Podcasts by The Bittersweet Life

Episode 370: Anna Sale Talks About Hard Things, Part 1 from 2021-05-24T05:00

Can you talk about hard things? Can you negotiate your salary with a new boss? Can you tactfully comfort someone who’s just had a devastating loss? Can you be ope...

Bittersweet Moment #110: Italy Welcomes Tourists from 2021-05-20T05:00

What was it like to work in an international airport in the time of Covid? For this mini-episode, we're joined by someone who can answer that question with first-hand experience. Today's guest i...

Episode 369: A Day in the Life: One Year Later from 2021-05-17T04:00

One year ago, we asked our listeners, What does a day in the life of someone under lockdown look like? Listeners from around the world sent us a peek into their lives in the form of voice memos,...

Bittersweet Moment #109: A Boudoir Adventure from 2021-05-13T05:00

Have you ever taken off your clothes for the camera? Today Katy reaches back into the archives of her long career as a radio producer and pulls out an interview with a boudoir photographer, and ...

Episode 368: Italy Reopens to the World from 2021-05-10T06:10:50

The wait is over—at long last, you can finally go to Italy again! But is it a good idea?

According to a recent announcement, the Italian government is not waiting for the EU "green pass" ...

Bittersweet Moment #108: The Spanish Steps in Bloom from 2021-05-06T06:00

Tiffany joins us from the Spanish Steps for this mini-episode, where glorious azalea plants are spilling down the steps and there is nary a tourist in sight. May 2021 the first—and most likely t...

Episode 367: Documenting Travel (with Riley Morton) from 2021-05-03T04:00

This week we sit down with Riley Morton, a freelance documentary producer and cinematographer who kic...

Bittersweet Moment #107: Vaccine Hesitancy (with Jess Walter) from 2021-04-29T05:00

Bestselling author and friend of the show Jess Walter joins us for this mini-episode to talk about the reluctance so many people seem to have over getting the Covid vaccine.

Jess shares a...

Episode 366: Vaccinated from 2021-04-26T05:00

Over in the US, Katy is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Hurrah! Tiffany in Italy, meanwhile, still has a long wait ahead of her. How long is anyone's guess.

Today they discuss how ...

Bittersweet Moment #106: Speed Writing from 2021-04-22T05:00

Want to write a 90k-word novel? If you've got 46 days (the length of Lent) Tiffany will tell you how to do it.

This year during the period of Lent, Tiffany came up with the crazy idea to ...

Episode 365: A Day in the Life Revisited from 2021-04-19T05:00

One year ago, we asked our listeners, What does a day in the life of someone under lockdown look like? Listeners from around the world sent us a peek into their lives...

Bittersweet Moment #105: How to Find Work Abroad (with David McNeill) from 2021-04-15T05:00

Want to move abroad but have no idea how to support yourself when you get there? For this mini-episode, we are joined by David McNeill, creator of Listen

Episode 364: Cross-cultural Challenges from 2021-04-12T05:00

Inspired by our conversation with Elizabeth Mi...

Bittersweet Moment #104: Cross-cultural Families from 2021-04-08T05:00

Inspired by last week's episode, an interv...

Episode 363: Speak, Okinawa (with Elizabeth Miki Brina) from 2021-04-05T05:00

Elizabeth Miki Brina's new memoir Speak Okinawa is a "searing, deeply...

Bittersweet Moment #103: New Life Begins from 2021-03-31T21:46:02

As a follow-up to Monday's episode, What Do I Want to Do ...

Episode 362: What Do You Want to Do Today from 2021-03-29T05:00

When trying to come up with an idea, whether it's for an article you're trying to pitch, a school assignment, a book you want to write, or any creative endeavor, have you ever just asked yoursel...

Bittersweet Moment #102: Italy Lockdown (Again) from 2021-03-25T05:00

Italy is in lockdown (again), but this time it feels very different. The rules are mostly the same, but the mood on the street is completely changed. The restaurants and many of the shops may be...

Episode 361: How to Move Abroad (with Jessica Drucker) from 2021-03-22T05:00

So, you've decided you want to move abroad but... where do you start? It's not an easy subject to tackle, so today we've asked an expert. On this week's episode, we sit down with expert expat Je...

Bittersweet Moment #101: Seven Years, Seven Questions from 2021-03-17T21:23:49

Today we celebrate seven years of The Bittersweet Life! To mark this milestone, on this mini-episode we ask each other seven questions, each one inspired by the legendary seven hills of Rome! Li...

