The Bittersweet Life

Oscar Wilde called it the "holiest place in Rome" and Percy Shelley said it would make someone apt to fall in love with death to think of being buried in so sweet a place...and not soon later he was buried there at only 29. But the most famous resident of Rome's Non-Catholic Cemetery is of course John Keats, who was interred there exactly 200 years ago today. Inspired by Katy's essay on his death...

Reading books can inspire you to travel, and travel can inspire you to read books. It's what we call a delicious cycle. Today we talk about the books (and other types of art) that have inspired not only particular trips, but the things that we have sought out when on that trip, or even things we have made a point to see in our own cities. But this inspiration goes both ways, and sometimes the thin...

On our "super secret" Truth or Dare episode from a few years ago (available only to our Patreon patrons and long-time donors), Katy did something incredibly scary, heart-poundingly so: she called someone she'd had a brief but electrifying encounter with—completely out of the blue, 20 years later. As a hint of what the bonus content that our patrons and regular donors receive every single month, we...

Some psychologists say that anticipation of a desired event can often bring more happiness than experiencing the event itself. And if that's the case, can we conclude that planning a trip is even more fun that actually taking the trip? Inspired by a recent article in the New York Times , Travel and the Art of Anticipation by Stephanie Rosenbloom, we muse about the so-called "happiness reset," the...

Every two weeks, an endangered language disappears from the planet, when the last person who speaks it dies. And one third of the world's languages are endangered. On this mini-episode, we talk about the world's languages that are most at risk of disappearing, and why you might want to learn one of them. If you're interested in learning an obscure or endangered language, check out these three   ar...

One of the greatest rewards of being an expat is mastering a foreign language. But what happens when you live in a foreign language so long, so cut off from your own culture, that you start to lose your fluency in your native tongue? Think it couldn't happen to you? Join us for a chat that might change your mind, and learn some Italian words in the process—ones that you might think you know, but t...

Today we continue our virtual walk through Rome, were we just happen to run into a few more world-famous authors. What are the odds? Katy's brilliant sound-mixing skills, Tiffany's knowledge of the Eternal City, and the commentary of some of today's most brilliant authors come together in one of our most delightful episodes of all time. If you haven't listened to Part 1 of this episode, make sure...

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, acr...

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. **This episode was sponsored by Clyde Hill Publishing — partner and publisher for founders, innovators, thinkers,...

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...

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 brilli...

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 ima...

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...

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...

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...

After the catastrophe that was 2020, we go back and listen to the resolutions we made one year ago. Did we manage to accomplish ANY of them? You'll have to listen to find out. We also make plans for the year ahead, and even dare to make a few resolutions, although we are humbled by the crazy year we've all just lived for and so are keeping our resolutions a bit less ambitious this year. ----------...

It's finally the end of 2020!! We made it! But the close of what many are calling the worst year in living memory won't be rung in as many people would like to: carousing and celebrating in the streets. Instead, most of us are stuck inside, especially those of us in Italy where curfews and lockdowns mean most people will be staying home. Tiffany and Katy talk about Rome's complicated and baffling...

Lots of out-of-work tour guides are now offering virtual tours of Rome (and, I imagine, cities all around the world), as a way to keep their businesses alive, keep their knowledge fresh, and help people who are stuck at home feel like they are traveling. But way back in April, while we were all stuck inside and not even permitted to go for a walk more than 200 meters from home (at least in Rome),...

It's Christmas Eve and Tiffany interviews one little child who is looking forward to the big day. Enjoy this mini-burst of holiday cheer and Merry Christmas from your friends at The Bittersweet Life. -------------------------------------- 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...

Just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping, the "world's librarian" Nancy Pearl , who is also a best-selling author herself, shares her favorite books for giving (or reading yourself) this holiday season (find titles and links below). Nancy also shares her advice for testing out a new friendship: give your new friend a book for Christmas, and whether they bother to read it (or love it or hate...

Katy catches up with Matthew P. Woerner, the writer and director of Monday's audio play "After Midnight," who also happens to be a childhood friend. On this mini-episode, they discuss their mutual love for old-time radio, and hypothesize on what makes radio theater unique. Matthew talks about his inspiration for "After Midnight," and how he got the radio bug. They also reminisce about their childh...

Get a cup of your favorite hot drink, find a cozy corner, and sit back and enjoy a totally different kind of show. Today we're  presenting a special radio play inspired by the Golden Age of radio drama, the very medium that made Katy fall in love with radio and go into a career as a public radio producer and podcaster. After Midnight was written and directed by Matthew P. Woerner, a childhood frie...

In a time when leisure travel (especially international leisure travel) is all but non-existent, some brave and insistent travel-lovers are going anyway. Today we chat with long-time listener and past guest Lynn Fortunato, who flew to Italy from her home in San Francisco just before the second wave hit, with a one-way ticket and not much of a plan. Hear in her own words her experiences with Italy'...

There are lots of new sights we are all quickly getting used to during this unprecedented time. People in masks, plexiglass partitions, ubiquitous hand sanitizer dispensers... but what about all the things we used to see everywhere that are now just gone? This week we remark on what sights have disappeared from our streets, and if they'll ever come back, which leads to a broader conversation about...

Winter can be long at the best of times. But during a pandemic with no end in sight, it can be brutal. Katy is joined briefly by author Jess Walter and the two try and come up with ways to get through this long, dark, and solitary winter. ** This episode was sponsored by Clyde Hill Publishing —partner and publisher for founders, innovators, thinkers, and tinkerers. Check out their latest release,...