The Bittersweet Life

Episode 596: Running to Somewhere vs Running Away

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our interview last week with brand-new expat Jennie Spohr brought up lots of thoughts and ideas on our part, so we've decided to weigh in together on ...

The Bittersweet Past: Are Expats Running away from Life? (with John Wynn)

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A common stereotype is that expats are maladjusted and running away from real life. But is it really true? In this episode from our archives, Katy Sew...

Bittersweet Moment #229: Back to School, Italian Style

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After a seeminly endless summer (nearly 3 and a half months!), Aurelio is finally back to school this week! In this informative mini-episode, Tiffany ...

Episode 595: Would You Move Abroad for Political Reasons? (with Jennie Spohr)

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are many reasons a family might choose to move abroad. In the case of Americans, that reason is generally motivated by a desire for adventure, c...

The Bittersweet Past: Why Change is Hard (with John Wynn)

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Life is full of major transitions. When Katy moved to Rome in 2013, then back to Seattle less than a year later, the transition was hard to say the le...

Bittersweet Peek: The After Report: Drama at the High School Reunion

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katy recently attended her high school reunion. In this bonus episode—available only to our Patreon supporters—she breaks down all the unexpected...

Episode 594: When in Rome

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard it. We've all said it. But what does "when in Rome" really mean?  Katy reveals the somewhat surprising origin of this ubiquitous catc...

Bittersweet Moment #228: The Storm Remade: Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty years ago, on August 29th 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The Category 5 storm and its aftermath devastated the city, and the conseque...

The Bittersweet Past: In Search of Continuity

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Tiffany's husband Claudio takes a photo with the karate instructor of his youth, Tiffany realizes that by being an expat, it can sometimes feel l...

The Bittersweet Past: I Saw the Sign

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever received a sign to do something? Did you listen to it? Do signs even exist?   What about bad and good omens? Are they real or a pr...

The Bittersweet Past: Back to Reality

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On last week's archive episode, we talked about fantasy, and the benefits and pitfalls of focusing on and working toward your personal fantasies. Bu...

The Bittersweet Past: Sometimes a Fantasy

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How much of life is us trying to fulfill the fantasies of our youth? And is there anything inherently wrong with weaving fantasies and attempting to...

The Bittersweet Past: The Infamous Hat Box Episode

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It began with a simple question: what's the most impractical thing you have ever traveled with? Little did we know it would turn into one of our favor...

Bittersweet Moment #227: Ferragosto and Italy's Universal August Holidays

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why does (seemingly) every single person in Italy go on vacation during the month of August? If you've ever visited Italy in the month of August, you'...

Episode 593: Are Italians Cheaters?

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What percentage of Italian men cheat? Is it really 100% like a family friend of Tiffany's smugly insisted when she first moved to Italy? Or is that ...

The BIttersweet Past: The Irresistible Call of Vietnam

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katy's father Dale and sister Sara join us on this episode from our archives to look back on their past family travels to Southeast Asia, specifically...

Bittersweet Peek: The First Pet

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's a common security question: What is the name of your first pet? Tiffany and Katy reminisce about the pets that they adopted and loved through...

Episode 592: The Horrors of Childhood

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can you remember the first time you were truly frightened—by a movie, a ghost story, or even a real event that you witnessed? On this episode, Katy ...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Florence, Memories, and A Room with a View

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this nostalgic episode from our archives, Tiffany regales Katy with the details of a recent trip to the cradle of the Renaissance, including specif...

Episode 591: Where Would You Go if You Had Six Months to Travel? (with Katy's sisters Dana and Sara)

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Where would you go if you only had about six months left before travel would be out of the question for health reasons? Most people will never be forc...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Katy Explores the Rich Culture of Bali

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a world that is becoming ever more homogenized, what sets places apart? What are the blaring indicators that communicate we are in a place vastly d...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Mom School

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

School is out in Italy, and the summer is LONG (not to mention, extremely HOT!) and a certain red-headed someone is refusing to go to summer camp. T...

Episode 590: How to Cultivate a Growth Mindset

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is a growth mindset and why would you want one? And perhaps more importantly, how do you cultivate one? To answer these questions, we dive back i...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Just Across the Border: Austria vs. Italy

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since July is a big month for travel, this month we are re-airing episodes from our archives every Friday that revisit trips we've taken in the past. ...

bittersweet Moment #226: Skip the Vatican (and Go Here Instead)

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rome is extremely hot and extremely crowded right now, and the Vatican Museums have become an almost unbearable place. Instead of spending a miserable...