Episode 360: Getting Better, Getting Worse from 2021-03-15T05:00

For much of the pandemic, Italy has been keeping their numbers (relatively) under control, and the United States, on the other hand, has seen their numbers climb and climb without an end in sigh...

Bittersweet Moment #100: One Year Later from 2021-03-11T07:00

Tiffany looks back on the week that it all changed in Italy—one year ago right now. Did any of us think, a year later, that restrictions, yellow, orange, and red zones, masks and all the rest of...

Episode 359: Diffused Art from 2021-03-08T06:00

Walking through the halls of a museum like the Uffizi Gallery in Florence—when we're not in the middle of a pan...

Bittersweet Moment #99: Feedback, Good or Bad? (with Therese Huston) from 2021-03-04T06:00

Katy gets into the nitty-gritty of feedback from her own point of view, digging into her own past as a senior radio producer. Today's mini-episode features part of the conversation that was cut ...

Episode 358: The Art of Feedback (with Therese Huston) from 2021-03-01T06:00

How can effective feedback change your life? Today, we sit down with Dr. Theresa Huston, author of the new book Listen

Bittersweet Moment #98: The Holiest Place in Rome from 2021-02-25T06:00

Oscar Wilde called it the "holiest place in Rome" and Percy Shelley said it would make someone apt to fall in love with death to think of being buried in so sweet a place...and not soon later he...

Episode 357: Literary Travel from 2021-02-22T06:00

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 in...

Bittersweet Moment #97: The Scariest Cold Call from 2021-02-18T06:00

On our "super secret" Truth or Dare episode from a few years ago (available only to our Patreon patrons and long-time donors), Katy did something incredibly scary, heart-poundingly so: she calle...

Episode 356: Anticipating Travel from 2021-02-15T06:00

Some psychologists say that anticipation of a desired event can often bring more happiness than experiencing the event itself. And if that's the case, can we conclude that planning a trip is eve...

Bittersweet Moment #96: Disappearing Languages from 2021-02-11T06:00

Every two weeks, an endangered language disappears from the planet, when the last person who speaks it dies. And one third of the world's languages are endangered.

On this mini-episode, w...

Episode 355: Losing Language from 2021-02-08T06:00

One of the greatest rewards of being an expat is mastering a foreign language. But what happens when you live in a foreign language so long, so cut off from your own culture, that you start to l...

Episode 354: Virtual Tour of Rome with Special Guests, Part 2 from 2021-02-04T06:00

Today we continue our virtual walk through Rome, were we just happen to run into a few more world-famous authors. What are the odds? Katy's brilliant sound-mixing skills, Tiffany's knowledge of ...

Episode 353: Virtual Tour of Rome with Special Guests, Part 1 from 2021-02-01T05:00

Katy and Tiffany take to the streets of Rome once again, and this time, they encounter a slew of fascinating and important people, all former guests of the show!

Through the magic of radi...

Bittersweet Moment #95: Why I Don't Trust Trip Advisor from 2021-01-28T06:00

TripAdvisor might be some people's go-to app for planning their vacations, but Tiffany prefers to steer clear of the anonymous travel review site if possible.

We mentioned this on a previ...

Episode 352: Souvenirs from 2021-01-25T06:00

Is there a specific thing you like to buy when you travel to a new place, like a magnet or a snow globe? Or do you seek out unique and locally made art and objects? Perhaps you prefer the type o...

Bittersweet Moment #94: A New President from 2021-01-21T06:00

There's a new man in the White House this morning—and a new woman too!

Just like we did four years ago during Donald Trump's inauguration, we recorded our live reactions to Joe Biden's in...

Episode 351: Paris By The Book (with Liam Callanan) from 2021-01-16T18:34:01

A missing person, a grieving family, a curious clue: a half-finished manuscript set in Paris... these are just three of the intriguing ingredients of Liam Callanan's new novel, Listen

Bittersweet Moment #93: ItalyGate: Vatican Blackout Conspiracy Theory from 2021-01-14T08:28:45

Was Pope Francis really arrested by the FBI last weekend? Did all the lights in the Vatican go out to hide this event from the world? And most importantly, did Pope Francis really change all the...

Episode 350: Daily Life: Italy vs America from 2021-01-10T18:42:06

Do Italian parents really take their toddlers out to restaurants at 10pm? Do they really go home for lunch during the work day and take a nap?

