For some, travel means lying on a beach with your out-of-office reply firmly switched to “On.” And we feel that. For others, like Yara Flinn, for example, the effortlessly cool designer behind cult New York label Nomia, a trip is a chance for an adventure in a place entirely different than home (and maybe mix a bit of business with pleasure). No, a week spent in Hong Kong and Tokyo isn’t exactly a relaxing getaway, but that’s beside the point. For Flinn it was a chance to explore—the markets and hills in Hong Kong, and the vintage shops (hello, vintage Comme des Garçons) and cat cafés (yes, you read that right) of Tokyo.

Click through the slideshow to see beautiful views of Hong Kong and what might be the best cat selfie on the internet.