The Bittersweet Life

Learning a foreign language is one of the most desired goals most people have—and that's particularly true for travel lovers. But why do so many people fail in this quest? Today we use linguistics and speech pathology to think about learning languages with special guest Lisa Wilcox. Sound boring? Turns out, it is actually really funny. *** This episode was sponsored by LUGZ, offering comfortable,...

The Borgias are one of the most fascinating and depraved families in Italian history, and they ruled the Catholic Church. This family has been portrayed in two recent tv shows, but what's the true story? Did they really engage in incest? Did Cesare really murder his brother Juan? Was Lucrezia an over-sexed poisoner or an innocent victim of her family's ambition, or somewhere in between? And what a...

We often talk about North American expats in Europe or Asia. But what about when the shoe is on the other foot? Today we talk to Sabine, a French expat living in New Orleans. Do Americans need more positive feedback than the French? Sabine explains the communication issues she faces with her American husband. Also, what do her French friends think of her decision to move the the United States? Wou...

We all have fantasies when we're young about how we want our life to turn out. Some are far-fetched, some are probably doable. But ow much of life is us trying to fulfill the fantasies of our youth? And what do we do when those fantasies go unfulfilled? Do we look back with regret, or do we just create new ones? ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats,...

Writing while traveling. Many of us do it. Professor Daniel Butterworth teaches us how to do it better. Whether journaling is the way you document your travels, you're an aspiring travel writer, or you're working on a new book, you can't miss this episode. Show correction: Ghirlandaio painted the Santa Maria Novella frescoes Dan refers to, not Brunelleschi. ------------------------------------- AD...

What mistakes do museum visitors make? Tiffany Parks, a regular museum visitor and someone who has led tours through the Vatican Museums upwards of a thousand time, shares her expert tips to make your museum visit more enjoyable. We also debate which is better, taking pictures of everything or putting the camera away and living in the moment? ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US...

Can you travel across nine time zones without more than a day's worth of jetlag? Tiffany is convinced that you can (without taking any pills). After decades of making regular trips across the ocean (at least until 2020), she's got the avoidance of jetlag down to an art—even little Aurelio never suffers from it. Claudio on the other hand, well... he doesn't listen to her advice, so it takes him sev...

Did you hear about the doctor who unknowingly bought an original Caravaggio painting at an estate sale? Yes. That happened. Today we talk not only about this unbelievable story, but also about the allure of estate sales. Katy adores them. Tiffany's never been to one. What is it that intrigues Katy so much about them, and what was her one regret after buying a dead woman's most beloved position, a...

Everyone has their favorite book, author, or series, but when children fall in love with a book, that love can border on obsession. (And how lovely that is to witness!) Of course all demographics, from toddlers to great-great-grandmothers, can count Harry Potter mega-fans in their numbers, but for kids, that Harry Potter magic was extra special. Today, we re-air a bit of tape Katy captured way bac...

Inspired by a passage in the book  Outline by Rachel Cusk, today we discuss the complexity of living life in two (or more!) languages, and if you can truly be yourself in every language you speak. Are you a different person when you speak a second language? Does it depend on at what age you start to learn the second language, or how well you speak it? And, intriguingly, does the way a language sou...

It's the biggest soccer (aka football) (aka calcio) match of the year as Italy faces off against England in the European Cup. But who do cheer for if you're an Englishwoman living in Italy for more than half your life, with an Italian husband and two half-Italian kids? To find out, we chat with Julia Charity, a thoroughly English tour guide who has called Italy home for more than two decades. List...

Are you someone who has a hard time when things come to an end? Even when what's coming next might be just as good, if not better? Or possibly even when what is ending was never very good in the first place? Tiffany and Katy are both prone to nostalgia over endings, and as Aurelio finishes up Kindergarten or "Scuola Materna" as it's called in Italy, Tiffany begins to feel a pervading sadness over...

We hear from five-year-old Aurelio and his friend Jacopo on their very last day of Kindergarten—are they feeling the same sense of nostalgia that Tiffany's feeling, or are they just thrilled it's finally summer vacation? Also, Tiffany explains what preschool and Kindergarten are like in Italy, and how those very first years of school differ from their American counterparts. **This episode was spon...

Are you a person who always travels to a new place? Or do you prefer to revisit the same place over and over? Today we explore the value of going to the same place again and again. We discuss how going deeper into the culture of a place and getting to know its people on an intimate level can only come after prolonged or repeated visits, as well as the impact this kind of travel can have on our liv...

Last week Katy regaled listeners with the story of her adventure aboard the Sea Star, a 1965 classic yacht, and her experiences cruising the inland passage from Seattle to Alaska. If you haven't listened yet, you can catch that episode here . In this mini-episode, she answers questions about this unforgettable trip, from practical things like what they ate, what the motor sounded like, and where t...

What do you do when your partner of almost a decade—and husband of only a few short months—tells you he thinks you made a mistake in getting married? Well, if you're today's guest, you pack your bags and start traveling the world. You might never even come back. Today we sit down with Asia Dawn Simonell i, who's unexpected heartbreak made her realize that life is too short and uncertain to do anyt...

To conclude our series of wedding-related mini-episodes, Tiffany regales you with the most common traditions and rituals surrounding weddings that took place in Ancient Rome. What words did the bride and groom recite to each other at the moment of marriage? What color was the bride's veil (and her shoes)? What did the bride, groom, and guests do after the wedding dinner? Find out all this and more...

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 stretc...

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 newlywed...

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...

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...

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...

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 traditio...

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...

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 vigilanc...