Thanks to an idea sent in by a listener, tod...

Bittersweet Moment #92: A Call for Souvenirs from 2021-01-05T11:21:15

Whether a funky mug from Prague, a hand-painted ceramic bowl from Mexico, or a random dish picked up off the street in Japan, there's got to be one special souvenir that has a place in your hear...

Episode 349: A New Year Begins: 2021 from 2021-01-02T14:38:51

After the catastrophe that was 2020, we go back and listen to the resolutions we made one year ago. Did we manage to accomplish ANY of them? You'll have to listen to find out.

We also mak...

Bittersweet Moment #91: Rome's Restricted New Year from 2020-12-31T05:00

It's finally the end of 2020!! We made it! But the close of what many are calling the worst year in living memory won't be rung in as many people would like to: carousing and celebrating in the ...

Episode 348: The Best of the Year: Virtual Tour of Rome from 2020-12-28T05:00

Lots of out-of-work tour guides are now offering virtual tours of Rome (and, I imagine, cities all around the world), as a way to keep their businesses alive, keep their knowledge fresh, and hel...

Bittersweet Moment #90: Merry Christmas from Aurelio from 2020-12-23T14:06:53

It's Christmas Eve and Tiffany interviews one little child who is looking forward to the big day. Enjoy this mini-burst of holiday cheer and Merry Christmas from your friends at The Bittersweet ...

Episode 347: A Bookish Christmas (with Nancy Pearl) from 2020-12-18T12:42:28

Just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping, the "world's librarian" Nancy Pearl, who is also a best-selling author he...

Bittersweet Moment #89: After After Midnight (with Matthew P. Woerner) from 2020-12-17T05:00

Katy catches up with Matthew P. Woerner, the writer and director of Monday's audio play "After Midnight," who also happens to be a childhood friend. On this mini-episode, they discuss their mutu...

Episode 346: After Midnight (by Matthew P. Woerner) from 2020-12-14T05:00

Get a cup of your favorite hot drink, find a cozy corner, and sit back and enjoy a totally different kind of show. Today we're  presenting a special radio play inspired by the Golden Age of radi...

Bittersweet Moment #88: An American in Italy—during Covid from 2020-12-10T06:00

In a time when leisure travel (especially international leisure travel) is all but non-existent, some brave and insistent travel-lovers are going anyway.

Today we chat with long-time list...

Episode 345: Now You See It, Now You Don't from 2020-12-06T22:14:26

There are lots of new sights we are all quickly getting used to during this unprecedented time. People in masks, plexiglass partitions, ubiquitous hand sanitizer dispensers... but what about all...

Bittersweet Moment #87: Slow Winter from 2020-12-03T06:00

Winter can be long at the best of times. But during a pandemic with no end in sight, it can be brutal. Katy is joined briefly by author Jess Walter and the two try and come up with ways to get t...

Episode 344: Shifting Goals from 2020-11-30T05:00

We all make goals—or, at least most of us do—but what happens when we decide to scratch a goal off the list without ever completing it? Whether because we're simply not interested in having a pa...

Bittersweet Moment #86: Gratitude from 2020-11-26T07:06:40

On this extra-short mini-episode, Katy and Tiffany express their thanks for things in their lives that they are unexpectedly treasuring this year. Sometimes it's the little things, sometimes it'...

Episode 343: Joyful News (with Clare Brown) from 2020-11-23T05:00

About five years ago, Clare Brown left a predictable life in the UK to move to Split, Croatia in search of writing, exploration, and adventure. A longtime listener of the show, she has been a re...

Bittersweet Moment #85: What's Going on in Italy? from 2020-11-19T05:00

Italy is in the midst of a wicked second wave of Covid. In fact, it makes spring's wave seem like a bump by comparison. Instead of instituting a national lockdown, as they did last spring, Italy...

Episode 342: Sleep from 2020-11-16T05:00

Do you have a hard time falling asleep at night? Or perhaps, like Katy, you sleep fitfully, waking multiple times a night and having trouble falling back to sleep again. Or maybe, like Tiffany, ...

Bittersweet Moment #84: Biden Wins! from 2020-11-12T06:00

Katy and Tiffany send voice memos back and forth across the Atlantic as one of the most consequential presidential elections in American history is finally called for Joe Biden. For Katy, it's e...

