July Was Absolutely WILD: Italy, Utah, NYC and So Many Flights

I genuinely don’t know how July was only one month because I feel like I lived about six different lives in those 31 days.

I traveled for more than half the month, went to Italy, Utah and New York City, spent A LOT of time in airports, spoke at two conferences, worked on some really exciting projects and ate some food that I will probably be thinking about for the rest of my life.

So let’s start at the beginning because July was WILD.

48 Hours in Italy

Yes. I flew all the way to Italy for basically 48 hours. 😂 My best friend and social media manager Alicia came with me, and originally we were supposed to be there for three days. But we finished what we needed to do early, so our already quick trip became even quicker.

Now, why exactly did I fly all the way to Italy? I can’t tell you yet... I KNOW. I’m sorry. I am working on a VERY exciting project and I went all the way to Italy because I want to make sure every single detail is perfect. But I will give you one little secret. I mayyyyy be coming out with something I have always dreamed of creating. That’s all you’re getting for now. 😉

We spent almost our entire trip in the lab working, but obviously we had to squeeze in a little fun while we were there. Alicia and I went into Milan and our first stop was the Starbucks Reserve. You guys, it was SO COOL. We grabbed one of their signature drinks, had some food and took it all in.

Then we went to see the Duomo and STUNNING doesn’t even begin to describe it. Seeing it in person was one of those moments where you just stand there and stare. And then came dinner. THE PASTA. Followed by gelato that honestly may have been the highlight of the entire trip. LOL I kid. Kind of. It was that good.

And just like that, our whirlwind Italian adventure was over and we were onto the next stop.

Next Stop, Utah!

Alicia and I headed to Salt Lake City for the Curated Creator Summit, but first we had a very important pit stop to make. We met up with Derek Maxfield. (If you know, YOU KNOW.) I’m working on a documentary with Derek and we needed to get into the studio to record. And I may have also talked a little bit about that certain fun project I have launching later this year. 😉 Again, you’re going to have to wait for that one.

After recording, we headed to the Asher Adams Hotel in Salt Lake City and OMG YOU GUYS. THIS HOTEL. It was all the vibes. The rooms were gorgeous and everything was beautiful, but do you know what really stole the show? THE ROOM SERVICE. Specifically, the tomato soup with sourdough grilled cheese. I will dream about that meal. I’m not even exaggerating.

Okay, back to why I was actually in Utah. 😂 I was there to speak at the Curated Creator Summit about something I feel really passionate about when it comes to social media. JUST POST. Seriously. Post the video. Share the thing. Be yourself. You don’t have to have everything perfectly figured out or wait until everything looks exactly right. Sometimes you just have to stop overthinking it and POST.

I absolutely LOVE teaching, so after speaking I did a massive Q&A session and it was incredible. The crowd was amazing and the energy was even better. I got to spend time talking with so many creators, learning more about Curated and everything they’re building, and one of the coolest parts of the trip was reuniting with women from my past Younique life. It was such a blast seeing everyone again and I am so grateful I got to be part of this experience.

I vlogged it all here, check it out! Day 1 and Day 2

But apparently July wasn’t done with me yet because there was still one more stop.

Utah to NYC

After Utah, I headed straight to New York City. Alicia left me because apparently she can’t hang with all this travel. LOL! I kid! 😂

So off to NYC I went alone, and this part of the trip started out a little rocky. I checked into my hotel and pretty much immediately realized it wasn’t for me. As a woman traveling alone, I take my safety VERY seriously and if something doesn’t feel right, I listen to that feeling.

I switched hotels and headed to the Park Terrace Hotel, which ended up being GREAT. I immediately felt so much better there and was really happy I made the switch. Did changing hotels after traveling all day turn the day into a lovely 18 hour travel day? Sure did. 😂 But I made it, I felt comfortable where I was staying and that’s all that mattered.

I was in NYC to speak at another conference, this time Affiliate Summit. I was on a panel with Leslie Ann Hall from Iced Media and Crystal Wood from Scott Barnes Cosmetics. This conference was definitely a little outside of my comfort zone because there were a lot of tech companies and it was a different environment than some of the creator events I usually attend.

But I am SO glad I went. I learned a ton, met some really great people and our panel was PACKED. We had so many questions that I genuinely think we could have sat there talking for hours.

And then, finally, it was time to GO HOME.

There Really Is No Place Like Home

When I tell you I missed home FIERCELY, I mean it. I could not wait to squeeze my boys, sleep in my own bed and, of course, get back on that baseball field.

A huge part of my job is travel and I really do love it. I know how lucky I am to get to go to these places, meet incredible people and have experiences I never could have imagined years ago. But there’s also this weird internal battle that comes along with it. When I’m traveling, part of me feels like I should be home. When I’m home and there’s an event happening somewhere, part of me wonders if I should be there. I don’t know if that feeling ever completely goes away.

What I do know is that July was incredible. I traveled for more than half the month. I worked on projects that I am SO excited to eventually share with you. I spoke on stages, I taught, I learned, I reconnected with people from different chapters of my life, I ate some seriously good food and I took approximately one million flights.

I came home feeling incredibly grateful, but also VERY ready to slow down. August is for my family, making memories, being home and soaking up the rest of summer. Did I mention my birthday is in August too?

And who am I kidding? I’ll probably spend most of it at the ball field. 😂

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Love & Light

KRS