The Bittersweet Life

Latest Episodes:

Episode 323: Travel Trauma Jul 04, 2020

Show notes

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?

Today we hear from a listener who had an encounter with a traumatized young student as she was "evacuating" Italy back in March at the outbreak of Covid-19. And that got us thinking about how places can sometimes become tainted if we have bad experiences there. But is that enough of a reason to never return?

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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 #65: A Sleepy Bittersweet Moment (with Drew Ackerman) Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

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. Sleep with Me tells "bedtime stories to help grown ups fall asleep in the deep, dark night," perfect for podcast-lovers who are also insomniacs.

This week, Drew put his own sleepy spin on our recent episode, Virtual Tour of Rome. Make sure you check it out to hear our audio walk through Rome translated into something designed to lull you to sleep.

On this week's mini-episode, Drew joins us to talk about his popular podcast, where he came up with the idea, and why helping people sleep has become so important to him.

Find his take on our episode here: 887: Virtual Tour of Rome – The Bittersweet Life crossover . (He doesn't get to our stuff until about minute 25.)

Find our original version of that episode here: Episode 313: Virtual Tour of Rome.

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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 322: Introvert or Extrovert: The Covid Edition Jun 28, 2020

Show notes

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 mean exactly what you think they mean.

We also explore how the Covid pandemic and its resulting quarantine might have changed your personality type, or at least brought out another aspect to it. And we ask ourselves, is it really true that introverts are forced to live in an extroverted world? And has the quarantine turned the table on extroverts?

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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 #64: Visiting an Empty Colosseum Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

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 if it is one of the most inspiring sights in the whole world.)

Now that the Colosseum has reopened after months of quarantine, there are strict regulations on how many people can visit the site at the same time—not to mention the fact that there are still close to zero tourists in Rome right now.

Tiffany fills you in on what it's like, what's wonderful about it, what's disappointing, and the basic info on how to visit.

Book your tickets here (official site).

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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 321: Living Alone during Lockdown (with Nicole Hardy) Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

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 stay healthy, safe, and sane when loneliness and the longing for human connection are prominent parts of every day?

Today we talk with Nicole Hardy, a Seattle-based writer who has been living in complete isolation since Seattle went into quarantine nearly four months ago. She opens up about her difficult and painful experience living cut off from all human contact, and the ways she has learned to cope.

Nicole is the author of the memoir Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin, a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Marie Claire. Find her on her website or on Twitter. Read more of her thoughts on her time during lockdown in her article in Seattle Magazine, Living Alone in a Former Sanitorium. and check out her first appearance on The Bittersweet Life back on Episode 124 SHIP.

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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 #63: What's Going On in Seattle? (with Casey Martin) Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

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 from someone who's there every day.

On this mini-episode, we are joined again by Seattle-based NPR reporter Casey Martin for the inside story. Casey has been on Seattle's Capitol Hill since the protests began, and has spent all week in the zone talking to shop owners, protestors, residents, and armed civilians.

He shares his view from the streets, dispelling rumors of rioting and violence, and answering common questions about what exactly is going on in this ongoing organized protest. He also talks about the reactions of the area's local residents and business owners, the complaints from some Black Lives Matter activists that it's taking attention away from the movement, and how, perhaps surprising to some, he feels safer on the streets now than when the police were there.

Find Casey on Instagram and Twitter, and listen to his earlier interview on Bittersweet Moment No. 61: A Nation in Protest.

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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 320: Facing Death (with Jim deMaine, MD) Jun 13, 2020

Show notes

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 may be worried about losing the older members of our families, overwhelmed by the staggering number of lives Covid-19 has already claimed, or are simply more aware that life is all too fleeting.

Today we're joined by Jim deMaine, a retired pulmonary and critical care physician, a clinical professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and author of the upcoming book Facing Death: Finding Dignity, Hope and Healing at the End. As someone who has helped countless number of patients achieve a "good death," Jim shares his thoughts on healthy attitudes to have toward death as well as tips to navigate life in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. He also discusses the mental toll that extreme isolation and fear of Covid can have on people of all ages, and how to avoid it.

Facing Death is not yet available for pre-order, so click here to be notified by email when it becomes available.

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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 #62: Quarantine in Trastevere (with Amy Knauff) Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

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 quaint Trastevere neighborhood while working from home?

On this mini-episode, Tiffany checks in with her friend Amy Knauff (who appeared on Episode 27: UNSURE, way back in Season One), about her experiences with a completely solitary quarantine in the very heart of Rome.

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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 319: Who Is Rome For? Jun 07, 2020

Show notes

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 and adapt. Will the countless AirBNBs turn back into regular rentals, and will that in turn cause locals to move back to the historic center? Will the souvenir shops that have crowded out the artisanal workshops close their doors? Will restaurants that once hawked mediocre fare to tourists be forced to raise their standards in order to lure Romans to dine?

On this episode, we hypothesize about what is in store for Rome in this post-Covid age, at least until the tourists return en masse. And we also muse upon the question: who is Rome for—at least, the historic center? With so few locals living and working in the center, has it become a kind of "Disneyland" for tourists, and will the sudden lack of tourists change that?

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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 #61: A Nation in Protest (with reporter Casey Martin) Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

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 violence, looting, and clashes with police, undermining from the message of the Black Lives Matters activists.

Public Radio reporter Casey Martin has been in the thick of it, and joins us to explain the view from the streets, and what it is like to cover a riot during a raging pandemic.

Find Casey on Instagram and Twitter.

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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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