Rachel Chang is a travel and pop culture journalist who grew up in the California Bay Area and now lives in New York City (well, Hoboken, New Jersey). She's a solo travel advocate, dumpling addict, and reluctant runner — who managed to finish the NYC marathon three times. She's also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Romania and Poland. Rachel started her editorial career chasing celebrities as a magazine editor (Popstar associate editor, CosmoGirl entertainment editor, J-14 editor-in-chief, Us Weekly senior editor). Along the way, she also started chasing passport stamps and is now a freelance writer and editor contributing to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and The Washington Post, among others. She also edits standalone entertainment and travel magazines. Prior to this, she worked in television publicity at The WB Television Network, and also interned at Nickelodeon and "Dawson's Creek." * 25+ years of media experience in television, magazines, and digital brands * 20+ years of editorial experience as a journalist, writer, and editor * TaiwaneseAmerican.org's 100 Passionate People Pioneer * Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Professional Gallery Wall of Fame * Received a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of California, Los Angeles * Received a master's degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications * Completed writing courses through UCLA Extension, Media Bistro, Gotham Writers Workshop, Yale Writers' Workshop, and the Highlights Foundation * Founding executive board member of the alumni group Newhouse 44 and still serves as a member * 15+ years of experience as a judge for the Mirror Awards
If you've ever dreamed of swapping your home for a vacation rental as fabulous as Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet's characters did in the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday, now it's possible with HomeExchange Collection — a community of luxury homes around the globe that can be exchanged with other fabulous properties.
Launched in June 2022 following a soft roll-out last year, the collection now has about 300 homes, each of which must have a value of at least $1.5 million and pass a quality inspection by the HomeExchange Collection team, which involves assessment of everything from artwork and wellness amenities (like saunas, gyms, and Jacuzzis) to pools, tennis courts, pianos, movie theaters, and private boats. The properties span 35 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Oman, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and various islands in the Caribbean.
Some of the standout properties include a desert oasis in Joshua Tree, villa with an infinity pool in Bali, country house in Rome, mountain estate in Santa Fe, penthouse in Manhattan, and farmhouse in France. Also on the platform are unique stays in historic castles, wilderness getaways, and luxe yachts. Just as interesting as the homes themselves are the interactions and connections made with fellow members, who come from a variety of backgrounds and fields, including scientists, architects, designers, artists, and engineers.
Members of the HomeExchange Collection can lend their homes to each other for a weekend, week, or month, with the benefit of the local knowledge from their hosts. For those who choose not to do a reciprocal exchange, there's also the option to rent properties using points. Other perks include 100% flexible cancellation policy as a guest, up to $2 million property damage protection, and access to the member service team around the clock.
"Sage, unparalleled advice on the destination from host members creates connections as well as opportunities for living like a local while on vacation," a spokesperson for HomeExchange said of the program. "With inherent trust in one another as part of the community, conscientious homeowners are dedicated to sharing their homes and destinations, providing recommendations for a more authentic vacation experience."
The cost of an annual subscription to HomeExchange Collection is $1,000, and includes access to HomeExchange's entire catalog of homes of all types and budgets, with more than 450,000 homes in 159 countries.