Episode 341: Around the World in Twelve Months (with Cyndie Burkhardt) from 2020-11-09T06:00

Photographer and visual storyteller Cyndie Burkhardt was living in New York City feeling unsatisfied with her life. Rather than continue to struggle, she decided to leave. Her goal: to visit 12 ...

Bittersweet Moment #83: Election Night 2020 from 2020-11-05T06:00

If you live abroad, sometimes you have to stay up all night in order to keep an eye on the fate of your home country. And then there are the rare occasions when you have to stay up all night eve...

Episode 340: A World Away from 2020-11-02T07:13:33

It's the eve of the US presidential election, what the vast majority of Americans consider to be the most important election of their lifetimes. But what happens when you're an expat, living acr...

Bittersweet Moment #82: Rat Laughter and Storytelling from 2020-10-29T04:00

It's almost Halloween, and to assuage the fears of anyone who is afraid of rats (like Tiffany, see previous episode!) Katy shares a fascinating and little-known recording of rat laughter (yes, y...

Episode 339: What Are You Afraid Of? from 2020-10-26T05:00

Are you afraid of the dark? Spider or rats? Being buried alive or drowning? Encountering a wild ferocious beast? Are you afraid of ghosts? Someone lurking in the shadows who is about to jump out...

Bittersweet Moment #81: The Veiled Christ from 2020-10-21T17:00

Considered for centuries to be the most mysterious sculpture in the world, The Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino (1753) is an astoundingly realistically marble creation of the crucif...

Episode 338: Cute and Cuddly from 2020-10-19T04:00

"All things cute and cuddly" was the surprising topic requested by listener Sara, who supports us at the $50 level on Listen

Bittersweet Moment #80: Virtual Book Tour (with Jess Walter) from 2020-10-15T05:00

What are book tours like in the time of Covid? For this week's mini-episode, Katy sits down with bestselling author Jess Walter to discuss what it's like to do book events in his office while st...

Episode 337: Before and After Baby from 2020-10-12T04:00

This week we give all our listeners a peek into some of the extra bonus content that our Patreon donors are receiving. Every month we offer one or more bonus episodes exclusively for our Patreon...

Bittersweet Moment #79: Moving Abroad during a Pandemic (with Gabriela Proietti) from 2020-10-08T05:00

Moving abroad is already a daunting experience at the best of times. Imagine doing it during a deadly pandemic. For this mini-interview we are joined by listener Gabriela Proietti who took the l...

Episode 336: Silver Linings from 2020-10-05T07:36:51

As devastating as this pandemic has been, to our lives, our loved ones, and our livelihoods, is there a silver lining? In the midst of the suffering and the uncertainty, sometimes you have to le...

Bittersweet Moment #78: Grave-robbing Artists? (with Jennifer Dasal) from 2020-10-01T04:00

It's a much-told legend that Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci used to rob graves in order to dissect bodies in secret so they could achieve anatomical accuracy in their art.

But is it a...

Episode 335: Art Curious (with Jennifer Dasal) from 2020-09-28T06:45:23

Is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre fake? Was impressionist painter Claude Mon...

Bittersweet Moment #77: Back to School, Covid Edition from 2020-09-24T04:00

It's that time of year again, but this year everything is different. In Italy, kids are now back in the classroom full-time but the rules are complicated and very strict. In this mini-episode, T...

Episode 334: Voting from Home and Abroad from 2020-09-21T06:24:41

Ready or not, election season is upon us! And it's never been easier for Americans living abroad to vote—well, in some states. Tiffany is lucky as Arizona (where she's registered to vote) allows...

Bittersweet Moment #76: Smoke and Good News! from 2020-09-17T04:00

Katy, and all of our fellow-West Coast listeners, are seeing massive tracts of their states destroyed, smoke blotting out the sun, and highly hazardous breathing conditions. If they couldn't go ...

Episode 333: Numbers from 2020-09-14T06:13:38

From lucky and unlucky numbers to numbers that make almost magical equations, from significant date to the "perfect" numbers, this week's episode is all about, well, numbers. And the fact that t...

Bittersweet Moment #75: Exploring Pompeii from 2020-09-10T04:00

Pompeii, an entire ancient city preserved exactly as it was when it was covered in lava and ash during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Even for a seasoned traveler like Tiffany, the site insp...

Episode 332: How We Live Now (with Bill Hayes) from 2020-09-07T04:00

Daily life during a devastating pandemic—something nearly no one alive has ever experienced before—is captured poignantly and artistically by Bill Hayes in his ne...

