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The Bittersweet Life

The Bittersweet Life

Expat, Repat, Travel, Rome, Seattle, Books, Art, Italy, Wonder

Life doesn't have a script. At least, it doesn't have to. Hosts Katy Sewall and Tiffany Parks explore the challenges and joys of moving abroad and moving home. Whether you’re living overseas, or not — or not yet — join us weekly for unadulterated conversation. Get to know Rome. Laugh at our embarrassments and insights. Most of all, imagine the possibilities for your own life (and meet some famous authors along the way).
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Top 10 The Bittersweet Life Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Bittersweet Life episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Bittersweet Life for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Bittersweet Life episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Bittersweet Life - Episode 472: Melancholy March

Episode 472: Melancholy March

The Bittersweet Life

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03/20/23 • 28 min

It's spring at last, but early spring (and the month of March in particular) can mean different things to different people. For Katy in Seattle it's a time of constant rain and drizzle, for Tiffany in Rome it's one of most beautiful an temperate times of year, before the blistering heat of summer arrives.

But whether you love March or hate it, it's never easy when it seems like everyone you know is traveling and you are stuck at home. The reality of working from home is starting to get old. Katy and Tiffany discuss the pitfalls of leading a too home-based life, and think about what they can do to make daily life more fun.

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

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3 Listeners

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 510: The Ghosts of Us

Episode 510: The Ghosts of Us

The Bittersweet Life

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12/11/23 • 33 min

Have you ever wondered who you would be if you had made different life choices?

Even making just one big decision differently, say, not moving abroad instead of moving abroad. Or not leaving that stable job.

Where would you be in the world? What would you be doing? And most intriguingly, how would your personality and character be different?

Tiffany's most recent read, a ghost story by Henry James from this gorgeous edition, inspired this week's talk. Like Henry James' character Spencer Brydon, we go in search of the ghosts of our alternative selves.

***Have an idea you'd like us to tackle? Email us here and we may just discuss it on the show.***

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

2 Listeners

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 344: Shifting Goals

Episode 344: Shifting Goals

The Bittersweet Life

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11/30/20 • 35 min

We all make goals—or, at least most of us do—but what happens when we decide to scratch a goal off the list without ever completing it? Whether because we're simply not interested in having a particular experience anymore, our passions have led us in another direction, or we have (sob!) "aged out" of the possibility of achieving a dream, it's ok to change our minds. What we are determined to do when we're 14 (or 40) might not be what we were meant to do. This week we talk about how revising and changing our goals is a better strategy than sticking to something we may have outgrown.

**This episode was sponsored by Clyde Hill Publishing—partner and publisher for founders, innovators, thinkers, and tinkerers. Their newest release is Facing Death: Finding Dignity, Hope, and Healing at the End by former guest Jim DeMaine. You can purchase the book on Amazon, IndieBound, Bookshop.org, or at your favorite local bookstore.**

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

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2 Listeners

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The Bittersweet Life - Bittersweet Moment: #196: The Secrets of Podcasting
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03/02/23 • 11 min

What does it take to produce a professional-quality podcast? As in, what does it really take?

As you may know, Katy is a seasoned radio and audio professional, not just the host and mastermind of The Bittersweet Life. Today she lets you in on a few of her podcasting secrets, including a peek behind the curtain to what a piece of tape can sound like before she edits it, as well as practical advice on how to improve your speaking voice.

If you dream of starting your own podcast one day, don't miss this episode.

And bonus: this episode includes some absolutely infectious laughter by regular guest, Aurelio.

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

1 Listener

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 516: Post-Covid Social Woes
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01/22/24 • 36 min

Is it Covid or are we just getting older?

This week we discuss how the social world seems to have changed drastically in recent years—but is it due to this post-Covid era we're living in, or is it simply because we're getting older?

We wonder:

Is it acceptable now to simply not respond (indefinitely) to text messages? Even if they are from a close friend?

Is it normal to have a sudden social anxiety that you've never experienced before?

Is it easier to create a social circle in mid-life if you have children?

Have the rules of the social world changed because of the technological world we live in?

Listen in, and don't be shy if you have opinions on this matter—email us with your thoughts, we may just share it on a future episode!

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COME TO ROME WITH US: There are still spots left for our 2024 Rome listener trip! Join on for an intimate week in a gorgeous historic Trastevere hotel

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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

1 Listener

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You've all heard at least half a dozen times Tiffany's impressions on the differences (both great and small) between the US and Italy. But on this mini-episode, Aurelio weighs in with his observations after his recent visit to his second home country.

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

1 Listener

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 520: The Case Against Travel
play

02/19/24 • 41 min

Tell me about that trip that changed your life... and I'll tell you how you're lying to yourself.

So claims a recent essay in The New Yorker titled The Case Against Travel. In it, author Agnes Callard makes some pretty bold and sweeping assertions, including that travel "turns us into the worst version of ourselves while convincing us that we’re at our best."

Visiting a new place doesn't change the traveler, Callard argues, rather, the traveler changes the place.

While there's certainly a nugget of unpleasant truth in that, the idea that travel simply cannot change you is something both Katy and Tiffany know from experience to be untrue. We discuss and debate the article's points and come away with our own conclusions.

We'd love to hear your thoughts as will. Send your feedback here and we may share it on a future episode. And don't miss this probing discussion!

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

1 Listener

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 565: Resolutions Old, Resolutions New
play

12/30/24 • 54 min

It's that time of year again!

Every turn of the year, we look back at the resolutions we set for the previous year and discuss whether or not we accomplished them, or at least got close. This is often a very cringe-worthy exercise.

Undaunted by any failures, we also set resolutions for the coming year.

Don't miss this fun annual tradition!

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

1 Listener

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 488: Hanging Out with the Dead
play

07/10/23 • 34 min

Do dead bodies make you squeamish? Have you ever seen one up close?

For some, attending an open-casket funeral or a wake is as close as they'll ever come. For others, their career (funeral home director, embalmer, coroner...), close encounters with the dead are a regular fact of life.

Then there are Romans, who, whether they notice it or not, are never very far away from a corpse—dead bodies of popes on full display in St. Peter's, graves are underfoot more often than not, and skulls and bones can pop up where you least expect them.

Today we talk about what it's like to hang out with the dead.

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

1 Listener

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The Bittersweet Life - Episode 442 [Summer in Rome]: The Glorious Gardens of Rome
play

08/22/22 • 27 min

Little known fact: Rome is the city in Europe with the most green space per capita!

It's true, Rome is not all crumbling ruins and crowded city streets. The city is bursting with parks and gardens, true urban oases that often have centuries-old histories.

Katy and Tiffany visit one such garden on this episode, the Roseto Comunale, Rome's municipal rose garden, on a hot May day when the roses are in spectacular bloom. What follows is a chat about some of the most beautiful gardens in the city, and why green spaces are such an integral, albeit little-known, part of Rome's city life.

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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 monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more.

TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.

START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.

SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.

WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!

NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET

BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.

TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Bittersweet Life have?

The Bittersweet Life currently has 796 episodes available.

What topics does The Bittersweet Life cover?

The podcast is about Expat, Language, Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Art, Italy, Writing, Italian, Author, Nomad, Podcasts, Books, Book, Arts, Travel, Seattle and Authors.

What is the most popular episode on The Bittersweet Life?

The episode title 'Episode 472: Melancholy March' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Bittersweet Life?

The average episode length on The Bittersweet Life is 27 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Bittersweet Life released?

Episodes of The Bittersweet Life are typically released every 4 days.

When was the first episode of The Bittersweet Life?

The first episode of The Bittersweet Life was released on Mar 18, 2014.

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