Jean Chen Smith

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Location
Corvallis, Oregon
School
Rutgers University
Expertise
Luxury travel, Pet-friendly travel, Adventure destinations
  • Jean has more than 15 years of experience producing travel, lifestyle, dining, shopping, and service journalism content.
  • Her storytelling focuses on connecting readers to destinations through culture, local experiences, food, wellness, and outdoor adventure.
  • In addition to destination features, she regularly researches topics including road trips, hospitality trends, traveling with pets, seasonal travel guides, and consumer-focused recommendations.

Experience

Jean Chen Smith is a freelance travel and lifestyle journalist based in Corvallis, Oregon. She covers adventure, luxury, wellness, culinary, and pet-friendly travel, with a particular interest in culture-driven destinations, outdoor experiences, boutique hotels, and regional food scenes. At Islands, she enjoys researching hidden gems, small-town escapes, national parks, and practical travel tips that help readers discover memorable experiences both close to home and abroad.
Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, USA Today, The Oregonian, and 1859 Oregon's Magazine. She has also featured award-winning hotels, restaurants, and travel experiences throughout her career.

Education

Jean holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University School of Communication and Information.

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.

Stories By Jean Chen Smith