The Bittersweet Life
Episodes
Episode 470: In Praise of Italian Disorganization
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Italians love to complain about how disorganized everything is in Italy, but deep down, do they actually like it? A chance conversation Tiffany had la...
Bittersweet Moment: #196: The Secrets of Podcasting
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 prof...
Episode 469: Can You Move to Italy without Speaking Italian?
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to move to Italy without speaking Italian? Can you find a job in Italy without speaking Italian? Can you make friends? This week we tac...
Bittersweet Moment #195: What Else to See in Florence
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You've seen the David, you know all about the Duomo, and the Uffizi is just to crowded... What else is there to see in Florence? As it turns out, a lo...
Episode 468: Florence, memories, and A Room with a View
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today The Bittersweet Life pops off to Florence, or at least, Tiffany regales Katy with the details of her recent trip to the cradle of the Renaissanc...
Bittersweet Moment #194: Observing while Overlooked
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a discussion about how living in a foreign country can sometimes make you feel like you're completely overlooked and even invisible, Katy shares...
Episode 467: The Overlooked Outsider
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we start the episode with a clip of comedy writer David Sedaris talking about his experiences as an expat, someone who, as he says, "doesn't cou...
Bittersweet Moment #193: Stop Taking My Picture!
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday we talked about the risks of missing out on important moments because we are too busy photographing them to actually live them, and in parti...
Episode 466: Turn Your Camera Around
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Once upon a time, we took pictures in order to remember our travels—now we travel in order to get good pictures... so we can share on social media. ...
Bittersweet Moment #192: Gifting Someone their Past
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The art of letter-writing is not lost! Not if you, like Katy, choose to keep it alive. On this mini-episode, we hear from Katy's mom, who describes an...
Episode 465: You Will Never See it Again
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's something poignant about knowing that you will never see a particular painting again, even if you don't even really like that painting. Today,...
Bittersweet Moment #191: The Horror and Misery of a Brand-new Expat
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we time-travel back to 2004 when Tiffany was a newly arrived expat in Rome. Believe it or not, those first few weeks and months were not exactly...
Episode 464: Diving into the Past through Journals and Letters
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you brave enough? Why is it that reading one of your old journals can be so terrifying—or often so cringe-worthy, depending on how far back it g...
Bittersweet Moment #190: Journaling with Seagulls, Sharks, and Desmond Tutu
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Would ever read excerpts of your personal journal live on air? That's what Katy's doing on this mini-episode. She cracks opens some of her old journal...
Episode 463: What Do I Do with All those Journals?
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks we did an episode about downsizing, inspired by a voice message sent in by a listener. We both love the idea of downsizing and the topi...
Bittersweet Moment #189: Baptized by the Pope
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every year in January, the pope baptizes a group of lucky babies—the offspring of his employees born in the previous six months—and he does it in ...
Episode 462: Promises Kept and Promises Broken
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's our first new full episode of 2023, so of course we're here to share our New Year's Resolutions with you! We also listen back to last year's reso...
Bittersweet Moment #188: Aurelio's New Year's Resolutions
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when kids make New Year's Resolutions? Find out on today's mini-episode when we're joined by Aurelio to hear if he has set any resolution...
Episode 461: What Did We Promise to Do Last Year?
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of year again! Ready or not, it's time to listen back at our New Year's Resolutions from last year. Most people don't even consider the...
Bittersweet Moment #187: Holiday Time Travel to 2013
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of our Christmas week break, we bring you an episode from way, way back in time. Holidays was taped all the way back in December 2013, althou...
Episode 460: A Radio Play for Christmas – A Gift (with Matthew P. Woerner)
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the spirit of Christmas, we've decided to take the week off (shocking, we know!) so in lieu of a new episode this week, we are re-airing on of our ...
Bittersweet Moment #186: A Holiday Greeting from Katy and Tiffany
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your friends at the Bittersweet Life! Enjoy this festive greeting from your devoted podcast hosts! -----------...
Episode 459: Underestimated
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who says you can only excel at one thing? Lots of people it turns out. As Katy is focusing more of her time and effort on her writing career, certain ...