Bittersweet Moment #74: More Questions! from 2020-09-03T04:00

Monday's Conversation Starters episode just didn't cover all the things we want to know about each other! In today's mini-episode we continue the question-and-answer drill to delve deep into wha...

Episode 331: Conversation Starters from 2020-08-31T04:00

Whether you're looking for a great question to break the ice on a first date or just want to get to know your best friend, parent, or spouse even better, today we ask each other odd and unusual ...

Bittersweet Moment #73: Mail Bag from 2020-08-27T04:00

When our listeners reach out to us to share how we've inspired them, delighted them, challenged them, or simply kept them company—well, it doesn't get much better than that for a podcaster.

Episode 330: America Grounded from 2020-08-24T04:00

A record number of Americans—42%—now hold passports (up from 27% in 2007) but much good it will do them. In the wake of this unprecedented pandemic, there are only a handful of countries in the ...

Bittersweet Moment #72: A Long Way to Italy from 2020-08-19T20:51:14

Tiffany is 19 and desperate to meet up with her boyfriend in Italy in the final weeks of summer before heading back to university in the fall. She's worked all summer and saved enough for the fl...

Episode 329: Expat Move Time Warp (with Stephanie Fuccio) from 2020-08-17T04:00

The uncertainty of the expat life is magnified by life during a devastating global pandemic. But how often to you get to hear from the same person, just before and then during a major catastroph...

Bittersweet Moment #71: Looking for the Little Things from 2020-08-13T04:00

A lot of us are walking more these days, in some cases, around and around the same neighborhood. On today's mini-episode, Katy takes us outside to the blocks around her Seattle home, exploring a...

Episode 328: Summer Game: This or That? from 2020-08-10T04:00

Sometimes you just need to tune out the cacophony of terrifying news and the anxiety over an uncertain future, and play a silly game. Don't you agree?

This week, Katy and Tiffany take a m...

Bittersweet Moment #70: A Birthday Revelation from 2020-08-06T05:00

On a magical summer evening in Rome to celebrate her birthday, Tiffany has a sudden revelation. She shares it—and what Christian Dior's cologne Fahrenheit has to do with it—on this week's mini-e...

Episode 327: Rome's New Normal? from 2020-08-03T04:00

Is Rome back to normal? Is that "new normal" what we expected it to be?

This week's topic was sparked by an article in Esquire Magazine, Listen

Bittersweet Moment #69: How's Coping Going? from 2020-07-30T05:00

In response to a listener question, Katy talks about what she's doing during the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown to keep her spirits up and get through the day.

On this intimate and per...

Episode 326: Finding Life in the Surf (with Diane Cardwell) from 2020-07-27T04:00

What's the difference between having fun and having a happy life? This week's guest, award-winning journalist and author Diane Cardwell, tackles this and many other life questions when she joins...

Bittersweet Moment #68: Outside the Vatican from 2020-07-23T05:18:16

Tiffany finds herself just outside the walls of Vatican City on a summer morning and marvels at the dramatic change in the neighborhood.

In an area that once fed almost exclusively off of...

Episode 325: Good Teachers from 2020-07-20T05:35:12

If you tuned in last week, you heard us commiserate about the awful and sometimes destructive teachers of our past. If that episode left a little blue (it did us!), then take heart because today...

Bittersweet Moment #67: Collecting Collections from 2020-07-16T05:00

Today Katy looks at collections, and the people who keep them. What makes people collect things—or not? After asking our listeners to write in about their own personal collections, she realized ...

Episode 324: Bad Teachers from 2020-07-12T19:36:36

We all remember our favorite teachers, but what about the horrible ones? The ones who crushed our ambitions, treated us unfairly, or were just plain mean.

Tiffany tells the story of her a...

Bittersweet Moment #66: Villa Doria Pamphilj from 2020-07-08T20:06:02

Have you noticed the birds more during lockdown? If your lockdown is over, do you find you're more aware of them than you were before?

On this mini-episode, Tiffany and Aurelio stop to wa...

Episode 323: Travel Trauma from 2020-07-04T21:42:58

Has anything traumatic ever happened to you when you were traveling—a natural disaster, a personal tragedy, or maybe even a global pandemic—and as a result you never want to go back there?

