Unearth The World Travel Blog |

Out of my comfort zone and into a campervan…

Has it already been nine months since we have returned home from our trip around the world? Hard to believe that I have been back home in Chicago as long as I was away. Time seems to move faster now. There is less adventure, more routine. And it gets increasingly...
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What is your mark on the world?

A very deep question indeed. A question that keeps some of us up at night yet never crosses the mind of others. A question that makes me tick and one of the very reasons that Mike and I decided to launch Unearth the World. I hope it goes without saying that Mike and I are...
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Our Journey to Unearth the World: Part II

While Mike and I are no longer globetrotting, it has been fun re-living our adventure through pictures and words. Passion Passport is a group of storytellers that believes in the transformative power of travel. They recently featured our story on their site and I wanted to...
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A Walk Down Memory Lane

I know that I have been a bit delinquent when it comes to keeping up our travel blog. But, it is for good reason. As many of you know, I have recently shelved my traveler hat and am trying out – aka forcing – on an entrepreneur hat. Mike and I have spent the...
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I’m home. Now what?

Nine months of traveling and volunteering changed my life. So, how am I supposed to go back to “life as usual” now that I have returned home? I talked extensively with others about “reverse culture shock” before coming back and I was a bit nervous about how it would...
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I’m coming home, coming home

During the last hours on our journey to unearth the world, I found myself in disbelief. Did we really just spend 9 months gallivanting the globe? And is it really over?! And, after all I have seen, and done, and experienced….I have to go...
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"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."

Exotic Eats: Italy

Posted by Kathryn Pisco on Sep 25, 2013 in Exotic Eats, Italy | 2 comments

For most of my “Exotic Eats” entries, I have focused my writing on one or two unique and memorable dishes that I encounter in a country or region. Unfortunately my recent tour through Northern Italy confirmed the rumor that the food in the south is better than the north. While I did have some delicious meals on our trip, there is not one dish that stands out. So instead, I have decided to compile a short list of things that my recent time in Italy has made me appreciate about Italian cuisine.

Lake Como: La Bella Vita

Posted by Kathryn Pisco on Sep 20, 2013 in Featured, Italy | 6 comments

Even though I had never traveled to Lake Como, I (for some reason) thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: nice scenery, luxury villas, ritzy towns, and George Clooney. While I didn’t see George (enormous yet unsurprising disappointment), I was excited to see that the area’s beauty far surpassed my expectations and it was much more affordable and approachable than I had anticipated! Lake Como was jam packed with quaint towns and postcard pretty views.

Party in Portofino

Posted by Kathryn Pisco on Sep 18, 2013 in Featured, Italy | 6 comments

This post should be titled “Thank you Ali and Zach for getting married in Italy.” Yes, due to the union of two of my good friends, I was able to trade my dri-fit t-shirts and shared-bathroom guesthouses for cocktail dresses and 5-star accommodations. I felt like I was on a luxury vacation within my year of long term travel. It….was…..AWESOME!

Pitstop in Piedmont

Posted by Mike Pisco on Sep 17, 2013 in Featured, Italy | 7 comments

I LOVE ITALY. Simple as that. The people, the culture, the landscape, and, of course, the food. Maybe it’s because I grew up with a strong Italian family influence. Or maybe it’s because one of our most memorable vacations was a trip to Rome, Siena, Florence and Cinque Terre in 2010. Italy and everything Italian affects me. So I shouldn’t be surprised that a detour to Northern Italy’s wine region did the same.

People Tell the Story: Romania

Posted by Mike Pisco on Sep 12, 2013 in People Tell the Story, Romania | 0 comments

We were only in Romania for four days so we really didn’t have a ton of interaction with locals. But, what we did experience was an eagerness to be helpful, plenty of smiles and people who either spoke relatively good English or who had the patience to deal with my “Spatalian”. Our first interaction was upon arrival into the Suceava (border town from Ukraine) bus station. The woman at the ticket counter spoke perfect English, helped redirect our plan so that we could arrive to Brasov sooner, and escorted us to the bus driver (who spoke no English) to explain where we were going and to get us on the right bus. This was an indication of the kindness and hospitality that we would experience during our short time in Romania.

Romancing Romania

Posted by Mike Pisco on Sep 12, 2013 in Featured, Romania | 3 comments

If you would have told me years ago that I would be celebrating my 30th birthday in Romania, I would have never believed it. A pre-booked flight from Bucharest to Milan (we needed to be in Portofino for our friends’ wedding) led us into Romania after our time in Ukraine. After getting delayed by a day or two crossing the border, we were only left with four days so our time in the country was limited. We ultimately chose to spend our time in Brasov to get the most out of a speedy Romanian experience. The old medieval city made for a great place to get a taste of Romanian culture and an unforgettable 30th.