Episode 589: Vision Boards Don't Work

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

...According to the latest brain science anyway. Katy discovered this provcative tidbit in Dr. Therese Huston's new book, Sharp: 14 Simple Ways to Imp...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Romance, for Expats

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you flirt in a foreign language? What if you barely speak the language in question? Is it easier to flirt with a foreigner than with someone ...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Opera in Italy Goes Viral

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A school initiative in Italy is bringing elementary school children and opera together in an ingenius way! On this bonus episode, available exclusiv...

Episode 588: Closets, and Other Things Italy Doesn't Have

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever noticed that Italian homes don't have closets? Bedroom closets, linen closets, broom closets, coat closets—they simply don't exist (un...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Complications of an Expat Divorce (with Debra Bruno)

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do expat couples divorce more than couples who live in their home countries? They certainly face different challenges. On this episode from our archiv...

Bittersweet Moment #225: Baffling Italian Beach Culture

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tiffany does not get Italian beach culture. In this candid (and a bit heated) mini-episode, she wonders: what's the appeal of overcrowded beaches, end...

Episode 587: Tears and Surprises at a Caravaggio Exhibit

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tiffany finally made it to Rome's epic 2025 Caravaggio exhibit and it was well worth the wait! (The tickets were also nearly as hard to come by as sea...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Should I Stay or Should I Go? (with Amy Knauff)

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Expat Amy has lived abroad since college. First in Italy, then in Nicaragua, then back to Italy. In this interview from our archives, we sat down with...

[PATREON PREVIEW] What Were Katy and Tiffany Like as Kid Travelers?

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After Monday's episode about traveling with teens, Tiffany and Katy continue the conversation on this bonus episode by turning the spotlight on themse...

Episode 586: A Sudden Lack of Interest: Traveling with Teens

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever traveled with a teenager? Or maybe you have travel memories of your teenage self? Were you as insufferable a traveler as teens these day...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Thrills and Pitfalls of Dating in a Foreign Country

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is dating harder when you're an expat? Is it easier? And does your gender make a difference? If an expat dates a local, does that improve their social...

Bittersweet Moment #224: Italy's Republic Day vs. the Fourth of July

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Americans show their patriotism on the 4th of July—Italians do it on the 2nd of June. But in very different ways! On this mini-episode, Tiffany talk...

Episode 585: Paris Vacation or Comedy of Errors?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tiffany and her family recently spend ten days in and around Paris, a city Tiffany has visited many times. Somehow, though—and to be fair, it was a ...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Rome's Best Restaurants, Gelato, and More

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As you know if you're a regular listener, our show goes a lot deeper than travel tips an "best of"s. Our weekly conversations explore many aspects of ...

[PATREON PREVIEW] You Can't Go Home Again

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this snippet from a recent bonus episode—available only to our supporters on Patreon—Tiffany reveals why she decided to cancel her trip back to...

Episode 584: First Communion, Thoughts on the New Pope, and other Memorial Day Happenings

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's Memorial Day in the States, Aurelio's First Communion in Rome, and the occasion for a catch-up on the latest happenings in our lives on this casu...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Unexpected Magic of Italy

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is there anywhere else on earth that offers as much sheer beauty as Italy? (We'd wager there isn't.) But in addition to Italy's undeniable beauty, it ...

Bittersweet Moment #223 Leo XIV is Elected the First American Pope

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did Tiffany manage to witness the white smoke at conclave 2025 and see the first appearance of Pepe Leo XIV—as she did in 2013 for the election of P...

Episode 583: When Traveling Solo is a Mistake (with Jennie Spohr)

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Solo travel... it can be inspiring, healing, life-changing... ...except when it isn't. Except when all it makes you is lonely and sad. Today we sit do...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Glorious Gardens of Rome

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 street...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Tiffany Lived with a Sociopath

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Tiffany first moved to Rome, she made a grave mistake. She paid several months' rent in advance to a seemingly kind man who rented out rooms in h...

Episode 582: The White Lotus Effect

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When did traveling stop being about the place you are visiting and instead become about you in that place? And how much do shows like The White Lotus ...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Fountains of Rome

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rome not only has more fountains than any city on earth, it also has the most beautiful ones, from the delicate Fountain of the Turtles (nispiration f...

Bittersweet Moment #222: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Conclave*

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*but didn't know who to ask. In today's mini-episode, Tiffany fills you in on the history of this fascinating election, unique in the wolrd, as well a...