Bittersweet Moment #65: A Sleepy Bittersweet Moment (with Drew Ackerman) from 2020-07-02T05:00

Do podcasts put you to sleep? Well, there's one out there that aims to do just that, Drew Ackerman's Sleep With Me podcast. S...

Episode 322: Introvert or Extrovert: The Covid Edition from 2020-06-28T14:52:13

We all think we know if we're an introvert or an extrovert. But what does it really mean? On this episode, we dig into the true meaning of these pervasive personality types, and they might not m...

Bittersweet Moment #64: Visiting an Empty Colosseum from 2020-06-25T05:00

What's it like to visit the Colosseum in the time of corona? This iconic monument usually crams thousands of tourists in at a time, making the experience hot, sweaty, and often uninspiring (even...

Episode 321: Living Alone during Lockdown (with Nicole Hardy) from 2020-06-22T13:44:03

What is the reality of living alone during this pandemic, when your entire town, state, or even country goes into a strict quarantine? What are the worst days like, and how do you sta...

Bittersweet Moment #63: What's Going On in Seattle? (with Casey Martin) from 2020-06-18T05:00

Wondering what's going on in Seattle's police-free zone? The national media's reporting on the CHOP (Capital Hill Organized Protest) has, at times, been inaccurate. Today you can hear the truth ...

Episode 320: Facing Death (with Jim deMaine, MD) from 2020-06-13T10:50:11

Whether you regularly contemplate your own mortality (like Katy), or give it very little thought (like Tiffany), we all have death on the mind more than usual during this time of pandemic. We ma...

Bittersweet Moment #62: Quarantine in Trastevere (with Amy Knauff) from 2020-06-11T05:00

You've heard all about how Katy and Tiffany spent their quarantines (or are still spending them, in Katy's case), but what was quarantine like for a someone living alone in Rome's lively and qua...

Episode 319: Who Is Rome For? from 2020-06-07T20:18:28

In cities like Rome, tourists are part of the city’s identity, its reality, its way of life. When they go away—and don’t come back—the city will inevitably change...

Bittersweet Moment #61: A Nation in Protest (with reporter Casey Martin) from 2020-06-04T05:00

Protests over the murder of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, have sprung up in cities across the United States. In Seattle, peaceful protests calling for justice have also generated vio...

Episode 318: The Nature of Time from 2020-05-31T10:44:08

Why does time pass more slowly or quickly depending on what we are doing? Why is it that we sometimes completely lose track of the time, and what does it mean to truly live in the present? Are t...

Bittersweet Moment #60: Italy's New Rules of the Road from 2020-05-27T17:03:01

What can you expect when you go out to eat in Italy during Phase Two? What about if you want to go to a museum, get your hair cut, or just grab a coffee at your local bar? What's the deal with s...

Episode 317: Out and About in Rome from 2020-05-23T12:46:17

Italy has officially reopened for business. While masks are required in public places, social distancing is (supposedly) non-negotiable, and tourism is still non-...

Bittersweet Moment #59: MEMORIZATION (with Katy's dad, Dale) from 2020-05-21T05:00

Memory is the buzz word on The Bittersweet Life this week! Monday's episode was all about autobiographical memory, and on this mini-episode, Katy's dad Dale stops by to talk about the challenges...

Episode 316: The Nature of Memory (with Susan Engel) from 2020-05-16T09:34:29

Why do we remember certain things and forget others? Do some people simply have a better memory than others, or is it something we can practice and get better at?...

Bittersweet Moment #58: EMPTY ROME from 2020-05-14T05:00

Rome has finally opened up for walks in the center. Even so, when Tiffany finally has a chance to wander through the city, she finds it all but empty at midday.

From the Spanish Steps to ...

Episode 315: THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL from 2020-05-09T14:51:52

With international and even domestic travel all but ground to a halt in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the question on everyone's lips is: what is travel going to be like once everything ...

Bittersweet Moment #57: DISPATCH FROM SEATTLE from 2020-05-07T05:00

What's going on in Seattle right now? More to the point, what's going on with Katy in Seattle?

On this mini-episode, Katy checks in with what's in store for the city in the near future, a...

Episode 314: STRAY (with Stephanie Danler) from 2020-05-03T20:02:24

How do you transcend a childhood marred by addiction and go on to pursue the life that is calling to you?

This week, Katy sits down with bestselling author Stephanie Danler to talk about ...

