Travel and Personal Growth: Kathy McCabe Of Dream of Italy and Dream of Europe PBS On Why & How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings

Thankfully, the world is open for travel once again. Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings? As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathy McCabe.

Kathy McCabe makes Italian dreams come true for the millions of viewers of her popular series, Dream of Italy. With three seasons and two specials now airing on PBS, Kathy mixes authentic Italian experiences with a little bit of star power including special guests like Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Francis Ford Coppola, Marisa Tomei and Massio Bottura. The series is inspired by the award-winning travel magazine and website that Kathy founded in 2002.

Kathy’s new series, Dream of Europe, premieres on PBS stations nationwide in January 2025, bringing the winning “Dream of” formula to London, the French Alps, Malta, Greece and Albania. The new theme song to the series was recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded and is featured in the first episode.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I began my career at ABC News in New York, where I was a desk assistant for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and was part of the Emmy-Award winning investigative team at the network. My work at ABC led me to an opportunity in London for Worldwide Television News (WTN). Returning to the U.S., I joined USA Today, covering politics and later, travel, before starting Dream of Italy in 2002 — my award-winning travel magazine and membership website that has since become my life’s work.

My passions have always been deeply rooted in Europe, travel and writing. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.F.S) in European Studies from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Non-Fiction Writing from Johns Hopkins University.

What inspired you to launch Dream of Italy and pursue a career in inspiring others to travel?

Travel can be transformative and life-changing, and I am proof of that. The first life-changing trip I took was when my parents took me to London at the age of 10. It was my first trip abroad and it solidified my love of travel and all things European.

After college, my mother and I took a fateful trip to Italy where we rediscovered our ancestral hometown of Castelvetere sul Calore in the Irpinia area of Campania in southern Italy. During this trip, I fell in love with Italy, and during my years working in journalism, I took every vacation I could in Italy, meeting the locals, relishing in the simple joys of everyday life and taking in the stunning landscapes.

I realized that there were so many people like me who wanted to experience the authentic side of Italy, and so Dream of Italy was born in 2002 — a publication devoted to authentic luxury travel in Italy. The magazine offers insider advice on where to go, what to do, what to see, who to meet, where to stay, and where to eat in Italy. Having published more than 200 issues, which are all accessible to members, Dream of Italy, the magazine is also the springboard to my series Dream of Italy, which now has three seasons and two specials currently airing on PBS stations, the PBS app, PBS Passport, Amazon Prime and YouTube.

Along the way, I have become even more convinced of the transformative power of travel — especially travel to Italy. I realized I am in the “dream” business, not just the travel or content business. Viewers often reach out to thank me for inspiring them to pursue their own dreams. This is the most rewarding part of my work!

I really believe my commitment to deeper storytelling and exploration is what sets my content apart from other travel experts and influencers today. When done right, travel should provide opportunities for personal growth — a theme I explore in my pledge special that I produced and hosted, Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive, which features special guests including Sting & Trudie Styler, Francis Ford Coppola, Under the Tuscan Sun author Frances Mayes.

In this special, I highlight 11 essential elements of the Italian lifestyle — land, food, family, art & culture, beauty, pace of life, passion, movement, community, celebrations, and sense of home. These themes come alive through conversations with these stars and ordinary Americans who have moved to Italy. Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive also explores how Americans can move to Italy or spend extended time there, which has become a popular aspiration for many these days!

Is there a particular person who encouraged you to pursue your dreams and helped you reach where you are in your career?

I would have to say that my late parents, especially my mother, with whom I traveled to Italy with so often. My parents always told me to go for it and to take risks, never more so than creating and growing this Dream of Italy of mine!

They always encouraged me to follow my dreams, often sharing their own regrets about feeling tied to “safe careers” with secure pensions. They would tell me “If you want to strike out on your own, you should try.”

This was an enormous gift, I must say, to have not just one, but two people wholeheartedly believe in my dreams. It was the greatest gift of my life, and I try to pay it forward with my work. My purpose has evolved into helping others believe in their own dreams and take steps to realize them.

Can you describe a significant challenge you faced in your career? What lesson did you take away from that experience?

Well, running two businesses is full of challenges, but it has also been a journey of growth and discovery. Leading a publishing and content company for 22 years, and a production company for 10, has pushed me in ways I never would have imagined. Who would have thought I’d be running my own business, let alone two? But now, I don’t think I would have it any other way.

Most people who watch my shows don’t realize that appearing on screen accounts for probably something like less than 5% of my work hosting and producing PBS travel shows. Behind the scenes, I wear countless hats and have had to learn so many new skills (I am practically a junior trademark attorney at this point!) and push my limits constantly — even now after all these years.

I used to resist so many of these challenges for so long, but now, I almost (I said almost) welcome them, knowing they force me to grow and achieve.

What are some projects that you’re currently working on? How do you think these might inspire others to follow their own travel dreams?

I’m thrilled to share that my new travel series Dream of Europe, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide on January 18, 2025. This is my love letter to the continent I have studied, loved and explored since the age of 10. It definitely stays true to the “Dream of” formula of seeing the usual places in new ways, exploring little known destinations with a dash of star power for good measure.

Funnily enough, the first episode takes us to London where we visit the iconic Abbey Road Studios to record the theme song to the series in the studio the Beatles made famous. This is definitely the star of the season and viewers will not only go inside one of the most famous temples of music but see how a song is made.

