The Bittersweet Life

Latest Episodes:

Episode 375: Sea Adventure to Alaska Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

A private yacht called the Sea Star, a handful of strangers who would soon be friends, the inland passage to Alaska, and a few whales that like to show off—these are the ingredients in Katy's first post-pandemic trip.

Although observing humpback whales in the wild has long been a dream of hers, she had no idea how much she would enjoy the actual trip, sailing the tranquil inland waters that stretch the entire length of British Colombia and beyond, making friends with her fellow passengers and learning to live together in such close quarters, having a complete break from all forms of technology in order to truly commune with nature. Here all about it in her own words on this week's episode.

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

**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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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 #113: Italian vs. American Weddings Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

Last week we talked about food, cake, invitations, and the dreaded colors of black and purple. This week, on the third installment in the Italian wedding mini-series, we delve into the differences between Italian and American weddings in terms of ceremony, bomboniere (aka very elaborate party favors), photography and—perhaps most intriguingly—who pays for the wedding.

Find out why Italian newlyweds are almost always at least an hour late for their own wedding reception, and hear what Italian tradition Tiffany put her foot down about during her own wedding—and how she was eventually overruled by her future father-in-law.

Find the first part of this episode here, and hear about classic Italian traditions of the last century 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 374: Keep This, Ditch That Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Make-up. Unpleasant social obligations. Commuting.

Lots of things fell by the wayside during the pandemic. Lots of things that seemed absolutely necessary parts of life "before Covid" suddenly were either impossible or simply irrelevant.

Now that life, for many people around the world, is starting to go back to normal, we can't help but wonder: do we have to start doing these things again?

We put a call out on Instagram and got lots of responses of things our listeners would rather not go back to doing, now that the virus seems—at least in parts of the world—to be under control at last. We share some of them on this episode, as well as what the two of us hope we won't have to start doing again.

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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 #112: An American Wedding in Italy Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

For the second installment in our series of Italian wedding-themed mini-episodes, Tiffany looks back on her wedding in Rome almost exactly ten years ago, and how she tried (and sometimes failed) to incorporate both the stylish American wedding trends she loved and the strict Italian wedding traditions and norms that her soon-to-be in-laws expected. Throw misunderstandings and assumptions into the mix and you have a few hitches that can be looked back on and laughed at—now that ten years have passed.

You'll hear what her father-in-law did with the top tier of her wedding cake, what her mother-in-law did with her bouquet, and what innocuous paper product almost derailed the whole wedding (not really).

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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 373: The Label Debate Continues (with Keith Cooke) Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Last week we talked about the labels expat vs immigrant, and specifically, why Tiffany, after nearly 17 years in Italy, still considers herself more of an expat than an immigrant.

Today, we replay an episode from way back in 2015, the very first time we debated the expat vs immigrant question, and specifically, if the color of your skin determines whether you're considered an expat or an immigrant. In addition to our own conversation, we are joined by longtime listener and former expat Keith Cooke. As a serial expat as well as a man of color, he has a unique perspective on this subject, specifically his experiences as an African American male living and working in post-apartheid South Africa.

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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 #111: Italian Wedding Traditions Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

On occasion of her 10th wedding anniversary, Tiffany talks about Italian wedding traditions, particularly the ones popular in the mid-20th century. Ever wonder why Italians give sugared almonds at weddings and what they represent? Curious to know what a bride must never wear before the wedding day, and what a groom should carry in his pocket to ward off evil spirits? You learn about these traditions and more on this mini-episode. Some of these traditions are still around, and some are now completely obscure. Tiffany also talks about a few of these old traditions that she took part in in an Italian wedding she attended way back in 2004.

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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 372: Expat or Immigrant? May 31, 2021

Show notes

Tiffany moved to Italy as an expat in the fall 2004—nearly 17 years ago. Since then, she's married an Italian and started a family, bought an apartment in Italy, and become an Italian citizenship, 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 nevertheless still identifies as an expat, and how despite being a legal Italian citizenship, she still doesn't feel as Italian as the native-born. We also discuss weather the expat vs immigrant labels have anything to do with race or privilege.

PS Listen in on Tiffany becoming an Italian citizen in Episode 84 CITIZEN captured back in 2015 when Aurelio was just a newborn.

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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 371: Anna Sale Talks About Hard Things, Part 2 May 27, 2021

Show notes

Today we continue our conversation with Anna Sale, host of the popular podcast Death, Sex, and Money and author of bestselling book Let's Talk About Hard Things.

On Part 1 of this interview, Anna goes into the nitty-gritty of talks about sex and death—why they are so hard to have, and how to make them easier. On Part 2, she delves into money. She talks about something called financial vigilance, and how people who have historically felt the need to over-control their money can have a hard time down the road when financial decisions have to be made, as well as other pit-falls that can crop up in any relationship that has to do with money. Bottom line: we all have to talk about money from time to time—might as well learn how to do it.

Be sure to listen to Part 1 first.

Find Anna Sale's bestselling new book Let's Talk About Hard Things on Amazon or at your local bookshop. Find Anna on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or at her podcast, Death, Sex, and Money.

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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 370: Anna Sale Talks About Hard Things, Part 1 May 24, 2021

Show notes

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 open about your sexual needs with your partner?

Anna Sale is the host of the Death, Sex, and Money, a award-winning podcast that "explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation." She's also the author of Let's Talk About Hard Things, a bestselling book that teaches you to have that conversation. She sits down with us this week to talk about tactics to have those challenging talks.

Anna's philosophy is: "hard conversations" are inevitable in life, so you might as well learn how to have them. In this interview, she talks about why the three topics of death, sex, and money (all unavoidable sooner or later) can make people so uncomfortable. We discuss how your upbringing and background influence your life choices, and what happens when you choose to go off-script, as well as how hard conversations with your family of origin can be—and why that's completely normal. Anna also offers practical tips on how to start a conversation that might be awkward and uncomfortable, what to listen for in a difficult talk, and how to be direct, but at the same time kind.

Find Let's Talk About Hard Things on Amazon or at your local bookshop. Find Anna on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or at her podcast, Death, Sex, and Money.

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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 #110: Italy Welcomes Tourists May 20, 2021

Show notes

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 is Valentina, a staff member for a major Italian airline who worked at Rome's Fiumicino Airport throughout the pandemic. She shares her unprecedented experiences during this time, as well as how she feels about Italy's somewhat controversial reopening to tourists this month. She also explains how the new "Covid-free" flights will operate.

**Please note, this episode mentions a rule that travelers from the US must be tested for Covid-19 72 hours or less before departure. In fact, the rule (as of the time of airing) is 48 hours or less. Check updated regulations before traveling.

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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!