Bittersweet Moment #185: World Cup Fever with Aurelio
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is it about little Italian boys that made them adore calcio (aka soccer, if you're in America), (aka football, if you're anywhere else) so much? ...
Episode 458: Downsizing
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you feel the need to cull your belongings, either because you're planning a big move, moving to a smaller space, or just feel you have too much stu...
Bittersweet Moment #184: Get Writing!
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is writing one of the things that you are hoping to do more of in the new year? Are you a writer who feels blocked? Or, regardless of your preferred c...
Episode 457: Longing and Feasting
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Tiffany described her struggles and misadventures to recreate a traditional Thanksgiving meal in her adopted country (listen to that mini-episode...
Bittersweet Moment #183: The Hazards of an Expat Thanksgiving
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Against all odds (including being a self-described unenthusiastic cook), Tiffany managed to pull off a full Thanksgiving meal this year, all by hersel...
Episode 456: Autumn This or That?
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Autumn isn't everyone's favorite season... but it should be. For no other reason than because we're in the middle of the best season of the year, to...
Bittersweet Moment #182: And the Winner Is...
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This autumn we announced our best book giveaway ever: a chance to win a brand-new copy of Jane Austen's best-loved novel Pride and Prejudice in the st...
Episode 455: Why Is the Media Obsessed with Italy? (with Coral Sisk)
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you tired of watching every one you know go to Italy? The writer of a recent Eater article was, and she penned a viral complaint about it for the ...
Bittersweet Moment #181: Throwing Your Hat in the Ring
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katy recently threw her hat in the ring, and ended up on a stage in Richmond, Virginia, vying for a $10,000 podcast pilot contract. We listen in on th...
Episode 454: Trying New Things, Opera Edition
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you decide to try something new, you might as well go all the way. That's what Katy was thinking when she bought opera tickets for the first time...
Bittersweet Moment #180: Where in the World Should I Move?
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If the current political situation in America or Britain or wherever you happen to live is not your cup of tea, you can always move abroad (easier sai...
Episode 453: A Matter of Belonging
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to belong—to a place, a family, a profession, a community? They say that belonging is a universal need, but if that's true, why do...
Bittersweet Moment #179: Ghostly and Romantic Notions
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's it like to really live with a ghost, and why do so many people want to these days? This mini-episode was inspired by a recent article in the Ne...
Episode 452: Ghostly Tales with the Hosts of Homespun Haints
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has one—a ghost story, that is. At least that's what our guests on this episode claim. And their podcast sets out to prove it. Homespun Hai...
Bittersweet Moment #178: What Makes a Moment Romantic?
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday's episode, our guest Monique Le described a simple but memorable moment—just after arriving in Seattle as an immigrant from Vietnam —as ...
Episode 451: A Romantic Immigration (with Monique Le)
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Monique Le fled Vietnam when she was 16 years old. After eight months in a refugee camp, she finally landed in the United States. Thirty years later, ...
Bittersweet Moment #177: Where to Begin if You're New to the Show
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When new listeners find our show, they often ask themselves (or us), where do I begin? And it's understandable: with an archive of over 450 episodes a...
Episode 450 [LIVE]: Fright Night
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for Halloween, we share grisly stories about the scariest, ickiest, and most unpleasant nights we ever spent on a trip—in a hotel, apar...
Bittersweet Moment #176: Voting in Italy
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the heels of the big parliamentary elections in Italy last month, and the upcoming 2022 midterm elections in the states, Tiffany talks about what i...
Episode 449: I Was Here
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a recent Bittersweet Moment, Tiffany remembered accidently smearing a bit of lipstick on the doorframe of one of the buildings she lived in her fir...
Bittersweet Moment #175: If You Could Do Anything, Would You Go to Stunt School?
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday's episode we asked the question, where would you live if you could live anywhere? Today we think about what would you do if you could do any...
Episode 448: If You Could Live Anywhere (with Melody Warnick)
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It used to be that we moved to (and stayed in) whatever city we got a job in—whether we liked living there or not. Luckily, thanks to the rise in re...
