Growing up in Grays Harbor, Washington, with the Quinalt Rainforest just beyond her back yard, Rachel’s love for nature began at a young age. Her childhood summers were spent hiking, camping, and backpacking throughout the Olympic National Park and Mountain Range with her parents and three siblings. She credits her father with introducing her to all the beauty and wonders the outdoor world had to offer — the rugged sandy beaches, glaciated mountains, and temperate rainforest of Olympia National Park first among them.
While studying pharmacology, Rachel was offered a steward position aboard National Geographic Sea Bird in Southeast Alaska. Not one to pass up such a unique opportunity, Rachel accepted the offer, and quickly fell in love with working on the water. From Southeast Alaska, to the Columbia and Snake Rivers, to Baja California, Rachel has found that working onboard is exactly where she is supposed to be.
Several years later, after working as a Steward, Pantry Chef, and Assistant Expedition Leader/Purser onboard National Geographic Sea Lion and National Geographic Sea Bird, Rachel found her passion aboard the National Geographic Explorer, sharing its amazing itineraries with guests all over the globe. She cherishes her time spent traveling with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, but when she's not on the open seas, Rachel resides in Portland, Oregon, happily knowing she can get to the mountains or the ocean in a little over an hour’s drive.