Hi! I’m Ruth.
I’ve had many jobs and identities in my time, but I always come back to writing. In 2008, I started a blog as part of a creative writing independent study in college. From Blogspot to Wordpress to Squarespace, I’ve penned bad poems and shared countless photos and written about things like solo travel and creativity and mental health.
After years of writing regularly on my personal blog and social media, I stopped feeling the pull to write publicly. Personal transformation and inner work took the front seat for awhile, until I discovered Substack and decided that it felt like a more comfortable mix of writing-platform-meets-social-media. It feels slower, more intimate, calmer. It feels like a more suitable home for my words, and I’m so happy to be here.
Welcome to Checking In.
My intention for this space is to share stories and essays that curiously explore mental health, personal growth, real relationships, and the messiness of being human. If you want to catch up on what I’ve been up to so far, here are a few of my favorite archived posts:
Solo travel, nearly a decade later.
What you get with a free subscription:
🌾 Biweekly essays to inspire reflection and creativity.
🌾 A community of like-minded humans valuing depth, thoughtfulness, and living with intention.
Why do I offer a paid subscription?
When you subscribe to Checking in, you can choose a free or paid subscription. Paying a small monthly or annual fee supports my work, and I believe that women’s work is so valuable in this world. Sharing vulnerably is valuable. Creating community is valuable.
Eventually, my hope is to offer bonus content for paid subscribers, sharing publications that are more intimate and personal for those who have opted in.
When I’m not writing here, you can find me at my day job working as a social worker in early childhood mental health. I also love fighting fiercely for equitable policy, having deep conversations with dear friends over tea, hanging with my adopted kitties Sundae and Pretzel, hiking in the woods, and traveling the world.