Bittersweet Moment #174: The Challenging First Weeks of Expat Life
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the heels of Tiffany's 18th anniversary of moving to Rome, she remenisces about the miserable living situations she found herself in those very fir...
Episode 447: Eighteen Years in Rome!
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tiffany has officially lived in Rome longer than she has lived anywhere else! As she realizes this milestone, she and Katy reflect on what has changed...
Bittersweet Moment #173: The Fantastical Neighborhood of Coppedè
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know what Rome is supposed to look like: towering ruins, baroque majesty, cobblestones, orange buildings, churches everywhere you look. But Rom...
Episode 446: Why Do Anything for Ten Years?
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we kick of our tenth season, it got us wondering: why do we do anything for ten years? What keeps us going? How do we keep it fun? Whether it's a m...
Bittersweet Moment #172: Into the Woods
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The mountains are calling and I must go! Despite having lived in Seattle the vast majority of her life, Katy is not much of an outdoorsy type. Still, ...
Episode 445: Are Americans Over-sensitive?
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We kick of a brand new season today (Season 10, can you believe it?), and as exciting as that is, at the same time, our unforgettable Summer in Rome s...
Bittersweet Moment #171: Italy vs. America, According to Aurelio
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 min...
Episode 444 [Summer in Rome]: The Limits of Time and Goodbye Roma
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Saying goodbye is always bittersweet... especially when you're leaving not just a good friend, but also a beloved city. Today is the final chapter in ...
Bittersweet Moment #170: Left, Right, Surprise
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What more unexpected magic in your life? Try playing "Left, Right, Surprise," a game invented by author Robert Fulghum which appears in his book Third...
Episode 443 [Summer in Rome]: The Unexpected Magic of Italy
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is there anywhere else on earth that offers as much sheer beauty as Italy? (We'd wager there aren't.) But in addition to Italy's undeniable beauty, th...
Bittersweet Moment #169: Airline Travel and American Adventure with Aurelio
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tiffany and her family are back in Italy after their summer vacation in the US. On this mini-episode, Tiffany and Aurelio talk about their trip, speci...
Episode 442 [Summer in Rome]: The Glorious Gardens of Rome
22 Aug 2022
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...
Bittersweet Moment #168: Moving to Rome Because of the Pandemic (with Kate Wheeler)
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
During the long lonely months of Covid lockdown and beyond, Seattlite cartoonist Kate Wheeler dreamed of moving to Rome. This winter, she made that dr...
Episode 441 [Summer in Rome]: The Oldest Cafe in Rome
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where did Lord Byron and Percy Shelley come to scribble down their verses? Where did Bizet and Berlioz go to discuss their work? Where could Casanova ...
Bittersweet Moment #167: Actually Not Italian
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Accordion music... red and white checkered table clothes... spaghetti and meatballs... All wonderful things but... actually, they are NOT Italian! On ...
Episode 440 [Summer in Rome]: Where Are All the Accordions?
08 Aug 2022
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 ...
Bittersweet Moment #166: Exploring Villa Aurora with Princess Rita
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Following our exclusive interview with Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, we explore the spectacular and art-filled Rome in a private tour, led by th...
Episode 439 [Summer in Rome]: Princess Rita and the Fight over Villa Aurora
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, the elusive American princess opens up about her relationship with the late Prin...
Bittersweet Moment #165: Italian Summer Reads
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are dreaming of an Italian summer, find it within the pages of a book. Tiffany shares her favorite books that take place (at least partly) in I...
Episode 438 [Summer in Rome]: The Hazards of a European Road Trip
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ah, the freedom of the roadtrip. Go anywhere, anytime, at your own pace. No limits but the open road... *record scratch* ...unless you are roadtrippin...
Bittersweet Moment #164: Covid, Keats, and the Italian Air
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"I was in Italy at Lake Como when I learned I had Covid." So begins an original piece by our own Katy Sewall, which recounts her health adventure gett...
Episode 437 [Summer in Rome]: Rome's Best Restaurants, Gelato, and More
18 Jul 2022
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 ...
