Rachel had a great time joining Jason Tharp on the Beyond Hope podcast recently. Together, Rachel and Jason discussed embracing adventure and connection, finding hope at pivotal junctures in life, and showing up as the best version of ourselves, whether near to home or far from it. They also discussed how, sometimes, being one’s best self might just result in being gifted a *yam* in South Korea…. Give a listen for the back story on this tasty surprise.
"What No One Tells You" Podcast Interviews Rachel
Rachel’s latest podcast feature is out! Interested in shipwrecks, Waffle House, ghost hunting, or storytelling with integrity? If so, this is the conversation for you! Tune into Rachel’s very fun, VERY wide-ranging chat with @chrisandsara_ on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Rachel Speaks at TravelCon 2024
Last week, Rachel had the pleasure of communing with 500 travel-loving creators at TravelCon, both as a keynote speaker and also an attendee. For her session, Rachel spoke on the power of storytelling—and the fact that effective storytelling is NOT about YOU (…even in the selfie era, in which everyone seems to have become their own brand […Rachel included]). Rachel thrived on sharing space and ideas with those in attendance, creating community through collaboration, and toasting to the wonders of our world. 🌎
Watch a video sneak peek here!
AFAR Taps Rachel to Write Ireland Guides
Rachel is stoked to have not one, but TWO, new articles live on AFAR.com! First up: The Perfect 10-Day Itinerary for First Timers Visiting Ireland. Rachel really enjoyed putting together this piece, so she hope you enjoy teleporting yourself to Ireland through this feature (… and perhaps even start planning a trip for yourself)!
The Perfect 10-Day Itinerary for First Timers Visiting Ireland
Rachel’s second AFAR article to go live this month showcases how you can Go Off the Beaten Path in Ireland with This Eco-Friendly, 7-Day Itinerary. Enjoy this deep-dive into Ireland’s wonders!
Go Off the Beaten Path in Ireland with This Eco-Friendly, 7-Day Itinerary
Parents Mag Features Rachel in its Summer Travel Roundup
Rachel’s latest feature is live—this time in Parents mag, sharing tips for summer travel with kids! Read on for insights not only from Rachel, but also from a handful of other amazing, expert travelers who *also* happen to be moms.
EXPLORE
Rachel Shares Summer Travel Ideas on KGW News
Rachel joined KGW-TV’s “Hello, Rose City!” today to share summer travel with their audience. If you’re still TBD on your summer travel plans, check out Rachel’s inspiration-filled segment (below). Here's to summer adventures!
SUMMER TRAVEL TIPS
Red carpet photography by Patricia Koo Photography
Rachel Celebrates with The Explorers Club
What a blessing it has been to spend the last four days in NYC with The Explorers Club, celebrating and communing with the dreamers, doers and change-makers who are working to improve our planet (*and* universe) for all of its inhabitants, great and small.
The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation. It was founded in 1904 to support “the Scientific Exploration of Land, Sea, Air & Space”, and its members include the first people to visit the North & South Poles, the first to reach the Summit of Everest, and the first to set foot on the Moon.
I’m honored to be a Fellow in The Explorers Club for my storytelling work, and it is my absolute delight to uplift and shine a light on some of the world-changing stories that pass through the Club’s hallowed halls.
Bonus: sometimes membership in the Club means you get to hold Megalodon teeth in your bare hands, sit on Apollo-era lunar rovers while dressed to the nines, or marvel as ballerinas dance to Tchaikovsky with the world’s preeminent explorers watching on (Apollo astronauts included).
I'm thrilled to “invite” you into the Club through these snapshots from the Explorers Club Annual Dinner weekend.
xo
Rachel
Rachel Produces New Google Project
After a successful partnership in 2023 producing Google Cloud’s live event Exec Forum, Rachel was brought back to help creative agency MAS + client Google Cloud produce an invite-only, C-suite forum on AI from a Fortune 5 perspective: Leaders Circle 2024, an offshoot of Google’s NEXT conference in Las Vegas. For this event, Rachel Content and Show Produced three live keynote sessions totaling nearly five hours of talent-driven programming, featuring speakers such as Katie Couric, Andre Agassi, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, CEO and Co-Founder of DeepMind Sir Demis Hassabis, and Alphabet & Google CFO Ruth Porat.
click here FOR INTEL on Google Cloud next!
