Can you believe that this little indie show premiered way back in March of 2014??  That's an entire decade of The Bittersweet Life! Have you been with us from the very start? Or have you joined us late but caught up on all the episodes over the years? Or perhaps those first few seasons are a mystery that you've never tapped? Either way we're going to have fun on this episode. In honor of 10 (and a half) years of this show (and actually 11 since the taping of this pilot episode in Katy's...

What are some of the most surprising things that have ever happened to you—in a good or a bad way? What are life's curve balls that you truly didn't see coming? That's the subject of this week's bonus epiosode. Here's a little peek behind the paywall. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single...

Come to Rome with us! (Virtually or IN PERSON!) This week we're thrilled to share the episode in which we kick off our 2024 Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure! We had an absolute blast sharing "our Rome" with 11 of our amazing listeners and we can't wait to do it again next year. Maybe in 2025 you will join us! (Get in touch to find out how!) ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the...

Tomorrow is presidential election day in the US! (Cue the angst-ridden gnashing of teeth.) If you're so worried about the results of the election that you are considering fleeing the country if your side doesn't win, consider this first: The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Countries like Italy, with its year-round sunshine, amazing food, and infamous "dolce far niente" lifestyle, can feel awfully tempting when things in your home country aren't going your way....

To get into the Halloween mood, grab a hot drink, dim the lights, and curl up in a cozy spot to listen to this new original radio drama. Matthew P. Woerner and our friends at Audioimagination77 Productions present a spine-tingling story in the tradition of the classic audio drama of the golden age of radio.  Don't be surprised if the story sounds a bit familiar. It was inspired by an urban legend most of us know, and probably told during a sleepover or around a campfire in our younger...

How do you get into the spooky Halloween spirit? If you're like us, you spend October reading scary books. Find out what's on our Halloween reading list list on this week's episode. If you want to order any of these wonderful books, you can find links here... The dark hell-inspired Japanese story Tiffany recently read. An understated but nevertheless chilling story about an innocuous but terrifying ghost. A classic eerie book in which the most important character is a dead woman. A...

In this exclusive bonus episode—of which we're sharing just a sneak peek here—we chat about what movies get wrong when they showcase a particular city when filming on location. What major mistake was made in the filming of Sleepless in Seattle, and did they actually drive a car down the Spanish Steps in the latest Mission Impossible film? What annoyed Katy about a famous movie that takes place in her hometown, and what's the worst movie that was ever shot in Rome (in Tiffany's opinion)? ...

This month, Tiffany sets off to accomplish one of her New Year's resolutions: a month of buying nothing (beyond the essentials of daily life). In an effort to better understand her spending habits, save a bit of money, and pare down the superfluous matter in her home, she attempts to spend nothing but the essential cost of living for the entire month. Will she succeed? And with this more intentional way of spending effect a lasting change in her financial life? We discuss this and more on...

...and what does how you prepare for a trip say about you? As Katy prepares to fly off to Italy for the second annual Bittersweet Life Rome Trip, she notices some particular habits she has when it comes to how she gets ready for a long trip.  On this episode, she compares notes with Tiffany to see if her pre-trip habits are weird or normal. Do you have any strange or unusual ways you prepare for a long trip? Email us here. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach...

This week we're offering a peek behind the paywall by airing an episode on the main show that was originally intended as a bonus episode—shared just with our Patreon supporters. This conversation is a lighthearted examination of what people say incorrectly—and why it bugs us so much. We are hard on ourselves as well (Tiffany finally tells Katy the mistake she makes that drive her crazy!)  What are your grammar pet peeves? And what mistakes do Katy and Tiffany always make? You can email...

Retiring to Italy—it's a dream for many people.  But what about for a single man who has sole custody of his small grandchild? Today's guest, Dreck Baker, is not your typical retiree expat. A retired police officer, Dreck had dreamed of settling in Italy for many years, but rather than seeing his grandbaby as a hindrance to this plan, he was even more inspired to make his expat dreams real when he envisioned their life in Florence together. Hear about the challenges and rewards Dreck and...

