The Bittersweet Life

When Tiffany's mom (and Aurelio's Nana) came to Rome for a visit over Easter, they didn't tell Aurelio that his cousin Parker was coming too.  It was a surprise they kept for months (and almost spilled more than once!) but it was worth it. On this mini-episode, hear Aurelio's reaction when he discovers his adored cousin has come to surprise him. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH...

What's it like to be a tour guide in Rome? How do you break into the business? And how do you learn all the facts, much less put them together to make a coherent, enjoyable tour that lasts just the right amount of time? On this episode, Katy grills Tiffany on her over 15 years' experience as a tour guide in Rome, the challenges, the rewards, and the best part of all: taking our podcast listeners o...

After our interview with Andrea Scher , author of Wonder Seeker , Katy is inspired to play a game that Andrea invented and outlines in her book. It's a storytelling game that has the intention not of trying to tell the most amazing and entertaining story, but to allow yourself to be completely spontaneous, to connect with the people around you, and get to know each other better. Listen to Katy tel...

What is wonder? And how does it affect your life? Perhaps most importantly, what can we do to harness it? Today we are joined by Andrea Scher, author of Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy , a playful, practical, and effective guide to finding wonder and joy in your daily life. Andrea's passion and life's work is to cultivate a sense of wonder, and to help others do...

According to legend, the city of Rome was founded on 21 April 753 BC. That means today is Rome's 2775th birthday! On this mini-episode, Tiffany tells a very brief version of the founding myth of ancient Rome, and explains some of the events that take place in the city on this day, from historical reenactments at the Circus Maximus to an amazing solar phenomenon at the Pantheon. -------------------...

We have news! Katy is on her way back to Rome—for the first time in over four years! She's traveling to Rome partly for vacation, and partly to get out on the streets with Tiffany and make some episodes in the wild! This exciting development sparks a conversation about returning to places we know well or where we once lived after a long absence. Some places have changed so much since we've been th...

Rome is the center of the Christian world, and therefore, Easter is a BIG DEAL here. (The Pope lives here, after all!) In this mini-episode, Tiffany lays out all the most important traditions of a Roman Easter, including how to see the Pope, what to eat, what to wear, what the Easter bunny will bring, and—perhaps most importantly—what to do on Easter Monday (Pasquetta)! ---------------------------...

We all know what synonyms are, and probably antonyms too. But have you ever heard of contronyms? Tiffany and Katy have a little fun playing with these controdictory words, which launches a discussion on learning a foreign language, including what makes learning English hard, and how it differs from a language like Italian. Tiffany also reveals the one Italian gramatical rule she still can't wrap h...

We recently challenged you to send us sounds you love, or even familiar everyday sounds that elicit a positive feeling or a sense of anticipation. To show you how many sounds surround you, Katy takes you on an audio tour of her office. Don't forget to send in your favorite sounds so we can incorporate them into an upcoming show! Just capture them on your voice recording app and send them to us at...

Traveling all alone... does sound like a nightmare or a dream? Or perhaps the idea intrigues you but you're a little too scared to try it. Thanks to a listener question, we delve into the realities of solo travel on this episode, the good, the bad, the perks, the challenges, the dangers, and the unexpected joys. We also share some of the wonderful and not-so-nice things that have happened to us on...

Who can say no to amazing works of art that you can see for free? If you've been paying attention, you know we started this series of mini-episodes with free paintings , ogling works by Pinturicchio, Raphael, Caravaggio and many more; then we feted Michelangelo and Bernini in our episode on statues;  then we fed our pupils on glittering mosaics .  This week we continue our exploration of free art...

Katy's New Year's resolution to go horseback riding (and specifically to gallop) inspired her to interview Mary Anne Campbell, a trainer and master of the art of French classical equitation. Mary Anne tells the long and fascinating history of horse riding and horse training, before embarking on a conversation that sparks larger questions about life. She talks about what horses and humans have in c...

