just getting home from a whirlwind long weekend in missouri. (there's a joke somewhere in there?)

i was invited to speak at kansas city's annual design week, and i had the privilege, and seriously, i mean the real treat, to discover the amazing, thriving, creative, beautiful kansas city. i joked several times over the weekend the city needs a hashtag #whoknew!? to really capture the sense of discovery a newcomer like me feels when they have the good fortune to get to know a midwest town experiencing a a full-blown renaissance.

from art museums to james beard award-winning chefs, bustling flea markets to hip independent boutiques, designer hotels, craft cocktails, rolling hills and a meandering river, live music and a truly inspiring creative community working feverishly to push their city to its very best, kansas city is a gem to discover, and certainly warrants a stop rather than a fly over next time.