The Bittersweet Life

Latest Episodes:

Episode 353: Virtual Tour of Rome with Special Guests, Part 1 Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

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 radio—a cache of Rome sounds, snippets from old interviews, and Katy's brilliant sound-mixing skills—this walking tour of Rome was taped NOT on the streets of Rome as it seems, but in Katy and Tiffany's own homes, across the ocean from each other.

Don't miss our previous virtual tour of Rome, created during Italy's super-strict lockdown in the spring of 2020.

**This episode was sponsored by Clyde Hill Publishing—partner and publisher for founders, innovators, thinkers, and tinkerers. Check out their upcoming release, I Had No Idea You Were Black, by Ronald Crutcher. Pre-order your copy here.

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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 #95: Why I Don't Trust Trip Advisor Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

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 previous episode, and a listener wrote in to ask why. Tiffany shares her opinions in 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 352: Souvenirs Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

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 of souvenir that you can eat once you get back home. Maybe you wait to see what strikes your fancy or just pick something random off the street like Katy?

Today we play and comment on the favorite souvenirs of the listeners of The Bittersweet Life, and talk a little bit about the most treasured objects we've picked up on our travels.

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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 #94: A New President Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

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 inauguration via voice memo to each other, a conversation in real time across the ocean.

It happened at 6pm in Rome, at 9am in Seattle, and at noon in Washington DC, but through the magic of radio (and Katy's brilliant editing skills), we're all able to experience it together. Listen in on our live reactions to this historic moment.

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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 351: Paris By The Book (with Liam Callanan) Jan 16, 2021

Show notes

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, Paris by the Book. The author joins us today to chat about his latest book, and muses on what it's like to write a book that takes place in a city you've never lived in, and how cities like Paris sometimes exist in our imaginations; those versions often have little to do with reality, but that doesn't mean they aren't real to us.

Find Liam Callanan on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or on his website.

Order your copy of Paris by the Book at Amazon, or find it anywhere you buy books.

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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 #93: ItalyGate: Vatican Blackout Conspiracy Theory Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

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 votes cast from Italy in the November election from Trump to Biden?

We're guessing you know the answers to these questions, but we address these questions this wild theory anyway on our latest mini-episode.

For further reading check out this post by Rome resident and Vatican expert Mountain Butorac on his blog The Catholic Traveler, as well as this informative article from Reuters.

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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.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

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 350: Daily Life: Italy vs America Jan 10, 2021

Show notes

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, today we dig into some of the norms of Italian daily life and how it compares to life in the US. Tiffany busts some myths and shares the ways she's assimilated to the Italian lifestyle, as well as the American habits she just can't shake.

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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 #92: A Call for Souvenirs Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

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 heart and on your shelf, and takes you back to wherever you found it.

Thanks to a listener suggestion, today we're putting out a call for our listeners' favorite souvenirs, whether purchased or found, handmade or mass produced, from as far away as the South China Sea or as near as one town over.

Record yourself talking about it on your phone's voice memo app, then email it to us at bittersweetlifepodcast@gmail.com, along with a photo (optional). We will share some of them on a future episode!