what I learned from six weeks abroad

plus, the viral face mask you need ASAP.

hello, lovers!

I’m beyond ecstatic to be writing to you from my apartment for the first time since AUGUST (!!!) — arriving back at my West Village studio on Friday evening elicited a feeling of absolute serenity. in all honesty, my arrival back to the city has been TOO idllyic. from my flight from Venice arriving over an hour early to a neighbor helping me carry my 68lb. suitcase up four flights of stairs to walking into my place to see a “welcome home” banner, flowers, a card, and treats from my friends, I’ve been feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

the serendipity continued yesterday after my sun-soaked 16-mile marathon (TWO MORE WEEKS TILL GAME DAY!!!) training run, followed by a visit to Abingdon Square Market for a perusal of the fall produce. I got to see my fish guy to snag my favorite white fish salad and explain where I’d been for the past six weeks (ps. if you missed it, I created Your Ultimate Paris Guide in last week’s sunday series based on my month there!). after a good long afternoon nap, I was walking to my nail salon to get a quick mani before dinner when I stumbled upon a block party happening on Jane Street. I spotted a friend in the crowd, and what was meant to be an hour spent getting my atrocious cuticles cleaned up and enjoying a chair massage turned into cups of wine shared in the street, a deep catchup that had us both in tears, singing to “Sweet Caroline” with the rest of the West Village, and a reminder that I live in the best neighborhood in the world. from there, it was dinner with my girls at one of our staples, Left Bank, before meandering to the new Salt & Straw on Hudson Street to devour the most massive ice cream cones imaginable.

and now, it’s Sunday…my favorite day of all days. I have to run again today (lol) but am really looking forward to a bodywork session this afternoon I’ve had booked for two months with a magician named Kevin. he’s super tough to get availability with, but I have two sessions locked in before the marathon to make sure I’m all aligned and ready to go! gahhhh I can’t believe that after four months of training, the race is just two weeks away. my parents and sister are coming into town to cheer me on, and no matter whether I hit my goal of breaking four hours or not, I’m determined to enjoy every minute of the weekend. more to come on that front!

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speaking of alignment, I’m still riding the high of spending all last week at FORESTIS, a family-owned property in the Dolomites, with my SmartFlyer and Querido Hotels colleagues. this trip was a celebration of our top producers at the agency and while I try hard to keep my work life and Substack separate, there’s a certain level of responsibility I feel to share this slice of heaven with you!!!! if you’ve been seeing me post about it on Instagram, just know that photos and videos do nothing to encapsulate what being in this Dolomiti oasis feels like.

here are a few of my favorite things about FORESTIS:

1. the self-serve juice bar at breakfast: I’ve never seen a hotel offer this, but they literally have a pantry with fresh fruits and veggies, and you can juice your own juice! so simple yet so impactful

2. the jam and butter bar at breakfast: I mean, I could make a whole list of the things I was obsessed with just at the breakfast, but the five types of butter and plentiful homemade jams are still very much top of mind for me…

3. the simplicity of the rooms shines: they really let the views and architecture do the work, and boy, does it DELIVER. the tower suites all offer extraordinary views—the kind that’s so delicious, you don’t even want to close your blinds at night

4. branding on point: this hotel has really carved out a place for itself in the realm of branding and marketing, and it was felt throughout every aspect of the guest experience, from the collateral in the rooms to the espresso cups having their simple logo on the bottom. I noticed ALL of it!!

5. the team: aside from the incredible sales team (hi, darling Lukas, if you’re reading!!!!) and ownership, once we were on property, we all got close with the actual team members, particularly the F&B team who were so integral to our stay

I’ll round out this little love affair with FORESTIS by telling a story that I think encapsulates why I adore the hospitality space so deeply. about two months ago, I went to my sister’s bridal shower (my sissy is getting married in a few weeks, and I’m officiating!!!!!) and got to chatting with one of her coworkers and friends, Joanne. she went on to tell me all about the spellbinding stay her and her husband had at FORESTIS over the summer, and one particular anecdote about how a team member named Soel made her birthday extra special by singing her happy birthday in Italian. she was simply over the moon in love with the property, and it stuck with me.

fast forward to Thursday night when I’m having dinner next to the GM of the hotel and gushing about the team and how it’s clear the property has encouraged them not to be robots but to have a real personality when interacting with guests. I then went on to tell the story Joanne relayed to me, saying I was bummed I didn’t get to meet Soel. turns out, he was helping serve our private dining experience that night. so, the GM called him over, and I got to make him look like a star by sharing the story in front of the big boss and his colleagues! it was so joyous. we then took the above pic to share with Joanne, and now you! I hope this kind of interconnectedness in our chaotic world also makes you smile.

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the viral facemask you need ASAP

@curatedbykaylafrom our window seat setup to yours, xoxo @SmartFlyer @Biodance @barretthollo #koreanskincare #inflightskincare #frequentflyer #skincare #deltaairlines #delta #biodance #fyp #virgoenergy #virgo

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I talk a lot about skincare products and must-haves for when you’re hitting the road, and I fear that that list of must-haves only continues to GROW, not shrink! on our flight back to New York this week, we did the viral collagen masks and WOWOW I’m obsessed. they’re currently on sale on Amazon, so I’m linking so you don’t miss out!

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what I learned in six weeks away from home base

finally, in the last bit of today’s installment, I’m sharing my takeaways from what we’re calling “Kayla in Paris” season one. I felt compelled to pull back the curtain a bit after getting countless messages (a smattering of which are included below) about how I was living out many people’s dreams with my month in Paris. because while it was a DREAM, there were also some tougher bits I didn’t share as openly on IG. luckily, that’s what the safe space I’ve created for my paid subscriber community allows me to dive into!

so, let’s dive into those learnings, shall we?

(hinge screenshots included!!)