: “Corona has changed me. Now I love spontaneous adventures”
Most people probably thought face masks and distance were going to be a minor hiccup in the saga when we started thinking about summer 2021. In reality, things didn't quite work out that way, but thankfully it has started to look a lot brighter!

Melk & Honning gets ready for another summer marked by the corona virus with a fresh selection of people. Run summer column!

Helene Hammer is the ninth person to talk to us about her summer.
Hammer is originally from Fredrikstad, but now lives in London. She works full-time as a model, has a relatively popular Instagram account and has appeared in magazines such as Marie Claire, Vogue, L’Officiel and Cosmopolitan.

The 26-year-old has previously stated to Melk & Honning that she is a "highly sensitive perfectionist who is very interested in interior design and creating cool things".

Read more articles from My Summer here: model and influencer Josefine Vogt, Stylist and Art Director Alice Wang and the advertising talent Sollin Sæle.

What will your summer be like this year?
- I have quite a lot of work planned after a year of sleep. So it has become a typical London summer, with weekend trips to the countryside.
- Roadtrips with a picnic basket in the back seat has become my new thing, and I have fallen completely in love with the English countryside, especially the Cotswolds.

Did you have any plans you had to scrap due to COVID?
- Had booked a vacation to Portugal which unfortunately had to be canceled at the last second due to a change in travel rules.

Where will be the first stop now that we can travel a bit again?
- Norway to visit family and friends. We also have a vacation planned in Italy for the end of August, so hopefully that will happen.

What is the best thing about summer for you?
- The feeling that everything is going at a slightly slower pace.

Where do you want to travel the most in Norway?
- I really want to take my girlfriend to Lofoten. She’s never been to Norway before, so I have started with the basics; Norwegian waffles, packed lunch and Friday games. Otherwise, I go every single day and daydream about a typical Oslo summer! Nothing beats Oslo in the summer!

What are the things you can’t survive without on vacation?
- Sunscreen! I like lobster, but don’t dig the lobster look much, says Hammer.

Describe the perfect summer evening.
- Dinner on a cozy outdoor terrace with my girlfriend before we head up to my favorite place in London, which is Pergola & Hill gardens in Hampstead, to watch the sunset (hot tip).
- The evening ends at a local small pub with a group of friends, good music and a few drinks.

What is your ultimate summer outfit?
- A light summer dress and a pair of kitten heels. Preferably with Converse in the bag.

What are you going to read this summer?
- Got my kindle so I can switch to reading two books on the go at the same time (life hack!). Certainly one non-fiction and one fiction, depending on the mood of the day.
- Now I’m reading Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers and Period Power. I recommend that book to pretty much all the ladies out there!

What is this year's summer song for you?
- Old classics I can sing and dance to.

Summer in the city, in the mountains, in the countryside or by the sea?
- A good combination of urban summer and the English countryside.

White wine, rosé or cocktail?
- Iskald rosé.

Early bird or up all night?
- A bit of both? It's a little annoying that I usually wake up by myself around 6 o'clock every morning.

Bucket list or spontaneous adventures?
- Corona has changed me. Now I love spontaneous adventures.

My weirdest summer memory is….?
- That summer I spent two months in Barcelona all alone without a single friend in the city. It’s strange to be by yourself during what feels like the most social season of the year.

Best place to be in Oslo in the summer is…?
- Take the boat out early in the morning to one of the islands, to swim and relax on a rock. Or watch the city wake up from Ekeberg!

When autumn comes, I can’t wait to…?
- Take a morning walk in a completely quiet Hyde park in crisp, delicious autumn air. Wear a good knit sweater and a freshly brewed coffee in hand. All the colors are also what I think are best in the fall.

January 25, 2022