Episode 581: Girl in Florence (with Georgette Jupe)

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like to move abroad, all the way from Texas to Florence, Italy, learn the language to perfection, and establish yourself there so fully that...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Four Seasons in Rome (with Anthony Doerr)

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special author interview pulled from our archives is Part 2 of our conversation with bestselling writer Anthony Doerr, author of Pulitzer Prize-w...

Bittersweet Moment #221: Wonders of the Capitoline Museums

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There's one museum in Rome that has it all—and it's not the Vatican.   The Capitoline Museums are comprised of a collection of nearly everythi...

Episode 580: Go Smell a Statue

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that ancient Roman statues used to smell like roses? Or that ancient temples and palaces used to be painted with bright colors? What othe...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST]: All the Light We Cannot See (with Anthony Doerr)

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this very special episode from our archives, we are joined by the award-winning, best-selling writer, Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Can...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Update on Katy's Sister Dana

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this bonus episode, available exclusively to our Patreon supporters, Katy gives an update on her sister Dana's stage 4 agressive brain cancer. Thi...

Episode 579: Are Romance Languages Sexist?

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are romance languages sexist? On this episode, we discuss the puzzling and seemingly discriminatory aspects of languages like Italian and French. For ...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Where Are all the Accordions?

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you come back after several years to a city where you used to live, what do you notice? What has change? What has stayed the same? What have you ...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Antico Caffè Greco: The Oldest Café in Rome

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Where did Lord Byron and Percy Shelley come to sip coffee while they jotted down their verses? Where did Bizet and Berlioz go to discuss their work? ...

Episode 578: Exploring Rome in the Deep Dark Night (A Sleep With Me crossover)

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Need help falling asleep?   That's not usually our forte—at least we hope it isn't!—but this week the legendary sleep-podcaster Drew Ackerma...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (with Lori Gottlieb)

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, therapist and bestselling author Lori Gottlieb joins us to talk about change, loss, self-examination...and when you should really talk to s...

Bittersweet Moment #220: A Walk Down Via Giulia

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For a leisurely stroll that is full of artistic gems and delightful curiosities hidden in plain —and somehow overlooked by tourists—join us for a...

Episode 577: Clive vs. Constance: An Unfortunate Journey Begins

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Bittersweet Life Podcast went on an unexpected and unprecedented month-long hiatus. As you can imagine, only something life-threatening could ha...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Underground (with Robert MacFarlane)

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we explore the underground world with Robert MacFarlane of Cambridge University in England. Robert is the best-selling author of Landmarks ...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Crying and Writing

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that your favorite podcast hosts are also writers? On this week's bonus episode—available exclusively to our supporters on Patreon—we...

Episode 576: Looking Back at the Covid Pandemic—Five Years Later

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Five years after the world came to a grinding halt—when Italy and shortly after much of the globe went into a full or partial lockdown—Katy and Ti...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] A Day in the Life under Lockdown, Part 2

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing our month-long look back at life during the initial outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are re-airing Part 2 of our peek into our lives—...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] A Day in the Life under Lockdown, Part 1

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who remembers what life felt like during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, when cities and entire countries were shutting down right and left? ...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Coronavirus Hits: Italy Locks Down, Part 2

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Exactly five years ago this month—March 2020—the world went through something that no one living had experienced in their lifetimes: a global epid...

Episode 575: An Unfortunate Announcement

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our regularly scheduled episode is going to be delayed this week. Katy makes a hard announcement on this much abbreviated episode to explain why The B...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Coronavirus Hits: Italy Locks Down, Part 1

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you remember what life was like during the first days and weeks of lockdown following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, almost exactly 5 years...

Bittersweet Moment #219: Beyond the Mouth of Truth: Exploring Santa Maria in Cosmedin

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody who visits Rome knows about the Mouth of Truth—and many of them line up for up to an hour (or more!) to stick their hand in its mouth and ...

Episode 574: Twelve Years a Pope

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just over 12 years ago, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis in the conclave of 2013. And Tiffany was in St. Peter's Square when it hap...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Science Behind Language Learning (with Lisa Wilcox)

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this eye-opening interview with special guest Lisa Wilcox, taken from our archives, we explore the science of language learning through linguistics...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Stupid Scars and Cool Diseases

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this bonus episode, available exclusively to our Patreon supporters, random questions like "What is your dumbest scar?" are answered by us with a ...

Episode 573: Getting Sick in Italy

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you get sick in Italy? How much does medical care cost? As an expat, how does the Italian medical system differ from that of the Uni...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Unexpected Trauma of Moving, Part 2

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katy moved to Rome once. Does that mean she'd be brave enough to do it again? Are you brave enough to move to a brand new city? What about a brand-new...

