The Bittersweet Life

The lockdown in Italy continues on the second part of Monday's episode, and as each moment passes, lockdown looms across the United States and the world. Tiffany shares some tips with Katy and our listeners for what to expect when their own quarantine inevitably arrives. She also explains why Italians aren't hoarding toilet paper, and together they ponder the cultural benefits of a world-wide plag...

Italy is on lockdown. No going out except for basic necessities for medical reasons—or work if you absolutely cannot work from home. How is Tiffany coping? How is she staying sane, keeping her four-year-old entertained, and resisting tearing her husband limb from limb? We check in with Tiffany on today's episode, and hear from Katy how Seattle is responding to the rapid spread of coronavirus in Wa...

How are Italians reacting to the strict restrictions now in place during the unprecedented Italy lock down? Are they exhibiting their characteristic "furbizia" to get around the rules? Or is the country pulling together and making the necessary sacrifices to slow the spread of Coronavirus? We discuss in our second mini-episode of the week. We also touch on some of the financial repercussions that...

In the wake of the country-wide lock-down of Italy due to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, we are putting two mini-episodes this week! On this first update, we check in about what exactly the "red zone" decree of Italy means, what life is like, and what we can expect from the coming days and weeks. --------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and trav...

Tiffany and Katy are both living in two of the epicenters of the devastating coronavirus, Italy and Washington State. This week, they chat about their parallel but distinct experiences, how the spread of the virus is affecting their lives, what like is life in their cities, and their uncertainty about the future. Katy proposes that it might be the ideal moment for a Roman holiday. Note: This episo...

How do you get a literary agent? For many aspiring writers, it can seem like an impossible task, and yet it's a necessary step on the road to getting your book published. But with agents receiving literally hundreds of queries per day, how can you possibly get noticed? Tiffany has a better way. Earlier this year, Tiffany was awarded a prestigious fellowship by the PEN America literary organization...

A globe-trotting rare bird egg thief, a detective hell bent on protecting the world's birds of prey, and a writer who stitches it all into a brilliant story. Today we talk to that very writer, Joshua Hammer, who also happens to be an expat living in Berlin with his family. The Falcon Thief: A True Tail of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird "whisks readers from the volcanoes of...

If you could have an encounter with any animal in the wild, which would you pick? For author and actress Jane Alexander, it was the exotic Himalayan Monal pheasant. She got her wish in the mountains of Bhutan and told Katy about it.  On Monday's episode we talked about quests, and Katy mentioned she'd like to embark on a quest that has to do with seeing animals in the wild, and that made her think...

What's the difference between a goal and a quest? This week, Tiffany and Katy discuss what goes in to embarking on a quest, and why you would want to go on one. Tiffany (who famously loves a challenge) sets down her own definition of a quest, as well as why she believes the fun is not in the completion of it. They also brainstorm strategies for choosing the perfect quest, and how intentionality pl...

It's Carnevale here in Rome, and before you say—why don't you go celebrate in Venice?—you should know that Carnevale originated in Rome. In this week's Bittersweet Moment, Tiffany recounts the ancient origins of this raucous pre-Lenten festival, what it was like to take part in Carnival in Rensaissance times, and how it's celebrated today. (Warning: this episode may make you drool.) Places mention...

Do you know your personality type? On this week's episode, Katy sits down with personality consultant Leslie McDaniel, who diagnoses Katy's personality type through a series of probing and sometimes difficult questions. Leslie believes that knowing your personality type—specifically the Myers-Briggs Type indicator—can help you reach your full potential, and it might even help you determine what ki...

We've had some fascinating guests over the past six years of this podcast, and to celebrate our exciting 300-episode milestone, this Bittersweet Moment takes a look back at just a few of our very favorites. In this mini-episode, you'll hear why most of us remember a tree from our childhood, how one of today's most popular authors fights his way to joy over pain in his writing, and get insight into...

Two countries, six years, 300 episodes! On this week's episode, The Bittersweet Life podcast reaches a major milestone! To  commemorate this important number, we look back on 300 episodes: highlights, bloopers, tears (mostly Katy's), laughter, our most famous young guest, and a few of the best Aurelio appearances. This week we not only a look back at some of our best episodes, but we also offer a...

