Welcome to Road Unraveled! We are Stephanie and Adam, married, part-time world travelers and we’re on a quest to make the most of our paid vacation time and see as much of this amazing planet as possible. We want you to make the most of your vacation time, too!
Originally from Portland, Oregon (Adam) and Boston, Massachusetts (Stephanie), we currently live and work in the Washington, DC area- and we have no plans to quit our day jobs. Like many professionals, we have struggled with incorporating vacation time into our lives. We’re passionate about our work (Stephanie owns her own learning and performance consulting company, and Adam works with digital strategy and design for a communications company), and we know how easy it is to let vacation time roll over—or even disappear—when you have deadlines to manage and teams that depend on you.
In 2013, after a few years of losing our use-it-or-lose-it vacation time, we decided to take a more strategic approach to our paid time off. Travel has always been a shared interest of ours, but our wanderlust tendencies used to be confined to web searches, bucket lists, and Pinterest. We decided to change that by creating a list of places we wanted to see around the world and allocating the time and money necessary to achieve our goals. Our strategies have helped us to explore everything from historic sites close to our hometown to places we had only seen in history books. We found that taking vacations not only made us healthier and happier, they helped us to be more focused, resourceful, and creative at work. The connection between using our vacation time and professional accomplishment has been undeniable!
We launched Road Unraveled as a travel blog in June of 2014 to share our stories, lessons learned, and tips to inspire others to make the most of their vacation time and expand their travel ambitions. Today, we also offer educational workshops to companies interested in exploring and promoting the benefits to encouraging people to use their paid time off. Our goal is to help you untangle some of the challenges that come with planning and taking vacations as you seek your own personal and professional success. There’s a lot to love about a little time off!™
Thanks for joining us!
Where We’ve Been
World Map (Front Page)
STEPHANIE HUBKA
Hi! I’m Stephanie, and I’ve visited all 50 US states and 74 countries on 7 continents. I am a learning and performance consultant; I partner with companies to develop fun, engaging professional development opportunities. When I’m not designing a learning event, you’ll find me researching our next adventure!
Random Facts and Observations:
Things I like:
The moments before boarding a plane to a new place (I love the anticipation that comes with a new adventure!), watching my passport get stamped, finding a perfect souvenir to remember a great place, wine tasting, tennis, New England sports teams, and my guinea pigs Fernando and Sydney.
Things I do not like:
Waiting for checked luggage, traveling in the rain, waiting for the “people mover” at Washington Dulles, and anytime a trip has to end.
Favorite place (in the US):
That would be Old Town Alexandria in Northern Virginia- so many of my favorite memories are from that town!
Favorite place (outside of the US):
Nyhavn in Copenhagen (I love the color and smørrebrød!), Lake Bled in Slovenia (especially first thing in the morning when the sun rises!), and Antarctica (the ice formations and wildlife are incredible!).
HOW VACATION MAKES ME A BETTER PROFESSIONAL:
Travel, whether somewhere close to home or very far away, makes me experience the world differently. I learn more about how to connect with and learn from people, and I become more agile and better able to handle adversity. All of these skills benefit me when collaborating with clients at work, and I am a better partner because of them.
Where I went to college:
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, where I studied Political Science and International Relations.
Favorite travel activity:
I love food tours and wine tasting! Both are a great way to learn about the culture of a country while meeting some interesting travelers and locals.
Most memorable meal:
I will never forget sitting down to a breakfast of fresh bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, cheese, and coffee in Istanbul. It was exactly what my soul needed after traveling for weeks through Asia, where many of my meals were fried… and had more legs.
Required Travel Items:
A scarf. If you’re cold, if it rains, if you need to cover your shoulders, or if you just want to dress up a bit, scarves are a traveler’s best friend.
One place I can’t wait to visit:
I would love to go on safari in Kenya one day.
One thing I miss the most about home when traveling:
Having my belongings in a logical, organized space. Living out of a suitcase isn’t easy!
Best travel advice:
Wake up early. You’ll catch up on sleep later- go explore when the world is quiet and watch as a city comes to life before you. Every day is full of possibility; never pass up a chance to see the sun rise on another day.
ADAM HUBKA
Hi there! I’m Adam, and I’ve visited all 50 US states, 58 countries, and 7 continents (so far). When I’m not traveling, I work as an online marketing consultant with a focus in email marketing. I also handle Road Unraveled’s photography, post formatting, social media accounts, website management, and graphic design.
Random Facts and Observations:
Things I like:
Cold weather, tennis, black coffee, early mornings, and bass guitars.
Things I do not like:
People who stop at the end of a moving escalator, mosquitoes, anytime a trip has to end.
Favorite place (in the US):
Crater Lake, Oregon. People should really go see this place.
Favorite place (outside of the US):
Definitely Easter Island. Rapa Nui was everything I hoped it would be- and more! Although, Antarctica is a very close second.
HOW VACATION MAKES ME A BETTER PROFESSIONAL:
Travel brings so many new experiences and helps you see things from a different perspective. The excitement of seeing a new place and learning about different cultures brings a refreshing change of pace and rejuvenation that carries over into my work.
Where I went to college:
I have a graduate certificate in E-Commerce from University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University’s School of Business. I was also enrolled in an E-Commerce masters degree program at George Mason University and I spent a few years at University of Oregon as an undergraduate. So many transcripts… wait, is this LinkedIn?
Favorite travel activity:
I love going to ATP World Tour or WTA Tennis tournaments when we’re overseas. Huge tennis fan!
Most memorable meal:
The cevapi we had at a cafe in Bosnia-Herzegovina was incredibly good. The worst would have to be the century egg we had in Singapore (the popiah in Singapore was excellent).
Required Travel Items:
It’s always a good idea to bring a bottle of water from the hotel- or refill your own water bottle before you head out for the day.
One place I can’t wait to visit:
Wimbledon! I’ve always wanted to see a match on Centre Court. I would also really like to visit Greenland someday.
One thing I miss the most about home when traveling:
My pillow. Hotel pillows can be very hit or miss.
Best travel advice:
Go see the world. Experience life in a different country and visit new destinations. Even if you only have a day or two to explore, you can still have an incredible experience. Don’t be discouraged by long flights, just find a way to make it happen and enjoy the adventure! Also, whether you’re on vacation or not, this is always good advice; wear sunscreen.
Contributors
We’re pleased to have a regular correspondent to help us with additional stories and guest posts! Learn more about Craig below.
CRAIG MATHIAS
Craig Mathias is a seasoned world traveler, having visited almost 25 countries on five continents as well as almost all of the United States. Craig’s day job for the past 25 years is working as a technology analyst specializing in wireless networking and mobile computing – hence all that global travel. He is also a published author, columnist, former elected public official, inventor, conference organizer, and popular speaker at a wide variety of events. Craig’s goal is to travel to at least as many countries as his daughter, Stephanie, who is in the lead at the moment.