Their travels together took them everywhere from all-expenses-paid international cruises to the beaches of Bali to castles in Europe.
From all appearances, she lived a charmed life.
But appearances can be deceiving.
Behind the scenes, theirmarriage was falling apart.
In an exclusive interview with The List, Kloots shared her remarkable journey.
What is it like for you to live there now as a fully independent adult?
Have your impressions of the city changed?
That was really special.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self now about boundaries and communication in relationships?
Boy, there’s a lot I would tell myself.
This isn’t what you’re actually wanting; this isn’t what you’re working toward."
So I would tell her that.
I would say, “When that girl starts talking, you listen.
You don’t invalidate those feelings.
Don’t cast those needs aside for anybody else.
Because a lot of those feelings were new.
We do this in relationships, especially our first couple relationships, our young relationships.
That’s definitely what happened to me.
I wasn’t in tune enough with myself.
you’re free to’t be scared.
I know that’s a hard thing to say, but I’ve noticed it’s fear.
I’ve asked people this: “What’s the primary thing in your way?”
It’s fear of not knowing the language or fear of not understanding things or getting lost.
The most common mistake is people over-plan.
They feel the need to organize every second of their trip.
They’re not listening to their actual selves.
They’re not saying, “What are my passions?
What do I want to do in this place?”
I see that as the biggest error that people make.
How do you go about finding these places?
I love reading travel magazines.
You’re seeing a version of it, but you’re not seeing the true America.
Can you share some of your favorite travel destinations?
Some of the first places I went that totally captured my heart were Japan [and] India.
I absolutely fell in love with the whole area of Rajasthan.
I started to want to move there.
When I first visited Southeast Asia, I went to Indonesia.
Can you share any advice for others trying to build their own online brand in whatever area?
It wasn’t a thing.”
But what is the most important is to be authentic.
Very, very little of what I share and create is pre-planned or plotted or orchestrated.
She’s got a lot of big plans in the coming months
What’s next for you?
Do you have any other big trips or projects planned?
I’m going to be doing a book tour through the U.S. for this, which is great.
That’s been very exciting.
“My Own Magic” will be available from HarperCollins on May 16.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
