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The Discovery Compass
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Michael Kovnick
Author @TravelCDV

Michael Kovnick


Michael Kovnick is the Co-founder & CEO of Culture Discovery Vacations, the small-group cultural travel company he's run as a direct operator since 2006. An Italian-American who's spent 40+ years with one foot in The USA and the other in Italy, he built CDV around a simple, stubborn idea: keep the majority of every travel dollar in the local community, and treat guests like family instead of customers. He's a CTIE-certified travel professional, published in 2025 on the anti-extractive tourism model CDV is built on. He still writes here about the gap between how Americans and Italians see the world... and which side got it right.

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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 9: “An Italian Love Story”


If you are just jumping in here, please start with Part 1, otherwise, this will just make no sense at all! I mean, seriously… You can’t just jump into part 9 of a series, right? September 19, 1984 I’m...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • April 27, 2020
  • 6
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 8: “A Tale of Two Italys”


Part 8 in my story that chronicles my 37 year journey, living with one foot in the US and the other in Italy.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • October 20, 2019
  • 6
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 7: “The Roof is On Fire”


Part 7 in my story, chronicling my 37 journey of living with one foot in the United States and the other in Italy. This chapter covers a dark period in my fife, when I had just returned from my first trip to Italy in 1983.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 23, 2019
  • 4
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 6: “Amalfi, Rome & A Two Horse Town Called Soriano”


Part 6 in my story that chronicles my 36 year journey, living with one foot in the US and the other in Italy.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 19, 2019
  • 4
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 5: “If feathers are floating, It’s chicken for dinner”


So I left off on in Part 4 on my second full day in Italy. If I keep going at this rate, there will be roughly 5,000 parts to this series, so in Part 5, I will focus on some of the events of the next 8 days, then I will move on...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 1, 2019
  • 8
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 4: “Death Comes to Those That Swim After Lunch”


Part four in my series of my life in Italy, in which I discover a whole new world and culture, learning that America is not the center of the universe.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 22, 2019
  • 13
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 3: “Scratch Your Balls 13 Times and never make eye contact with the Witch”


Part 3 of my story of an American that slowly became part of Italian culture.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 5, 2019
  • 16
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Destinations
Destinations

My Favorite Culture Discovery Location – Michael


So the CDV crew has all chosen to write about our personal favorite locations, and me… wow. How do I choose? It kinda depends on what I am looking for at any given moment, or which is my favorite for what reason. To start...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 23, 2019
  • 5
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 2: Where are the Walls? and How do I Flush?


So… I left off in Part 1 on my first full day in Italy in 1983. I am at the tip of the boot in Reggio Calabria, suffering severe jet lag, having walked miles and miles for an awful cafeteria meal, and now I am boarding a...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 13, 2019
  • 24
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 1: “The Warm Table”


“The Warm Table” For years, people have asked me to tell the story of how I ended up with my dual US-Italy life. The reality is that it was a series of somewhat unrelated events that all came together to create an...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 16, 2019
  • 31
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Small Groups
Culture Discovery Vacations
Leading Small-Group Culinary & Cultural Immersion Tour Operator
Authentic culinary experiences with Culture Discovery Vacations

Experience the true meaning of luxury travel with Culture Discovery Vacations - the leading small-group culinary tour operator, offering immersive experiences that go beyond traditional opulence.

  • Hands-on cooking classes with local families
  • Authentic all-inclusive pricing with no hidden costs
  • Boutique accommodations with character
  • Exclusive access to family vineyards
★★★★★
5.0/5 from 384+ reviews on TripAdvisor
"We didn't feel like tourists—we felt like family. The cooking classes changed how I think about food."
Mark S., Tuscany Tour
Discover Our Tours
Italy • Portugal • Spain • Croatia

Recent Comments


  • My Life in Italy, Part 14: He Speaks! & Mirror in the Bathroom - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock
  • My Life in Italy, Part 16: Two Weddings and a Funeral - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock
  • My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 2: Where are the Walls? and How do I Flush?
  • My Life in Italy, Part 16: Two Weddings and a Funeral - The Discovery Compass on My Life in Italy, Part 1: “The Warm Table”
  • Robbie Huddleston on My Life in Italy, Part 15: Race Against the Clock

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