Tiffany is fresh off a two-week trip to Japan, a place that to her feels unique in the world. Hear some of her insights on what she discovered about the daily life and culture of this fascinating country, and which aspects of it she has been inspired to incoporate into her own daily life. And what about the Japanese tea? Is this English Breakfast-lover a convert to matcha? ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the...

A number of years back, expat podcast Expat Sandwich produced a documentary episode all about... us! As we prepare to launch our 12th season (can you believe it?), we've decided to air the episode in its entirety here on our show. According to Expat Sandwich's show notes for the episode, "Veteran public radio producer Katy Sewall and writer Tiffany Parks have been friends since the sixth grade. Together they host The Bittersweet Life, a podcast they created four years ago when Katy spent a...

In her quest for novelty and trying new things, Katy takes to the skies. What is the craziest thing you ever tried? ______ Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month.  You'll hear conversations that would never take place on the main show, you'll be part of our new chat community, you'll...

Tiffany moved to Italy as an expat in the fall of 2004—almost exactly two decades ago. Since then, she's married an Italian and started a family, bought a home in Italy, and become an Italian citizen, so... is it time to change that label from expat to immigrant? In response to a listener email, Tiffany and Katy chat about why Tiffany can't seem to relinquish the label of expat, and how despite being a fully fledged Italian citizen, she still doesn't feel as Italian as the native-born. On...

Reading books can inspire you to travel, and travel can inspire you to read books. It's what we call a delicious cycle. Today we talk about the books (and other types of art) that have inspired not only particular trips, but the things that we have sought out while on that trip, or even things we have made a point to see in our own cities. But this inspiration goes both ways, and sometimes the things we see when traveling inspire us to read more about them, whether in fiction or...

Dreaming of moving abroad but loath to give up the job you love? On this episode from our archives, we discuss the hazards of giving up or interrupting your career in order to persue your expat dreams. Tiffany also gives listener Darlene practical tips to keep in mind when moving to Italy. Future expats, this is the show for you! Thanks to textile designer Darlene Sullivan, originally of Brooklyn, NY, for writing the letter that prompted this conversation that aired a number of years back....

You did it! You've landed that amazing job, or maybe you're successfully living abroad in the country you've always dreamed of, or you've published your book, bought your dream home, won a major award in your industry (you fill in the blank). The question is: can you chalk it all up to hard work? Or was there some luck involved? And how much of what you've achieved can be attributed to privilege? It's tempting to claim you did it alone, but is that even possible? Today we dig into the topic...

Tiffany has an addiction she's decided to break, but she doesn't want to talk about it on the main show. She talks about it on this exclusive bonus episode. Want to hear the whole episode? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month.  You'll hear conversations that would never take place on the main show, you'll...

What’s the difference between a goal and a quest? On this episode pulled from our archives (it's August afterall), Tiffany and Katy discuss what goes in to embarking on a quest, and why you would want to go on one. Tiffany (who famously loves a challenge) sets down her own definition of a quest, as well as why she believes the fun is not in the completion of it. They also brainstorm strategies for choosing the perfect quest, and how intentionality plays into that. ...

Who does leisure better, Italy or America? The answer is probably obvious, but you may be surprised to learn that Italians are emulating more and more the infamous American work ethic. Is the Italian dolce far niente instict enough to overcome the trend of over-productivity? And what can Americans learn from Italians about how to slow down and enjoy life? ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an...

On this exclusive bonus episode, we put you and Tiffany, our queen of trivia, to the test. How many questions about July can you answer correctly? Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month.  You'll hear conversations that would never take place on the main show, you'll be part of our new chat...

From all accounts, the ancient Romans knew how to do leisure—the priviledged classes at least. According to historians, they didn't see leisure time as something they got to enjoy once their obligations were completed, but rather, as the ideal state in which to live, when they had control over all their actions. Can we learn something from this? Are we looking at leisure the wrong way? ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all...

What is it like to divide your life between two countries? It sounds like the best of both worlds, but is it really? Today we are joined by someone who does just that, Laurel Attanasio, founder of Laurel Ann, LLC a boutique travel company specializing in wellness adventures. Laurel divides her time between the US and Europe, mostly Italy but occasionally Spain and Portugal—or even further afield. She often spends as many as five months of the year abroad, leading yoga retreats and adventure...