The Bittersweet Life

Latest Episodes:

Episode 396: Stuck Home, Stuck Abroad (with Diana Opong) Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

The COVID pandemic has separated many families around the world, including that of today's guest, Diana Opong. Normally, her parents travel to Ghana, their home country, several months of every year. But during the pandemic, they got trapped there, and could not return to the United States. That caused some major problems and a lot of worry for Diana and her siblings—but there was one silver lining.

Diana, who is an audio producer and host, joins us to share what it was like to have her parents trapped on the other side of the world.

Find Diana on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Instagram at @diana.opong and @d.o_tell.

***Save the date! We are hosting our first ever live virtual meet-up on 20 October 2021 at 9pm Central European Time (Rome), or 12 noon PST (Seattle). The meet-up is open to all of our patrons and regular donors. Join us on Patreon if you haven't already, then come say hi on the 20th!

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NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Bittersweet Moment #122: Tiffany's First Days in Rome Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

What was Rome like when Tiffany first moved there? On this mini-episode, Tiffany reminisces about what it was like to find an apartment, look for a job, use a cell phone, keep in touch with family, and make friends way back in 2004. (Spoiler alert: it's all way easier now.)

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Episode 395: Should I Move Abroad? Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

Tiffany and Katy dig into their mail bag and pull out a letter from Tyler, who had been just about to move abroad when the pandemic hit. As he waits and waits (and waits) for things to go back to "normal," he feels time (and perhaps his expat dreams as well) slipping away. He writes to ask what we think he should do—should he throw caution to the wind and go ahead with his plans, or continue to keep his dreams on hold.

As you might have guessed, Katy and Tiffany have VERY different opinions on what he should do. Listen in to hear them get into it.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Bittersweet Moment #121: More Culture Shock! Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

How has one of our listeners adjusted to moving back to the States after years as an expat in Europe? We find out on this mini-episode. In a follow-up to Monday's show on reverse culture shock, Katy reads an email from long-time listener Sonali, who shares some of the things that shocked her most—from expensive food staples to excessive patriotism—about living in the US again after so much time abroad. Also, Katy explores the various stages of getting used to living in a new culture.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Episode 394: Reverse Culture Shock: Italy vs. USA Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

When you've lived abroad for 17 years, going "back home" can sometimes feel like going to a completely foreign country. Things that were once normal feel odd. You find you're no longer used to the way things are done in your former home. And sometimes, you realize that things have changed so much since you last visited, that it doesn't even seem like the country where you grew up anymore.

On the heels of Tiffany's recent trip to the US—after over two years away—she comments on the things that surprised her, unsettled her, and baffled her. She also shares her thoughts on the prospect of moving back to the States one day.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Bittersweet Moment #120: First Day of School in Italy Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

This week, Tiffany's son Aurelio starts first grade! What is Italian elementary school like and how is it different from elementary school in the US? Will native English-speaking Aurelio have to study English as a second language? What about religion? How much homework is assigned? Do they have to go to school on Saturday? And what's up with those blue smocks all the kids wear? Tiffany explains it all on this mini-episode.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Episode 393: Braving International Travel—during Covid Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

After her month-long mega-trip to the States in August, Tiffany regales our listeners with the adventures (and many mis-adventures) of the international travel aspect of the trip. What kind of documentation do you need to get on an international flight? How difficult is it for a non-American citizen to get into the US under the current Covid regulations? What are the crowds like, and what's it like to have to wear a mask for an entire 14-hour flight? And what giant wrench was thrown into her plans that resulted in an unexpected morning spent in Brooklyn, New York? Also, how is international travel like motherhood? Tiffany answers these and many other questions on the very first episode of brand-new Season Nine.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Episode 392: Make Your Home (Abroad) Your Own (with Rebecca West) Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

When you move abroad, chances are you'll spend at least a certain amount of time living in a space that doesn't feel like your own: temporary lodgings, a rented room in someone else's flat, or perhaps your dream apartment—that just happens to be filled with furniture and art you abhor. Today's guest, interior designer Rebecca West, shares some ideas on how to make anywhere feel like home.

Be sure to check out Rebecca's book, Happy Starts at Home.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Episode 391: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Moving Abroad... (with Lori-Lee Elliott) Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Planning (or hoping) to move abroad? We're guessing you have a lot of questions. Well today, we try to answer them. We rebroadcast one of our most helpful episodes, an interview with serial expat Lori-Lee Elliott (formerly Lori-Lee Emshey), who is currently on her 17th expat assignment. She shares her expert tips on how to successfully prepare for a move abroad, as well as strategies for what to do when you arrive. Perhaps most valuably, she offers advice on what common mistakes to avoid when moving to a new place.

***This episode was sponsored by LUGZ, offering comfortable, versatile and affordable footwear, from stylish boots to canvas shoes. Visit Lugz.com and enter our promo code BITTERSWEET for an extra 30% off.***

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

Episode 390: A Hurricane Strikes... Or Does It? Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

In the wake of menacing Hurricane Ida, Katy relives her own experiences with hurricanes in the Big Easy. When she was living in New Orleans several years ago, Hurricane Nate mercifully missed the city, but being in its path brought about both fear and cultural revelation for one temporary resident, your intrepid host Katy Sewall. It also brought about an unexpected interview with BBC radio.

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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.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

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