The Bittersweet Life

Latest Episodes:

Episode 188: NEW YEAR Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

Tiffany and Katy discuss resolutions for the New Year as 2018 kicks off. Tiffany needs your help with hers. Also, host Katy Sewall makes a big announcement about where she is going from here.

The RECIPE Tiffany talks about compliments of Smitten Kitchen: Pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpeas)

What are you resolving to do in 2018? We'd love to hear your goals. It might even inspire Katy to come up with a good resolution!

Reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

WANT TO SPONSOR THE SHOW: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 187: CHRISTMAS Dec 25, 2017

Show notes

Christmas traditions can be grounding when you're living in a brand new place. Tiffany and Katy talk about the joys and challenges of being untethered during the holidays. They also discuss which of their traditions come from childhood and which were added after living in a foreign culture.

The Sweet Smell of Christmas (The Scratch & Sniff book Tiffany ordered for the holiday)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (One of Katy's favorite Christmas book)

Also, tell us what you resolve to do in 2018. (Next week: New Years Resolutions!) Write us at bittersweetlife@mail.com. We LOVE hearing your stories.

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

WE'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 186: DANTE Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

The magician Dante joins us with his amazing story of reinvention - from landing in prison to busking for huge crowds in the streets of Europe. As he puts it, "It's not about what has happened, it's about what we do next."

Dante learned magic to make sure he'd alway be free; able to work for himself and not someone else. Later, he picked up the trumpet and now performs regularly with The Dapper Dandies in New Orleans.

He explains how making a fool of yourself can be great thing - and takes us on a most wild ride through jail, and plots, and escape... You get the idea. This is a super fun, inspiring episode. You'll also learn how your host Katy Sewall gave Dante the name Dante.

Dante's Homepage
Dante's favorite magician, Tom Mullica

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 185: METOO Dec 11, 2017

Show notes

The #MeToo movement has taken over the news in the United States and much of the world. After Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein was outed by the New York Times for a history of assaulting women, more accusations - and firings - have followed. Now all men are reexamining their workplace behavior and women are rethinking their memories, reactions, and often their acceptance of questionable male/female dynamics.

In this episode hosts Katy Sewall and Tiffany Parks revisit Episode 10 of The Bittersweet Life, a show that focused on sexual assault abroad. One of the dangers of traveling to foreign lands is not recognizing when you're in danger. Katy and Tiffany share stories of what happened to them.

If you have thoughts (or a #metoo story) to share - TELL US! If we get enough responses, we'll do a follow up show on the matter.

And if you want to hear more, the conversation goes on in Part 2 and Part 3

If you've NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 184: DISASTER Dec 04, 2017

Show notes

During the Sack of Rome in 1527, thousands of citizens were killed or raped. The city's treasures were pillaged. Beyond the trauma and loss, the sack also crippled the Italian Renaissance for good.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, over 1500 people died and thousands lost everything they had. A huge percentage of the displaced population never returned. Those who stayed were forever changed. Many locals mark time in NOLA as life "before Katrina" and life after.

Hosts Tiffany Parks (in Rome) and Katy Sewall (in New Orleans) explore how cities are forever altered by the natural and man-made disasters that strike.

DONATE! Support the independent radio makers you love. Unpaid bills lead to no show in the future. :(

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 183: SABINE Nov 27, 2017

Show notes

Do Americans need more positive feedback than the French? French expat Sabine explains the communication issues she and her American husband face. She also explains why her French friends sometimes feel sorry for her and what she makes of the 2nd amendment given all the mass shootings in America. Would you trade Paris for New Orleans? For Sabine, living in NOLA is like taking a tropical vacation - well, some of the time.

DONATE! The show stays on the air if you support it.

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 182: AUTHENTIC Nov 20, 2017

Show notes

You would think living in Rome would be fantastic but "Rome squashes some of my joy" co-host Tiffany Parks says in this episode.

Over in New Orleans, co-host Katy Sewall keeps encountering local residents claiming they're able to be more their authentic selves in The Big Easy. This has Katy questioning the influence of her long-time Seattle hometown.

Can moving to a new place make you... well, more YOU? Are frequent travelers searching for a place where they their most authentic? Have you moved and discovered a richer, more authentic personal life? If so, tell us in the comments or through social media.

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

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

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

©Web and show content can only be used with written permission.

Episode 181: EXISTENTIAL (with Anne Gisleson) Nov 13, 2017

Show notes

Does life have any meaning? What is the purpose of living? If you are asking these questions, you might be experiencing an existential crisis.

To tackle grief, loss and these huge life questions, New Orleans writer Anne Gisleson formed the Existential Crisis Reading Group. Along the way, the book group discovered writers like Dante, James Joyce, Franz Kafka and Clarice Lispector. They even creatively reenacted the Stations of the Cross.

Anne's book The Futilitarians: Our Year Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading explores the grief of losing two younger siblings to suicide, as well as the beloved father who forbid writing about their deaths before his own. It is a deep, beautifully written book.

While reading, host Katy Sewall really latched onto one quote by the Greek philosopher Epicurus writing about death.

He wrote:

Against all other things it is possible to obtain security, but when it comes to death we human beings all live in an unwalled city.

Anne Gisleson invited Katy into her Bywater, New Orleans home to discuss life, death, and how we make meaning along the way.

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

Episode 180: HURRICANE Nov 06, 2017

Show notes

Hurricane Nate missed New Orleans in October, but being in it's path brought about both fear and cultural revelation for new resident - our host Katy Sewall. It also brought about an unexpected interview with BBC radio.

BBC Radio 5 Live
Katy's most famous BBC News article: The girl who gets gifts from birds

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

Episode 179: DEATH (with Caitlin Doughty) Oct 29, 2017

Show notes

Mortician Caitlin Doughty joins us to talk about death practices around the world. Discover where you'd like to die and what countries deal with mortality best.

Caitlin Doughty Homepage
The Order of the Good Death

NEVER HEARD THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1:OUTSET

SPONSOR: Reach thousands of expats and travelers all over the world by sponsoring The Bittersweet Life. Write the at bittersweetlife@mail.com to get the conversation going.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or write us @ bittersweetlife@mail.com.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected