The Bittersweet Life

Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you try it! Just use the  coupon code: MANGIA **** Sometimes a person comes into your life—just a chance encounter—and yet you never forget them. Maybe their impact is strong, maybe it's insignificant, yet for some reason, the memory of that person...

Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you try it! Just use the  coupon code: MANGIA **** Planning a trip to Rome? Use your Chinese horoscope sign as a guide to plan your itinerary. What animal are you? A snake, a dragon, a rat, a dog? Listen to episode 204 of The Bittersweet Life podcas...

Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you try it! Just use the  coupon code: MANGIA **** An overheard conversation between two American students in Rome causes Katy to reflect on the idea of pretension. Why do some expats—even those who have only lived in a place for a few months—tend t...

Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you try it! Just use the  coupon code: MANGIA **** Katy and Tiffany reunite in Rome for the first time in two and a half years to kick of Season 5 of The Bittersweet Life. Tiffany talks about her recent trip to the States, including her book tour to...

Traveling alone to Nice, France helped former public radio host, Steve Scher , overcome a long-held hangup from high school. Has traveling helped you shed a negative belief about yourself? Steve worked side-by-side with host Katy Sewall for 9 years at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle. Now they are both on a quest for discovery and wonder. The two friends meet-up in Seattle for today's long-promised ep...

We explore the concept of synchronicity live on stage in Seattle. We also take audience questions as we celebrate the 200th episode of The Bittersweet Life podcast and the release of Tiffany Parks ' new book  Midnight in the Piazza .  WATCH! See the VIDEO of the live show!   COVID-19 keeping you home? Explore SpotMe to create your own virtual event! **** SPONSOR! Reach expats and future expats liv...

When it comes to gender roles, are Italians more conservative than other parts of the world? If a Italian marries an expat are they non-traditional? That... and Italian Easter traditions!  Tiffany's article:  Are Italian Women really Unhappy?   Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you...

Today we learn to write micro-memoirs. These are short stories that really capture the essence of an experience, sometimes in just one sentence. Whether you write a blog, post on Instagram, or just want to process the details of your day-to-day life in a new way, this show will give you fun exercises to try. Our guest is Beth Ann Fennelly , author of  Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs .  She's a...

Tiffany's first book, Midnight is the Piazza , is out! We talk about what it is like to achieve a long-held goal, and how to start writing if you want to but you're stalled.  Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you try it! Just use the  coupon code: MANGIA Check out  Estrella Gomez (*...

When you travel, do you always go somewhere new, or do you revisit the same places again and again? What personality factors determine whether you prefer novelty or familiarity on the road? Host Tiffany Parks thinks life is short and the world is big. Why wouldn't you try to see as much as possible? Host Katy Sewall prefers returning to already visited locations. Is Tiffany just a bolder traveler?...

How does violence in Italy compare to gun violence in the United States? We discuss guns, international gun regulations, and the privilege of living in less armed countries.   Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off when you try it! Just use the  coupon code: MANGIA LIVE SHOW IN SEATTLE! On  F...

If you're planning a trip to Rome with kids, this is the episode for you. Lots of fun, spooky ideas to keep kids and teens entertained in the eternal city. But, adults! You'll love this too. These ideas are pretty fun for us grownups too.  Thanks to Stackry.com for supporting this program. Shop at any US retailer and ship anywhere for less money. Bittersweet Life listeners  get 10% off! Just use t...

Planning a trip to Rome? Today we explore the lesser known gems of the city. These are amazing places tourists often miss (though they shouldn't). Listening will make your trip is incredible. And if you're not planning a trip, this will be like traveling to Rome at home.   LIVE SHOW! MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On  Friday, March 16, 2018, we celebrate the release of Tiffany's book  Midnight in the Piazza...

What determines the pace of your life? Is it the city you live in? How many connections you have? What happens when you live in a country with a slower pace than you're used to? Hosts Tiffany Parks and Katy Sewall discuss. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On  Friday, March 16, 2018, we celebrate the release of Tiffany's book  Midnight in the Piazza   with a live performance of The Bittersweet Life in Seattle....

"How does one choose their path without regrets?" That's one big question circling through listener Darlene's head as she listens to The Bittersweet Life podcast . Is the expat life for the unattached? Can it be too late to move? Are artist-types always dissatisfied? Katy and Tiffany debate these huge concepts and attempt to give some good advice. If you have a question or a topic you want us to a...

Dreaming of moving abroad but love your job? We discuss the hazards of giving up your career. Tiffany also gives listener Darlene practical tips to keep in mind when moving to Rome, Italy. Future expats, this is the show for you.  Thanks for textile designer Darlene in Brooklyn, NY for writing the letter that prompted this conversation. If you have questions you want us to debate --  WRITE US!  Se...

How important are the decorations around you? Travelers frequently live in environments designed by other people. Some people can work anywhere, but for others, aesthetics are really important.  While moving to San Francisco, host Katy Sewall realized her productivity suffered from living in uninspired temporary housing. Decorating styles differ from country to country too. Host Tiffany Parks isn'...

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...

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...

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...

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 m...

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...

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 -...

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, mor...

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 creati...