Bittersweet Moment #56: ITALY BEGINS TO OPEN from 2020-04-30T05:00

Italy's lockdown restrictions are finally about to begin (and, more essentially, we finally know what they entail). In this mini-episode, Tiffany goes through the new rules, as well as her react...

Episode 313: Virtual Tour of Rome from 2020-04-26T21:11:42

Longing to wander the streets of Rome, visit its most beautiful squares, and marvel at its monuments? Since, for now, that isn't possible for any of us (even those of us who live in Rome) we've ...

Bittersweet Moment #55: Memorizing Poetry from 2020-04-23T05:00

Today Tiffany talks about one of her favorite hobbies: memorizing poetry! She lays out the plethora of surprising benefits she reaps from this personal practice, as well as a list of tips on how...

Episode 312: PHASE TWO from 2020-04-19T15:49:59

When will Italy reopen—and what will that reopening entail?

These are the questions that Italy's residents have been asking themselves constantly lately. Rumor has it, Italy's country-wid...

Bittersweet Moment #54: Learning to Read in Two Languages at Once from 2020-04-16T05:00

With Aurelio home from school, Tiffany is taking the opportunity to teach him how to read and write in English—before Italian school gets its hooks into him.

She explains why she's taking...

Episode 311: LONG DISTANCE from 2020-04-13T07:22:49

We all have those close friendships that survive over time, despite the fact that we live half a world apart. And now—with most of us living under lockdown for the foreseeable future—all of our ...

Bittersweet Moment #53: Roman Easter in the Time of Coronavirus from 2020-04-09T04:00

Rome is the center of the Catholic world, the home the pope, the city of St. Peter. Easter time draws enormous crowds of faithful to participate in the high holiday services and be blessed by th...

Episode 310: A Day in the Life under Quarantine, Part 2 from 2020-04-06T09:01:46

In the second part of this Day in the Life episode, Katy offers a rare glimpse into what it’s like to edit and a long piece of tape, extracting its gems to transf...

Episode 309: A Day in the Life under Quarantine, Part 1 from 2020-04-05T10:28:27

What does a day in the life of someone under lockdown look like? That's what we asked our listeners for today's episode, offering a peek into their lives througho...

Bittersweet Moment #52: Shopping and Consumerism in the Time of Coronavirus from 2020-04-02T05:00

What happens when you CAN’T shop? When all the stores in your town are closed and your supermarket stops selling anything beyond the basic necessities? Even major...

Episode 308: Tips and Tricks for Surviving Quarantine from 2020-03-29T13:24:56

An astounding half of the world's population is now on some form of legal lockdown, quarantine, shelter-in-place, or self-isolation.

With many of our listeners new to Quarantine Life, Tif...

Bittersweet Moment #51: LOCKDOWN, Part 4 from 2020-03-26T08:46:33

How are our daily lives changed due to quarantine and life during the coronavirus outbreak?

It seems like every day something changes: restrictions get tighter, a new epicenter emerges, a...

Episode 307: REPORTING from 2020-03-23T04:00

When did a podcast about travel, living abroad, embracing adventure, and going off the script become about… staying home all day, every day?

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Bittersweet Moment #50: LOCKDOWN, Part 3 from 2020-03-18T21:28:56

Lockdown has hit the United States—at least in some parts of the country. And people all around the nation are choosing to self-isolate.

On this mini-episode, Katy and Tiffany discuss the...

Episode 306: LOCKDOWN, Part 2 from 2020-03-17T11:15:07

The lockdown in Italy continues on the second part of Monday's episode, and as each moment passes, lockdown looms across the United States and the world.

Tiffany shares some tips with Kat...

Episode 305: LOCKDOWN, Part 1 from 2020-03-16T04:00

Italy is on lockdown. No going out except for basic necessities for medical reasons—or work if you absolutely cannot work from home. How is Tiffany coping? How is...

Bittersweet Moment #49: VIRUS UPDATE, Part 2 from 2020-03-12T13:41:03

How are Italians reacting to the strict restrictions now in place during the unprecedented Italy lock down? Are they exhibiting their characteristic "furbizia" to get around the rules? Or is the...

Bittersweet Moment #48: VIRUS UPDATE, Part 1 from 2020-03-11T08:52:39

In the wake of the country-wide lock-down of Italy due to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, we are putting two mini-episodes this week!

On this first update, we check in about what exa...

Episode 304: VIRUS from 2020-03-06T14:03:44

Tiffany and Katy are both living in two of the epicenters of the devastating coronavirus, Italy and Washington State.