The rest of the seven episodes explore more of the British capital, Lake Annecy in the French Alps, the enchanting island of Malta, the Greek Islands, Athens and the up-and-coming destination of Albania. There are adventures and surprises along the way as we span the culinary and cultural landscape of the European continent, from dressing up for a “Colour Walk” in London cooking with 2-Michelin star chef Jean Sulpice in France to boating out to a mussel farm in Albania.

Beyond my TV projects, I’m also currently on my own journey to obtain my Italian citizenship through ancestry and relocate to Italy either part-time or full-time. I’ve helped many viewers make this dream come true and now it is time for me to do so for me!

In your experience, why does travel foster personal growth? Can you share a specific story where travel contributed to your own growth?

It is crazy but I find that nearly every trip I have taken to Italy has challenged me to grow or changed my life. My friend Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, told me that nearly everyone, especially women, goes to Italy on a quest. That has been true of me, from my quest to find my ancestral hometown many years ago, to a more recent journey just a few years back to explore the mysterious Black Madonna of southern Italy in a very special episode for Season 3 of Dream of Italy. I even brought my late dog Phineas who ended up being an important part of the story.

The Madonna Nera herself is often associated with profound healing and transformation. This exploration of the role she has played in ancient and modern times connected me back to my own faith and ancestors, who themselves made a pilgrimage to honor the Black Madonna in Montevergine, not far from Castelvetere. This is one of the most unusual episodes I have produced and I was lucky to be joined by Black Madonna expert Alessandra Belloni and Academy Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei.

A recent Psychology Today survey revealed that over 80% of respondents believe travel helps with problem-solving and decision-making. Why do you think this is the case for so many?

Travel can transform you in every way — mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Anything “new” for your brain to experience is proven to be a benefit and new cultures and countries offer new sights, sounds, tastes, routines, cultural experiences. In my most recent special Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive, which is currently airing on PBS stations, I interviewed American expats on how travel and relocation impacted their lives. Many of them credited essential elements of Italian living, like access to fresh affordable food, community, art and culture, movement, and a slower pace of life, as contributing to a more fulfilling lifestyle. Whether traveling to Italy or beyond, exploring different cultures and learning more about other ways of life can inspire us to incorporate these positive influences into our daily lives.

In what ways do you think travel changes our worldview?

I think it is fascinating to see how other cultures live and what we can learn from them. A big focus of my special Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive focuses on living and aging better the Italian way — from eating fresh, local food to enjoying community. Italians make it a point to leave time for serendipity and have perfected “dolce far niente,” or the art of doing nothing — and they’re onto something. Italy regularly ranks at the top of the Bloomberg Global Health Index as the healthiest country in the world, with Italians living longer and enjoying a rich quality of life.

No matter where you travel — and I have visited 7 countries outside of Italy this year alone for Dream of Europe — there are lessons big and small to take with you. I so enjoyed the kindness of a shopkeeper in Kotor, Montenegro, who went out of his way to help me, reminding me of the importance of kindness in everyday life. While filming on the island of Paros in May, I swear I had some of the freshest, most flavorful food of my life and made a vow to eat better and fresher at home for its health benefits. Much of my travel involved music, from attending some performances to recording the Dream of Europe theme song in the famed Abbey Road Studios in London.

What habits should one develop to turn travel into an opportunity for personal growth? Please provide a brief explanation of why each habit is important.

Leave time for serendipity on both your travels and in your everyday life! Something I learned over the course of my time spent in Italy is that Italians love to live in the moment. As Americans, we can be so rigid with our packed schedules — it’s okay to leave room in your day for the unexpected. The more time you have left unscheduled, the more you can revel in the chance encounters you’re likely to have.

Travel slowly and enjoy the place you’re in before hurrying to the next destination. Italians practice pausa, or an afternoon break — when traveling, it helps to follow suit and build in a nap or relaxation time into your itinerary. You can also make pausa a habit in your life at home.

Take what you learn from your travels home with you. This includes what I have learned from Italians: slowing down and “working to live,” not “living to work.” It also means making certain activities sacred, including taking time to eat slowly and taking your vacation days. This can be difficult in our fast-paced American culture, but being mindful of how one spends time and energy can be youth-preserving.

Is there someone in the travel now or in the past who inspires you? Who would you most like to have a one-on-one conversation with, and why?

Amelia Earhart has always fascinated me. Of course, there is the mystery of what happened when she disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. But more than that, I am intrigued by what she achieved as a woman during the time when she lived. Being a female pilot was a radical thing, and the flights she flew were particularly dangerous. I admire her for her courage and pioneering spirit. I wonder how she dealt with fear. She broke barriers and defied societal norms at the time, inspiring generations of women to pursue their dreams without fear. This tenacity and determination are traits that I aspire to embody in my own life.

Where can our readers go to learn more about you and your work?

Website: www.dreamofitaly.com and www.dreamofeurope.com

Instagram: @dreamofitaly @dreamofeuropetv

Facebook: @dreamofitaly @dreamofeurope

YouTube: @dreamofitaly @dreamofeurope

X: @dreamofitaly

TikTok: @dreamofitaly

All three seasons and two specials of Dream of Italy, are now airing on PBS stations, the PBS app, PBS Passport, Amazon Prime and YouTube.

The first season of Dream of Europe premieres on PBS stations, PBS.org and the PBS app starting January 18, 2025.

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.