Visit Rome in the footsteps of Raphael, just in time for the 500th anniversary of his death. Many art historians date the unofficial end of the Renaissance as 6 April 1520, the day the great Raphael Sanzio left the earth. He was only 37 years old. But despite his short life, he had a massive artistic output. A whopping 100 of his works (paintings and sketches) will be on display at a once-in-a-lif...

Italy is a historically corrupt country, so much so that many Italians roll their eyes at anyone naive enough to trust their own government. Is that where the US is heading? On this episode, Tiffany and Katy discuss how a country can begin a slow slide into corruption, what it looks and feels like, and what (if anything) can be done to stop it. Tiffany also shares her worry (for the first time eve...

Sagittarius or Scorpio, Leo or Libra, visit Rome based on your sign. In this mini-episode, Tiffany tells you what to see and do in Rome based on the traits of your zodiac sign. **Links to some of the places mentioned in the episode:** Rome's Michelin-starred restaurants Leonardo Da Vinci Experience  – Via della Conciliazione, 19 Alina Vicente FotoEmozioni (Rome-based family photographer) Bibliotec...

Katy's father and sister join us this week to look back on their family travels to Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. Katy, who was not a travel-lover as a younger person, asks her dad if he invited her to join him on his trips there in order to expand her world through travel. His answer surprises her. Dale Sewall explains why he's been drawn to Vietnam for more than half his life, and he desc...

Michigan, Minnesota, Montana... oh my! Katy's sister and father have lived, respectively, in some of the snowiest places in the US. What do they think about the snow nostalgia that plagues so much of the non-snowy world? Do they agree with the theory that people who are "dreaming of a white Christmas" or joyfully singing "Let it Snow" are actually people who've never had to deal with the grim real...

Most people either love snow or hate it. How much of that depends on where you live and how much snow you see in a typical year? Or maybe our love of snow is determined by how much it gets in the way of our day-to-day lives? A recent snowstorm hitting Seattle—a city that doesn't see snow often and is ill-equipped to handle it—inspired this episode that looks at the fluffy white stuff, and why peop...

There's nothing like curling up in your favorite armchair and traveling the world via an amazing book. But what about when the shoe is on the other foot? What about the writers who must craft stories that bring these exotic cities and countries to life? How do they go about it? On this week's mini-episode, Katy interviews Jess Walter, best-selling author of Beautiful Ruins and We Live in Water: St...

Most book-lovers would agree that reading is the best way to travel without leaving the comfort of your favorite armchair. This week, Katy sits down with librarian and world-famous book expert Nancy Pearl to discuss what makes a book a great armchair travel read, as opposed to simply a book set in an unfamiliar place. Listen all the way to the end to hear Nancy's scandalous and controversial strat...

So you set yourself a bunch of New Year's resolutions and now you're on your way to Rome. How in the world are you going to keep them? Do you even want to try? Well, we've got good news for you! This week's mini-episode is all about how to keep your New Year's Resolutions while in Rome! Want to save money? Eat healthy? Get active? Learn a new language? You've come to the right place. -------------...

What are your resolutions this year? And did you get your resolutions done last year? We start every year with our Resolutions episode, where we look back on last year's accomplishments (or non-accomplishments, as the case may be), and look ahead with ambition (if you're Tiffany) or playfulness and curiosity (if you're Katy) to what we want to do or change in the year ahead. Tune in to find out if...

What did Shakespeare think about his own mortality? Is it possible to discern how he felt about death from his writing? We explore the intersection of art and death in this special presentation of the pilot to non-starter podcast In Black Ink that Katy created years before The Bittersweet Life . In it, she talks with Richard E. T. White and Amy Thone, both veteran Shakespearean actors, directors,...

Has Christmas lost its magic now that you're all grown up? Katy and Tiffany brainstorm ways to bring that holiday magic back even if you don't believe in Santa anymore. Katy tells the story of the time she played Santa's secret helper to someone she barely knew and they muse on those magical moments when heaven and earth seem closer than usual. ---------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WI...