Bittersweet Moment #218: The Tempietto of Bramante

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this Bittersweet Moment, taken from our archives, Tiffany and Aurelio chat about their recent visit to one of Rome's most secret and best-hidden ge...

Episode 572: A Crazy Student Falls in Love with Italian (with Melissa Muldoon)

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever lost your mind over a foreign language? This week's guest, Melissa Muldoon, did just that over 15 years ago, when she dove head first in...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Unexpected Trauma of Moving, Part 1

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode from our archives, Tiffany and Katy both say goodbye to their old lives: Tiffany moves out of her Trastevere apartment and braves the ...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Aurelio Answers Your Questions

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this bonus episode, released exclusively for our Patreon supporters, we're joined by Tiffany's son, 9-year-old Aurelio—our redheaded mascot and ...

Episode 571: Why Women Love Italy (with Susan Van Allen)

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Author and Italy travel expert Susan Van Allen joins us today to talk about what she loves about Italy and why she believes the bel paese has particul...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] How Traveling Makes You Rude

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever walked into someone's house in Japan with your shoes on and had a room full of people laugh at you? (Katy has.) Have you ever traipsed i...

Bittersweet Moment #217: The Owl House of Villa Torlonia

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this mini-episode from our archives, Tiffany (and a 4-year-old Aurelio!) will fill you in on one of Rome's most delightful hidden gems: the Owl Hou...

Episode 570: An Irish-American Story (with Edward Burns)

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today Katy interviews actor, filmmaker, and author Edward Burns about his debut novel A Kid from Marlboro Road on the stage of Town Hall Seattle. Tune...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] The Repurposing of Rome

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we hit the streets of Rome with our recording equipment to search for ancient ruined artifacts or "spoglie" hidden in plain sight. Rome has...

[PATREON PREVIEW] A Lover of Legos and Tiny Cute Things

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What's going on in the life of The Bittersweet Life podcast's favorite 9-year-old redhead? On this exclusive bonus episode, Tiffany catches up our Pat...

Episode 569: To Cruise or Not to Cruise?

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To cruise or not to cruise? Most travelers have strong opinions about cruising, and can be easily divided into two factions: the cruise-lovers and the...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Raising a Bilingual Family

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Want to raise a bilingual child? Whether you are an expat or not, in a mixed-culture relationship or not, it is possible to raise your child in two (o...

Bittersweet Moment #216: The Route of the Seven Churches

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to do the Giro delle Sette Chiese, or the Route of the Seven Churches? And what does it have to do with Rome's newly inaugurated Jub...

Episode 568: The Benefits and Dangers of Being Stubborn

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is being stubborn a good thing or a bad thing? Tiffany has always considered it one of her best qualities, but after listening to last week's expat in...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Hitting an Expat Plateau

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode is inspired by a letter from one of our long-time listeners. Giovanna wonders what to do after hitting an "expat plateau," when th...

[PATREON PREVIEW] Disaster and Loss in LA

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's exlusive bonus episode, we talk about the catastrophic fires that are, as of recording time, still raging in the Los Angeles area, and...

Episode 567: What if Moving Abroad Isn't Great? (with Darlene Sullivan)

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You've dreamed of moving to Italy since you were 16 years old, and after years of scheming and planning, you finally made it happen. But... you're not...

[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Living Life in a Foreign Language

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how speaking a second or third language more often than your native tongue can reshape your thinking? In this episode from the ...

Bittersweet Moment #215: Rome's Jubilee Arrives!

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rome's Jubilee is here! And our Bittersweet Moments are back! (And you thought Christmas was over.) On this short-but-sweet mid-week mini-episode, Tif...

Episode 566: How to Move to Italy (with Thea Duncan)

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

  So you want to move to Italy but... HOW??? Today we are joined by a guest who happens to have all the answers. Thea Duncan is the self-desc...

Episode 565: Resolutions Old, Resolutions New

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 accom...

Episode 564: An Ever-Changing Holiday

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How much has Italian Christmas changed over the years? Turns out, even in the last ten years, since we began this show, the way Italians celebrate Chr...

Episode 563: How to Renovate a 17th-century Umbrian Villa (with Kaila Merrill)

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How many of us dream of living in a villa in the Umbrian countryside... but how many of us would quit our jobs and move abroad (not to mention do al...

Episode 562: Moving to Rome—Sight Unseen, Part 2 (with Brie Ripley and Ryan Sparks)

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last year we met Brie Ripley, a young newly married Seattlite who had moved to Rome for a job without ever having visited the city, or even the countr...