Friends,

Happy Labor Day weekend to all of you in the USA.

I just got back from a quick trip to Washington, DC, and it ended with something I had never experienced before: a hotel fire alarm. At seven this morning, my wife and I stood outside with the rest of the hotel, a crowd of half-awake, bewildered travelers.

Thankfully, the Georgetown FD had everything taken care of in under an hour.

No real danger — just a little unexpected excitement. Once I realized everything was fine, I couldn’t help but laugh. There’s something oddly memorable about being part of that shared, groggy moment with strangers.

Back home now, I’ve been reflecting on how fast things are moving with the blog and the new travel agency. A week may not sound like much, but it feels like a lot has happened since my last update. We’ve started booking hotel travel for readers — which still feels surreal to write. What began as a simple newsletter about travel adventures is becoming a full-fledged agency that can actually help you plan and take those adventures.

This is real.

And it’s only getting more real. The biggest project — for this passion project — right now is our hotel portal. The beta version has been in testing this week, and it’s exactly what I hoped it would be: clean, simple, and powerful. Think of it as a tool that combines the convenience of an Expedia-style search with the perks of a members-only booking service. I can’t wait to share version 1.0 with you soon.

Several of you have already jumped in as early adopters, letting me handle your travel plans this past week. Thank you. You’re the pioneers who help shape what this becomes, and I’m so grateful for your trust.

The bigger vision hasn’t changed: to build a place that inspires you to dream about travel, helps you plan with ease, and gives you the tools to actually go. Right now that means getting the foundation set — things like the agency, the portal, and a few other features (more relevant deals and trip inspiration are next on the roadmap). But I think you’ll really like where it’s headed.

Until then — fly well, enjoy the long weekend, and may your next hotel stay be a little less eventful.

Tommy

LINKS

A new deals and reviews post format is coming soon, and I will use this section to highlight. Standby.