I went up to the City today for Shopify's first conference, Unite! I am so so so happy I went. Talk about a grand time.

Of course, it was done in true Shopify style: designed well, communicated effectively, and inspired totally.

I walked in after the talks had started, which meant I entered from the front of the main stage and walked to the back. This walk likely contributed my being just completely and totally overwhelmed. I'm uncertain when I stopped going to conferences alone, but I'm pretty sure it was when I started going to them with Jonathan, though Doyle is an amazing conference buddy. Given I was overwhelmed, I was gentle with myself and gave myself permission to be uncomfortable. I was happy to be there, and hoped to meet up with a bunch of my Shopify friends.

Happily met up with Kevin, Kevin, Richard (yay!), Guillaume (who seriously is another one of my favorite Shopify people), Camilo, Monika, Tyler, Tobi, Rusty, Daniel, and shit, I can't remember all the other wonderful Shopifolk I met up with and said hello and gave hugs to.

I met a number of Shopify partners, which was great, too, though I did a very poor job of networking with them. I introduced myself to a large number of them, but didn't get details or exchange information past first names. Not that I'm that hard to find if you kinda know my name, though you have to spell Kitt with two Ts to actually find me.

I left at the end of the day to hand Rob a bag of lemons, and head off to dinner. I have to say, I was more than a bit craving quiet at the end of the amazing day.

I'm looking forward to using a bunch of Shopify's new APIs.

I have this thing when I walk.

I look down as I walk.

I look down, watch the ground, don't look up. I have done this for as long as I can remember. I have memories of walking around my junior high school, looking down, looking up briefly and seeing so many faces, and immediately looking back down.

My usual focus is around 3 meters in front of me, not at my feet. This is mostly when I walk by myself. If I'm holding my cutie's hand, then I look up as a walk (for the most part, not always, though).

While my looking-down walking technique is sometimes fruitful (I believe I have found more money on the ground than any of my friends, mostly because that's where I'm looking), it isn't where I want to be looking.

I want to be walking looking forward. I want my walking style to reflect my inner self, the confident woman who is looking forward at the amazing world around her.

So, I've been working on looking up during my morning walks. It doesn't come naturally. I suspect I'll need the decades I've been looking down to unbreak that habit.

I'll just keep walking, looking up.

Let's just call this situational irony, shall we?