No suitcase. Big decision. 5 European gems. #89

Welcome back to this week’s latest installment of what’s hot in brands and products.

Quick update: I’m prepping for the first big trip of the year with Sina.

I’ll reveal the spot next week, but here’s the interesting part: I have (almost) zero luggage.

After the Rimowa letdown I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m skipping the replacement for now. I’m flying light and buying the "perfect" bag at the destination. Sometimes the best way to find what you need is to start without it.

—

You’ve probably seen the clip of Alex Honnold climbing Taipei 101. 500 meters. No ropes. Absolute madness.

It’s always jarring — but this time it wasn’t the height that stuck with me (ok, it was also the height). But mainly it was his rehearsal. He doesn’t just memorize the moves.

He rehearses how he wants to feel when the situation gets difficult. He visualizes the fatigue, the thinning air, and the panic before it happens.

He trains his response, not the outcome.

I’ve been applying this to the "What’s Next?" question in my own life.

We’ve been weighing a move to New Zealand. On paper, it’s a 10/10 setup. We have the history: two months of core memories, the ocean, the people, and even a school the kids genuinely loved. It’s the ultimate dream pitch.

But when I move past the highlight reel and actually "rehearse" the sensation of living on the South Island, the signal changes:

We often mistake a beautiful destination for a beautiful life.

We obsess over the "features" (the beach, the tax rate, the title) and ignore the "feeling" (the daily grind of being there).

Right now, I have three doors half-open and zero "Master Plan." I’m prioritizing my internal response over the external plan.

This trip is my reset. No suitcase, no rigid map—just clearing the cache before the next chapter.

Question for you: What “beautiful destination” are you chasing right now that might just be a "feature" play? Reply and let me know.

If you’re new around here: Every week, I share 5 of the coolest products from Europe I’ve discovered in the past 7 days.

I scout, you explore. Let’s get to it!

With love 🌞
Jakob

P.S.: Missed the last edition? The floor cushion set by a large Swedish furniture company was the most-clicked product.

A “kid tech” device that’s basically a smartphone detox in hardware form. NODI does Spotify + audiobooks + voice messages — but skips the stuff that turns kids into tiny dopamine day traders (no browser, no social feeds, no open internet). Parents curate the audio + contacts in the app; kids just press buttons and live their best screen-free life.

Join the waitlist (Spring 2026)

Gambosa is made by Marset and designed by Mathias Hahn (2025), built from steel, and composed so the shade feels like it’s floating (even though everything’s “in balance”). Lots of nice color combinations and it looks good even when it’s off. (That’s the real test.)

Meet the colorways + sizes.

This vase has that rare “Berlin object” energy: strict geometry, zero decoration — and then one raw detail that makes it feel alive. Stainless Studios Berlin (by sibling founders Melissa and Nils) leans into visible weld seams on purpose (a little roughness, not a flaw), then tones everything down with their signature patina so fingerprints + micro-scratches don’t become your daily drama. It’s made from 100% stainless steel, feels properly solid (1.8 kg), and sits in that sweet spot between “holds branches beautifully” and “looks good empty” (my favorite type of functional).

Bring some steel calm to your shelf.

A two-stack pinch pot for salt + pepper that’s way too pretty to hide in a drawer (so don’t). The TIPU Double Pinch Pot is sold by Tiipoi (UK), and hand-crafted using traditional techniques in Channapatna, India — a town known for colorful wooden toys, which explains the joyful palette. Looks like a little totem.

Pick your pot.

This is the kind of baby blanket that feels like it already has a family story attached (even if the baby hasn’t arrived yet). “Twinkle Twinkle” is by AMBAR — 100% fine merino wool knit, 1m x 1m, pre-washed + tumbled so it’s soft-soft, and made in Britain in small batches. The pattern is created in collaboration with UK printmaker/illustrator Sophie Elm.

See the colors + details.

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