Rachel Featured in USA Today
When USA Today decided to round up top travel creators and feature them in a Top 10 travel destinations list, they knew Rachel should be in the mix! Read on to learn one of Rachel’s favorite (somewhat surprising) travel destinations:
Places to go in 2024: Let these top 10 travel influencers inspire you
Rachel Shares Spring Travel Tips on KATU ABC 2
To gear up for spring travel, Portland’s KATU ABC 2 asked Rachel to pop by and share pro tips with its audience for planning a warmer-weather getaway.
WATCH: Spring travel tips
Rachel Moderates Book Launch at Powell's Books
Rachel sat down to talk adventure, purpose, life, and love with author Nikki Vargas at Portland’s Powell’s Books on Saturday. The nation’s largest bookstore—plus one of Oregon’s biggest tourist draws—Powell’s is an icon. So, it was an honor for Rachel to moderate a book launch talk for Fodor’s Travel editor and travel industry friend Nikki. Check out press photos below, and get to know the book, Call You When I Land, here.
Rachel Pens Peru Expedition Piece for Hemispheres Magazine
Following her canoe expedition through the Peruvian Amazon, Hemispheres Magazine—United Airlines’ in-flight magazine, enjoyed by millions of readers both in-flight and online—enlisted Rachel to share her experience through its’ early 2024 Sail Away package.
READ: 10 Adventurous Boat Excursions to Take in 2024
Rachel Wins GOLD in the reFocus Black & White Photography Awards
Rachel’s photography series The Last of the Eagle Hunters has won another award: this time, it’s GOLD in the renowned reFocus Awards Black & White Photo Contest! Rachel is honored that her series continues to resonate with viewers, while also immersing them in the world of western Mongolia’s nomads.
EXPLORE THE IMAGES HERE
Rachel Writes Two New Articles for AFAR on Gulf Shores Orange Beach
Tapping into people’s desire for warm-weather getaways as the weather grows colder, AFAR shared the appeal of Gulf Shores Orange Beach, Alabama, with its readership, enlisting Rachel to write these articles along the way:
Rachel's Crafts Day of the Dead Piece for MO/AD Magazine
MO/AD Magazine tapped Rachel to write up a feature about one of her all-time favorite celebrations: Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Profiling celebrations in the vibrant metropolis of Mexico City, Rachel deep dives into the festivities, and highlights them colorfully through both her writing and her photography.
READ: Mexico City Through the Eyes of the Dead
Rachel's Tahiti Sailing Article is Live in AFAR
This fall, Rachel headed to Tahiti on a pretty cush assignment: documenting the ins and outs of private yacht charter in French Polynesia. Read Rachel’s newest article for AFAR below!
READ: Sailing Tahiti by Private Yacht Is Surprisingly Easy
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Rachel Hosts Whirlwind News Media Tour
Going live from nearly 30 news stations back-to-back, Rachel hosted a fun and energized Fall Travel Tips segment that aired all across the U.S. this September. Appearing as a global travel expert is always fun for Rachel, particularly when she gets to share practical tips with others.
WATCH: Getaways & Gadgets to Fill Your Fall
Rachel's Photography Wins in MonoVisions Competition
Rachel’s Mongolian photography series “The Last of the Eagle Hunters” is a winner in the 2023 MonoVisions Black & White Photography Awards.
Both the Winners & the Honorable Mentions (of which Rachel is one) showcase beautiful stories from immensely talented photographers, so it’s a joy for Rachel to share the podium with each of the artists honored.
Check out all the winners from Rachel’s category -- People -- below:
Rachel Creates Colorful Colorado Content for AFAR
AFAR has once again tapped Rachel to share travel inspiration with its audience through a colorful summertime illustrated map-cum-article project on the adventure-filled state of Colorado.
READ: WHY COLORADO IS THE PERFECT DESTINATION FOR SUMMER FUN
Rachel Joins USA for UNHCR to Celebrate World Refugee Day
For the third year running, the United Nations Refugee Agency invited Rachel to host its Instagram Live coverage of World Refugee Day. A Refugee Champion for USA for UNHCR, Rachel was honored to facilitate this coverage, hearing first-hand from former refugees Maya and Methusella about their journeys to safety, the communities that welcomed them, and their amazing achievements.