Most travelogues aim to transport viewers (or readers, in the case of travel books) elsewhere. But Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive, the special premiering on PBS stations this month, upends the conventional paradigm of the travelogue. Instead, this show focuses on what people gain from travel and learning about other cultures that can invigorate and change their lives when they return, wherever that may be.

 “I know that just one trip to Italy can be completely life-changing because that’s what happened to me,” said host and executive producer Kathy McCabe. “Traveling to Italy can change how you live at home, how you see the world, and even what you do for a living.”