Veteran KUOW sound engineer and long-time colleague of Katy, Doug Patterson passed away this month. Much of the work that Katy created over her public radio career was made possible by Doug's technical abilities. She was asked to create an audio obituary for him, a project she accepted with a trepidation, considering her long professional relationship with him. In doing so, she got to know her for...

Ever had a souvenir that you' grew to hate? Something that you'd love to get rid of, but can't bear to because you carried it across the world? Or what about the things you wish you had bought, but didn't? Objects that—whether because they were too expensive, too impractical, or simply too hard to get home—you failed to buy and have always regretted it? For this conversation about the souvenirs we...

We had so many listeners send us feedback about Monday's episode on the challenges of maintain long-term friendships when you live abroad for a significant amount of time, so we decided to share a few on this mini-episode. Make sure you listen to Monday's episode first, then tune in to hear what a few of our listeners had to add to the conversation, including a bit of advice from an expat who has...

When you're a longtime expat, do your friends back home move on? Expats often make friends with other expats in their adopted country. That can be great, but it also means that it's very likely that your new friends will, sooner or later, move away and you'll be back to square one. It's typical, therefore, for expats to consider their friends back home as their "real friends." But do those same fr...

If you like podcasts (and we assume you do if you're listening to this one), you know how powerful the human voice can be. While we love getting letters and emails from our listeners—and we often read them on the show—there's something even more special about getting a voice message. Today we share one we recently received from a new mom and expat living in Casablanca, Morocco, telling us a bit ab...

Formerly close but now estranged siblings, two girls with a passion for swimming in the sea, a death that reveals long hidden secrets, a voice message from beyond the grave, and a tradtional Caribbean cake that ties it all together. These are the ingredients for Black Cake , the bestselling new novel by Charmaine Wilkerson, who joins us on the show today. In this fascinating author interview, we t...

Love medieval mosaics? Then you're in luck as Tiffany continues her Free Art in Rome's Churches series with a mini-episode all about mosaics— which Roman churches they call home. From the Paleochristian mosaics at Santa Costanza to the innovative late-medieval mosaics by Pietro Cavallini in Santa Maria in Trastevere, follow Tiffany on a tour of these glimmering glories of the Middle Ages in Rome....

How long do you have to live outside your own country before your patriotism starts to fade? How long do you have to be an expat or immigrant before hearing your home country bashed doesn't phase you? For Tiffany, the answer is at least more than 17 years. Even though she's called Italy home for over 17 years now, when she heard someone at the hair salon disparaging the entire population of the US...

On Monday we talked about Italian espresso , and what an integral part of Italian culture it is. In the same vein, Katy describes the unique coffee shop culture of Seattle in the 1990s—a far cry from the sterile, uniform, laptop-laden Starbucks of today. In their heyday, Seattle's iconic coffee shops were gritty, smoky, filled with grunge music (often live), and the place where Katy spend many lon...

What makes Italian espresso different from American coffee? Perhaps more to the point, what makes it better ? And what separates good espresso from great espresso? Today we are joined by author and Italian espresso expert Wendy Pojmann to talk about all things caffè. An American professor and historian, Wendy was in Italy to do research, and every time she stopped for her morning espresso, she rea...

Only in Rome can you stumble upon a Michelangelo sculpture in a church hardly any tourists visit. A few weeks ago we talked about some of the most artistically important frescoes and oil paintings that you can find and admire (for free!) in Rome's churches. (Listen here !) Today, Tiffany takes you on another tour of Rome's churches, this time in search of sculptures of high artistic value. Discove...

Tiffany gives you the low-down on Rome's neighborhoods, particularly from the expat perspective. Which neighborhoods are the prettiest? Where are they located? How high are the living expenses there and what kind of expat (typically) lives there? Also—what's the most important landmark in each neighborhood and what kind of food can you get there? We answer all these questions and more. If you're p...

This week, Tiffany and Aurelio brave the distance learning trenches! What's it like for a six-year-old who has only just started school to attend class via Zoom? How does distance learning in Italy (aka DAD) differ from its American counterpart? But most importantly, what is a testuggine, and why does Aurelio love them so much? We answer these questions on this week's mini-episode. ---------------...