Tiffany's had a rough week. And to make matters worse, some of the people in her life have been driving her absolutely crazy. On this exclusive bonus episode, she vents her frustration.  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...

"When you’re a woman of a certain age, you are only promised that everything will get worse. But what if everything you’ve been told is a lie?" This is the leading question of Glynnis MacNicol's dazzling new memoir, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself. The acclaimed author joins us this week for a personal, intimate and delightful interview that explores her unabashed pursuit of pleasure—and why she was inspired to write a book about it. After spending 16 excruciating months isolated and alone...

We all have our beloved rituals, the things we do that center us, that comfort us, that make us feel that all is right with the world. It can be anything from the way we prepare and enjoy our favorite morning beverage, to walking our dog the same route every day, to watching a favorite show before bed. But what happens when we get so attached to these rituals that we can't do without them? Does this rigidity and inflexibiltiy not limit us? Is comfort overrated? To travel is, almost by...

One of the hardest things about expat life is when your friends inevitably leave. For some expats, this happens like clockwork every single year (usually in June), causing heartache, disappointment, and a sense of continually having to begin again with a fresh set of expat friends. An article on The Culture Blend (that was mentioned to us by one of our expat listeners) details this phenomenon perfectly, describing the three types of expats: Stayers, Goers, and Newbies?  Which one are you? ...

On this bonus episode exclusively for our Patreon supporters, we take you inside a very loud, very LATE dinner celebration marking the end of the school year in Rome. How late is too late for a third grader to party? Depends on who you ask. 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...

Whether you're a newly minted expat wondering how to go about filing your US taxes, or a longterm expat who wants to make sure you're doing it right—or maybe it's been years since you filed a return and now you're scared to get help—this episode is for you. Expat tax expert, and founder and CEO of My Expat Taxes, Nathalie Goldstein joins us to make sense of the often mystifying tax requirements that US expats have to grapple with every single year. As an enrolled agent with a focus on expat...

Katy continues to have epiphanies as she challenges herself every week in her pottery class. In a continuation of our Trying Something New episode, we talk about what it is that keeps us trying when those new things inevitably continue to be hard work. We also discuss those "fantasy self" items we buy for ourselves when, full of ambition, we decide we are going to start a new hobby before we really know what it entails. We also take the opportunity to hear from our listeners about the...

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 have access to Patreon-only content in addition to bonus episodes, and you'll be invited to join us for regular live meet-ups.  ...

The Pope has given the green light to canonize the very first saint from the millennial generation, Italian Carlo Acutis. Does it seem strange to have a saint from your own generation? Or one from a generation even younger than yours? Does it take away a little from the "magic" of the saints, who lived 2000 years ago and have improbable and unbelievable legends swirling around them? Or does it add to the wonder of the saints to know that these miracles—according to the Catholic church—are...

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 have access to Patreon-only content in addition to bonus episodes, and you'll be invited to join us for regular live meet-ups.  ...

The difficulty is the point. How often have we been seduced into thinking that something we've never tried must be easy, simply because experts make it look that way? On this episode, we talk about the new things we've recently tried, and how often we underestimated how difficult they would be. As Katy dips her toes into the art of pottery, she learns that failing is a crucial part of the learning process. If you liked this episode, don't miss Episode 517: Could You Miss Discovering Your...

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 have access to Patreon-only content in addition to bonus episodes, and you'll be invited to join us for regular live meet-ups.  But...

If you've been dreaming of moving to Italy but thought it was impossible, your chance has finally arrived! Italy has just launched the so-called "Digital Nomad Visa" which enables non-EU-nationals who are self-employed or remote workers who derive their income entirely outside of Italy, the chance to live in Italy on a year-by-year basis. For Italaphiles and wannabe expats around the globe, this may just be a dream come true. Tiffany and Katy discuss the details of this new visa, what the...

In a world that is becoming ever more homogenized, what sets places apart? What are the blaring indicators that communicate we are in a place vastly different from anywhere we've ever been before? After a magical and sometimes maddening week in Bali, Katy lays out the ways the island delighted and surprised her, the aspects that felt wholly different from what she is used to, and discusses with Tiffany how they compare with the cities of Rome and Seattle. ...

What's it like to be a sociopath? This week's guest tells us. On this episode, Katy sits down with author and self-described sociopath Patric Gagne for a LIVE interview with audience at Seattle's Town Hall venue, whose recent book Sociopath has been acclaimed as a "fascinating, revelatory memoir revealing the author’s struggle to come to terms with her own sociopathy and shed light on the often maligned and misunderstood mental disorder." Hear from Patric about her experiences since...

What happens when you go back to a city you used to live in after not stepping foot there for twenty years? Tiffany finds out on this episode. After spending some of the most formative years of her life, her univeristy and post-univeristy years, in Boston, she moved to Rome and never went back. Earlier this month, she finally got a chance to visit Boston again, now with a husband and son in tow, and on this episode we capture her reactions to how the city has changed and how it hasn't...

Who knew that "going native" was a topic that would resonate so strongly with our listeners? We got so much feedback on this subject—both social media comments as well as voice messages—that we just had to share them with you, and of course, open the discussion back up! So many new ideas came up hearing your thoughts, so we weigh in on them as well. By the way, we love love love hearing from you, our loyal listeners! We invite you to share your thoughts on any of the many topics we cover on...

What happens when an expat "goes native"? How long does it take, and is it inevitable? Is it a conscious choice or does it just happen? Today we chat about this idea, and Tiffany lays out the ways she has gone native—eschewing American culture and habits entirely in favor of Italian ones—as well as the aspects of Italian life that she staunchly resists and rejects, even after two decades in the country. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats,...

Would you move across the world to a country without ever having been there? That's what this week's guest did. We sit down with Brie Ripley to talk about her decision to take a 4-year contract with the World Food Program, which meant a relocation to Rome—a city she had never even visited.  She talks about the challenges of adjusting to life abroad as a brand-new expat, struggling to speak the language, searching for an apartment, missing her new husband who will be joining her soon, and...

An exciting discovery out of Rome has recently rocked the archeological community! We have the details on this week's episode. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say...

Last week we talked—among other things—about what it would be like if the year started in March, as it used to do in ancient Rome. This got us thinking about seasons and how they effect our lives. On this week's episode we talk about what we love about certain seasons, how where you live can vastly affect how you experience the seasons (and therefore which ones you prefer), and the drawbacks of living in a place without distinct seasons. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE...

Is early January—the deepest, bleakest, darkest moment of winter—really the best time to make New Year's Resolutions? Isn't early spring a more fortuitous time for new beginnings? (And did you know that March used to be the first month of the year?) We mull this and other season-related questions on this episode (including a check-in to see how Tiffany and Katy are getting on with their resolutions for this year). We also talk about what we love about certain seasons, how where you live can...

Today we explore a story of one woman whose family legacy—in particular her close relationship with her mother whom she lost suddenly to cancer—brought about a life pivot that she was never expecting. Kaila Merrill joins us today to tell her moving story, from growing up in tiny island town in northern Vermont to a carefree life on the beaches of Australia where she met her future husband, to her whirlwind wedding on Lake Como—one of the last joyful moments she was able to share with her...

What if travel doesn't actually change you? A few weeks ago, we discussed this controversial idea, a conversation inspired by an essay in The New Yorker. (Make sure you listen to that episode first, because we had a lot to say on the topic!) It turns out, our listeners did too, as we got a lot of feedback on the subject. Today, we share some of it and dig even deeper into the topic. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all...

What makes a song a good road trip song? This is something Katy has been musing over for several years now.   What better person to ask than a musician who has crossed the country on tour numerous times?   This week, Katy sits down with musician and podcaster John Roderick to talk about the allure of the American road trip, as well as what you should listen to while you are doing it.   John talks about his experience hitchhiking across the US as a recent high school graduate,...