer and we could climb onto the roof to watch the city unfold beneath us. It was the perfect vantage point to breathe and reset.
After a coffee at Jonas Reindl Coffee Roasters with a friend, I spent a day mooching around Neubau, discovering Dancing Shiva for adaptogenic herbs and a heart opening cacao, followed by a visit to Now Wow to stock up on some beautiful European brands that are harder to find back home.
We spent the following days in a slow, sun-drenched haze under cerulean blue skies, eating gelato, wandering along the canal and eventually taking the tram to Nussdorf. We trekked up into the hills and vineyards, where you could see the shimmering Danube river, stretching from one side of the city and into the horizon.
A small travel ritual I’ve come to love: I always keep an old flower remedy bottle to fill with my favourite face oil (I’m particularly loving hemp at the moment). It’s a gentle way to keep packing light when travelling with only hand luggage. I use it for almost everything: as an oil cleanser with a konjac sponge, a moisturiser for face and cuticles, or a base before my gua sha. It's also a nice pre-wash hydration for hair; I simply rub a little through the lengths and into the ends and let it sit for thirty minutes, before showering.
The trip culminated in the wedding of two of my favourite people. The most beautiful day held on a hilltop overlooking Vienna, filled with the most delicious food, musicians, babies and children of all ages, dogs and sheep grazing in the garden. It was, quite simply, full of love.
Taking that space in Vienna, supported by the remedies, was everything I needed to remember that even in those trying and testing seasons, there is always room for beauty and love to break through. Like travel, tests bring growth, knowledge and a new outlook on life.
Here’s to the shifts - both big and small.
With love, Fleur xx
