Rachel Dennis

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Location
Portland, Oregon
School
Northeastern Illinois University, University of Hartford, Connecticut
Expertise
Slow travel, Outdoor adventures, Culinary travel
  • Rachel fell in love with travel in 2012 and has since embraced slow nomadism, affordable luxury, and house sitting to sustainably see the world.
  • She founded Vibrant Compass, an online resource for alternative travel where she features slow travel guides, destination reviews, and travel mindset support.
  • Rachel has visited over 10 countries, 100 cities, and 30 national parks across the globe, and has found the most joy in sampling local dishes, exploring quiet side streets, visiting iconic attractions, and tackling language barriers.

Experience

Rachel has over five years of experience in lifestyle, travel, and culinary writing and traveled extensively before pursuing journalism full-time in 2020. Her favorite travel topics include under-the-radar destinations, the great outdoors, and exceptional hotels. She adds value by bringing a first-person perspective to everything she writes, understanding that travelers prefer deep, factual, and personalized travel content. She has written for CNN Underscored, The Manual, The Travel, Food Republic, Tasting Table, and Mashed, curating content focused on topics ranging from exotic cuisine to sustainable excursions. Rachel finally settled down in the Pacific Northwest in 2026 but still regularly explores pockets of the world, traveling at least once a month. She began with the Static Media team in June 2024 and has specialized expertise in Chicago, Portland, and Austin, all cities where she has personally lived.

Education

Rachel earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois, and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hartford, Connecticut.

Islands Editorial Policies

Islands content is created by a team of veteran writers and editors passionate about travel. Outside experts with deep field knowledge sometimes inform our work with additional context and perspectives by way of exclusive commentary. Our goal is to offer readers well-rounded and diverse articles that inform, entertain, and inspire.

Our editors consistently review and update articles to ensure they're providing current, relevant, and useful information. Complete information on our editorial process is available here.

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