Checking in... from LA with a newsletter reboot.

A Substack where you come along.

Hi friends. I’ll keep this brief-ish.

I started this newsletter exactly two years ago with ambitious goals. Share weekly travel updates, flight deals, worldly perspectives, aviation and hotel news, credit card rewards, and points hacks. Truth be told, it was too much for my overwhelmed, new-to-freelance self.

My love for travel meant I tried keeping up with everything across the industry (travel has so many different niches, y’all). At the same time, I wanted to share my own insights.

But it was simply not possible to do it all and keep up with a newsletter I persisted…for less than a year. Then, my Substack link remained in my Instagram bio, but I went mostly silent.

Now, though, I have a better understanding of what kind of value I can bring to you, to editors, to travelers, to PRs, to the world.

As part of this self-evaluation, first, this newsletter thing is getting a new name.

Why Checking in?

It’s a title and phrase that serves so many purposes.

• You check in to your upcoming flight (ideally online since I’m not checking a bag and avoid waiting at the airport unless I absolutely must).

• You check in to that cute boutique hotel while on the road.

• You check in with friends you met while traveling abroad years ago.

• You check in on that pitch email you sent a week ago but never got a response to.

Most of all, it’s about looking inward — checking in on ourselves to see how far we’ve progressed, why we do what we do, and how, at least for me, travel has become so integral to my identity.

I’m constantly self-assessing, for better or worse. I’m not the person I was two years ago when I started this!

Therefore, I’ve decided that this newsletter isn’t one-size-fits-all. Checking in is about sharing my passion for travel and working in an ever-evolving media landscape.

The Modern Traveler was fun, but it wasn’t the right fit. Frankly, there are better sources for timely deals, points content, and travel news. I’m here to share what I know and am good at as a freelancer.

What to expect next

As to what that means in practice, that’ll likely be more views from behind the scenes. What’s it like when I go on assignment? What’s the tea with press trips? Am I looking for sources for a story? How did I create that social media video? What’s an article I’m proud of and how did it come about? What’s on my mind travelwise?

Feel free to unsubscribe if that’s not what you’re looking for. (Not offended!)

As for everyone else, thanks for sticking around. I hope you’ll keep opening these little snippets to see what’s on my mind as I check in from my travels and from home.

Checking in from Goodboybob Coffee in LA,
Chris

P.S. You can also check in with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.