05.08.2026 Moodboard
Hell from Mongolia! And here's what's been inspiring my work and life lately, and the creative rabbit holes I've been going down.
Hello from Mongolia.
I landed in Ulaanbaatar a few days ago and the jet lag was brutal — but I'm on the up and up. Tomorrow I head out into the wild heartland. These first few days in the city, though, have been great. Half the country’s population — about 1.5 million people out of 3 million total — lives here. It’s a big, bustling capital, but Mongolia is a deeply nomadic country, and you can feel those roots everywhere, even in the city.
Our local partners keep sharing little sayings and beliefs as we scout together — I've started calling them “Mongolianisms.”
A few of my favorites:
On energy: Mongolians have a very strong belief that you create your own energy — it’s almost superstitious. This is why they get antsy when tourists ask “how much longer?” or “when will we get there?” It feels negative to them — rushed when it shouldn’t be — like you’re bringing bad energy into the group.
On gratitude: “May the rewards of your inner feelings be great.” Feels connected to the one above — create good energy, and it comes back to you.
On rain: When we got caught in a brutal rainstorm, my partner said, “Mongolians are always so grateful for the rain, even if they live in the city. They likely still have family who are herders, and with rain comes the growth of the grass, which is food for their animals.” When you phrase it like that, it’s hard not to smile and be grateful for the rain too rather than annoyed.
If you’re interested in following along, I’ll be posting here throughout the week when I get signal — before I head to Tohoku, Japan. Tohoku is in the northeast part of Honshu — the name literally means “northeast” — and the region has one of the highest concentrations of hot springs in the country. Some of you may know it because it’s where the new Aman just opened, but that’s not why we’re going.
In the meantime while I am out in the field, below are a few things that have been inspiring me lately as I think through my work and business at El Camino.
xx, Katalina
Cartagena has been on my mind — I've been helping a few travel journalists with recommendations before they board a new cruise down the Magdalena River. Right on cue, Saveur featured Mariana Velásquez's kitchen there. Checkered floors, cane-front cabinets, open shelving stacked with cookbooks and whatever came from the market that morning. This is what tropical interior dreams are made of. Mariana doesn't separate the disciplines — food, art, design, hosting — they're one practice for her, and her new book Revel: A Maximalist Guide to Having People Over is that ethos in print. It's organized by time of day, each section with a full menu and setup plan, and it's the kind of book that makes you think more thoughtfully about the joy of hosting.
This scouting trip is a multi-country tour — right after Mongolia, I'm heading to Tōhoku, Japan — so everything in my suitcase needs to earn its place. A piece like this Mango satin set is exactly what I look for on the road: won't take up too much room, doesn't wrinkle, and goes from daytime to dinner without a second thought.
A limited-edition chair from French interior architect Laura Gonzalez, inspired by Punjabi wedding thrones — the frame wrapped entirely in macramé, the cushion in deep wave-patterned indigo, only two ever made. Filed under chairs I will one day own for Casa Violeta or my house in D.C.
A hand-blocked cotton tablecloth made in India, inspired by a turn-of-the-century textile sample book found in the south of France — in the kind of deep, saturated Yves Klein blue I keep being pulled toward this season. You'll notice a theme.
I've been waking up to this playlist every single morning for the past month — Lester Young, John Coltrane Quartet, Oscar Peterson Trio, Miles Davis Quintet — and it has been the calmest way to start the day. It keeps me from hitting that reflex where I start checking my work email before I've even had my first sip of coffee, which is a HORRIBLE habit I am working very hard to break.
xx, Katalina