The Bittersweet Life

Latest Episodes:

Episode 380: Finding Caravaggio at an Estate Sale Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

Did you hear about the doctor who unknowingly bought an original Caravaggio painting at an estate sale? Yes. That happened. Today we talk not only about this unbelievable story, but also about the allure of estate sales. Katy adores them. Tiffany's never been to one. What is it that intrigues Katy so much about them, and what was her one regret after buying a dead woman's most beloved position, a necklace she wore daily until her death? Find out on this week's episode.

Read more about the discovery of the long-lost Caravaggio painting in this article in The Irish Times or in the book The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr.

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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 #118: Harry Potter, One of the Most Translated Books of All Time Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Everyone has their favorite book, author, or series, but when children fall in love with a book, that love can border on obsession. (And how lovely that is to witness!)

Of course all demographics, from toddlers to great-great-grandmothers, can count Harry Potter mega-fans in their numbers, but for kids, that Harry Potter magic was extra special. Today, we re-air a bit of tape Katy captured way back in 2005, when she talked to young (and not-so-young) Harry Potter fans on the night that The Half-Blood Prince was released. The joy and excitement in the voices of these kids is something you just have to hear—their passion for a book that has been translated into more languages than almost any other non-religious text.

**This episode was sponsored by EMERGENCY UK. Click here to find out how to donate to this worthy charitable organization that provides free high-quality healthcare around the world.

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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 379: Can You Truly Be Bilingual? Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

Inspired by a passage in the book Outline by Rachel Cusk, today we discuss the complexity of living life in two (or more!) languages, and if you can truly be yourself in every language you speak.

Are you a different person when you speak a second language? Does it depend on at what age you start to learn the second language, or how well you speak it? And, intriguingly, does the way a language sounds influence the personalities of the people who speak it? These are just some of the topics that come up in this thought-provoking discussion.

We also chat about writing in a foreign language. Can journal writing in a foreign language access a different part of your brain? Will you have different thoughts? If you write a book that takes place in a foreign country, would you ever attempt at writing the dialogue in that language and then translate it back to the language of the book?

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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 #117: Being English in Italy—During the European Cup (with Julia Charity) Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

It's the biggest soccer (aka football) (aka calcio) match of the year as Italy faces off against England in the European Cup. But who do cheer for if you're an Englishwoman living in Italy for more than half your life, with an Italian husband and two half-Italian kids?

To find out, we chat with Julia Charity, a thoroughly English tour guide who has called Italy home for more than two decades. Listen in to this mini-episode to find out which country she is more loyal too, and why she felt more conflicted during the match than she expected she would. (Her half-English/half-Italian seven-year-old son weighs in too! Does he side with mom or dad?)

**This episode was sponsored by EMERGENCY UK. Click here to find out how to donate to this worthy charitable organization that provides free high-quality healthcare around the world.

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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 378: Nostalgic Endings Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Are you someone who has a hard time when things come to an end? Even when what's coming next might be just as good, if not better? Or possibly even when what is ending was never very good in the first place?

Tiffany and Katy are both prone to nostalgia over endings, and as Aurelio finishes up Kindergarten or "Scuola Materna" as it's called in Italy, Tiffany begins to feel a pervading sadness over the impending end of her son's little-boyhood.

In this episode we chat about endings, new beginnings, change, and the nostalgia that can often pervade it. (Bonus: you might just hear Tiffany tear up for the first time on this podcast!)

**This episode was sponsored by Faherty—a family-run environmentally friendly clothing company that creates soft and comfortable clothes that are the perfect blend of casual and classic. They also offer a Lifetime Guarantee of Quality: they are so confident in the quality of their clothes that they will replace or fix them—for life. Get 20% off your entire purchase by using our code BITTERSWEET.

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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 #116: School's Out in Italy (featuring Aurelio and friend) Jul 08, 2021

Show notes

We hear from five-year-old Aurelio and his friend Jacopo on their very last day of Kindergarten—are they feeling the same sense of nostalgia that Tiffany's feeling, or are they just thrilled it's finally summer vacation?

Also, Tiffany explains what preschool and Kindergarten are like in Italy, and how those very first years of school differ from their American counterparts.

**Thanks also to EMERGENCY UK for supporting the show. Click here to find out how to donate to this worthy charitable organization that provides free high-quality healthcare around the world.

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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 377: Returning Again and Again Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

Are you a person who always travels to a new place? Or do you prefer to revisit the same place over and over? Today we explore the value of going to the same place again and again. We discuss how going deeper into the culture of a place and getting to know its people on an intimate level can only come after prolonged or repeated visits, as well as the impact this kind of travel can have on our lives and how we see the world.

**Thanks also to EMERGENCY UK for supporting the show. Click here to find out how to donate to this worthy charitable organization that provides free high-quality healthcare around the world.

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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 #115: Alaska Boat Trip – Your Questions Answered Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

Last week Katy regaled listeners with the story of her adventure aboard the Sea Star, a 1965 classic yacht, and her experiences cruising the inland passage from Seattle to Alaska. If you haven't listened yet, you can catch that episode here.

In this mini-episode, she answers questions about this unforgettable trip, from practical things like what they ate, what the motor sounded like, and where the sewage went, to more probing questions such as, how did being "stuck" in a tiny ship cabin for over a week compare to being stuck in her home for months at a time during quarantine.

If you are interested in taking a trip like this, you can find more information here.

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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 376: From Heartbreak to Purpose (with Asia Dawn Simonelli) Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

What do you do when your partner of almost a decade—and husband of only a few short months—tells you he thinks you made a mistake in getting married?

Well, if you're today's guest, you pack your bags and start traveling the world. You might never even come back. Today we sit down with Asia Dawn Simonelli, who's unexpected heartbreak made her realize that life is too short and uncertain to do anything but what brings her joy. Her sudden divorce inspired her to spend a year traveling around South America, eventually settling in Mexico City, only to decide that Italy is where she truly belongs.

Hear how her love of travel led her to a life of her dreams, and how she turned what could have been a devastating crisis into a new career that brings her joy and purpose and helps other women who've been through similar trauma.

Find out more about Asia's relationship coaching services on her website, read about her travels on her travel blog, and follow her adventures on her Instagram page. Read her viral HuffPost article After My Divorce at 32, I Left the Country and Never Came Back.

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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 #114: Getting Married in Ancient Rome Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

To conclude our series of wedding-related mini-episodes, Tiffany regales you with the most common traditions and rituals surrounding weddings that took place in Ancient Rome.

What words did the bride and groom recite to each other at the moment of marriage? What color was the bride's veil (and her shoes)? What did the bride, groom, and guests do after the wedding dinner? Find out all this and more on this mini-episode.

Don't miss the earlier episodes in this series! Hear about classic Italian traditions of the last century here. , learn the differences between Italian and American weddings here, and hear some experiences from Tiffany's own Italian-American wedding here.

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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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