This week, they chat about their parallel but distinct experiences, h...

Bittersweet Moment #47: How to get an agent with PITMAD from 2020-03-05T07:17:39

How do you get a literary agent?

For many aspiring writers, it can seem like an impossible task, and yet it's a necessary step on the road to getting your book published. But with agents ...

Episode 303: FALCON THIEF (with Joshua Hammer) from 2020-03-02T05:00

A globe-trotting rare bird egg thief, a detective hell bent on protecting the world’s birds of prey, and a writer who stitches it all into a brilliant story. Toda...

Bittersweet Moment #46: QUESTING from 2020-02-27T06:00

If you could have an encounter with any animal in the wild, which would you pick?

For author and actress Jane Alexan...

Episode 302: QUEST from 2020-02-24T06:00

What’s the difference between a goal and a quest?

This week, Tiffany and Katy discuss what goes in to embarking on a...

Bittersweet Moment #45: CARNEVALE from 2020-02-20T10:13:59

It’s Carnevale here in Rome, and before you say—why don’t you go celebrate in Venice?—you should know that Carnevale originated in Rome. In this week’s Bitterswee...

Episode 301: PERSONALITY from 2020-02-17T05:00

Do you know your personality type?

On this week’s episode, Katy sits down with personality consultant Leslie McDanie...

Bittersweet Moment #44: NOTABLE GUESTS from 2020-02-13T09:37:19

We've had some fascinating guests over the past six years of this podcast, and to celebrate our exciting 300-episode milestone, this Bittersweet Moment takes a look back at just a few of our ver...

Episode 300: TRECENTO from 2020-02-10T05:00

Two countries, six years, 300 episodes! On this week's episode, The Bittersweet Life podcast reaches a major milestone!

To  commemorate this important number, we look back on 300 episodes...

Bittersweet Moment #43: RAPHAEL from 2020-02-06T06:00

Visit Rome in the footsteps of Raphael, just in time for the 500th anniversary of his death. Many art historians date the unofficial end of the Renaissance as 6 A...

Episode 299: CORRUPTION from 2020-02-03T05:00

Italy is a historically corrupt country, so much so that many Italians roll their eyes at anyone naive enough to trust their own government. Is that where the US ...

Bittersweet Moment #42: ROMAN HOROSCOPE from 2020-01-30T06:00

Sagittarius or Scorpio, Leo or Libra, visit Rome based on your sign.

In this mini-episode, Tiffany tells you what to see and do in Rome based on the traits of your zodiac sign.

**L...

Episode 298: VIETNAM from 2020-01-27T05:00

Katy's father and sister join us this week to look back on their family travels to Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. Katy, who was not a travel-lover as a younger person, asks her dad if he ...

Bittersweet Moment #41: MORE SNOW from 2020-01-23T06:00

Michigan, Minnesota, Montana... oh my!

Katy's sister and father have lived, respectively, in some of the snowiest places in the US. What do they think about the snow nostalgia that plague...

Episode 297: SNOW from 2020-01-20T05:00

Most people either love snow or hate it. How much of that depends on where you live and how much snow you see in a typical year?

Or maybe our love of snow is determined by how much it get...

Bittersweet Moment #40: TRAVELING TO WRITE (with Jess Walter) from 2020-01-15T08:30:27

There’s nothing like curling up in your favorite armchair and traveling the world via an amazing book. But what about when the shoe is on the other foot? What abo...

Episode 296: READING (with Nancy Pearl) from 2020-01-13T05:00

Most book-lovers would agree that reading is the best way to travel without leaving the comfort of your favorite armchair.

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Bittersweet Moment #39: ROMAN RESOLUTIONS from 2020-01-09T06:00

So you set yourself a bunch of New Year’s resolutions and now you’re on your way to Rome. How in the world are you going to keep them? Do you even want to try? Listen

Episode 295: VENTI VENTI from 2020-01-06T05:00

What are your resolutions this year? And did you get your resolutions done last year?

We start every year with our R...

Episode 294: SHAKESPEARE from 2019-12-30T05:00

What did Shakespeare think about his own mortality? Is it possible to discern how he felt about death from his writing? We...

Episode 293: HOLIDAY MAGIC from 2019-12-23T05:00

Has Christmas lost its magic now that you’re all grown up? Katy and Tiffany brainstorm ways to bring that holiday magic back even if you don’t believe in ...