Bittersweet Moment #163: Lesser-known Fountains of Rome
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rome's fountains are nothing short of inspiring—as we discovered on Monday's episode that features excerpts from Ottorino Respighi's symphonic tone ...
Episode 436 [Summer in Rome]: The Fountains of Rome
11 Jul 2022
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 (ispiration fo...
Bittersweet Moment #162: A European Gap Year... And What Comes After (with Suzanne Morrison)
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Looking back on her eventful gap year, our childhood friend Suzanne (whom me mention often on this show) talks about what prompted her to put off coll...
Episode 435 [Summer in Rome]: When Expat Dreams Come True (with Darlene Sullivan)
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What about if you dream of moving abroad—but love your life and your community in your home town? This was the dilemma of longtime listener Darlene,...
BittersweetMoment #161: How to Survive an Italian Heat Wave
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's hot in Rome right now, and all over Italy. Unbearably hot. Tourists and locals alike are dropping like flies. On this mini-episode, Tiffany share...
Episode 434 [Summer in Rome]: A Meditation on Aging
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When your co-hosts stumble upon Tiffany's old apartment on Via Garibaldi, where she spent several memorable years between her late 20s and early 30s, ...
Bittersweet Moment #160: The Joy of Being in a New Place
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Katy wanders through her rental aparment in Rome, she revels in the quiet joy of simply waking up in a new place (especially after so much time sti...
Episode 433: [Summer in Rome] St. Francis Slept Here
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You may know that St. Francis of Assisi traveled to Rome in the early 13th century, but do you know where he stayed? Did you know that you can vist th...
Bittersweet Moment #159: How to Avoid Getting Scammed in Italy
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When traveling in Italy, how do you know when you are getting your money's worth and when you are getting scammed? Last week, Tiffany shared tips gath...
Episode 432 [Summer in Rome]: Rome Through All the Senses
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katy finally tests negative for Covid and these two long-separated friends are reunited at last! Katy and Tiffany grab a spot on the steps of the foun...
Bittersweet Moment #158: How to Avoid Getting Robbed in Italy
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You've finally arrived in Italy for your dream vacation and all you want to do is dive head-first into pasta, gelato, art, history, and beauty but... ...
Episode 431 [Summer in Rome]: Katy Arrives!... with Covid
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After more than two years of staying close to home during the pandemic, being as careful to avoid infection as one could possibly be, with no internat...
Bittersweet Moment #157: For the Love of Luggage
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we prepare to launch our "Summer in Rome" series, Katy muses on her favorite suitcase, a piece of luggage that has seen her though nearly every tri...
Episode 430: Does Language Shape Thinking?
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Does the language that we speak influence the way that our thoughts work? An article in the New York Times by Guy Deutcher, Does Your Language Shape H...
Bittersweet Moment #156: The Sounds of Tiffany's Day in Rome
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The sounds that follow you throughtout your day have a way of slipping into the background and going unnoticed. But how often do you stop to really li...
Episode 429: The Sounds You Love
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are the sounds you truly love, not for how beautiful they are, but for what they mean? Sounds that, for whatever reason, make you happy? Sounds t...
Bittersweet Moment #155: Common Uncommon Objects
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No, we didn't make a mistake and accidently air a BONUS episode on the regular show. Today, we are giving ALL our listeners a peek at what our Patreon...
Episode 428: The Infodemic (with Joel Simon and Robert Mahoney)
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two years after the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19, what will the long-term effects be? Not just in terms of public health, but in terms of privacy, c...
Bittersweet Moment #154: The Good News about Depressing Math
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How many weeks (roughly) do you have left to live? The answer will probably shock you, accoriding to author and cartoonisht Tim Urban, as most of us l...
Episode 427: Listener Questions Answered
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are proud to say that we have some of the most engaged listeners in the entire podcast world! We get lots of mail from our listeners, both comments...
Bittersweet Moment #153: Aurelio's Big Surprise
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Tiffany's mom (and Aurelio's Nana) came to Rome for a visit over Easter, they didn't tell Aurelio that his cousin Parker was coming too. It was...
Episode 426: Touring Rome with Tiffany
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's it like to be a tour guide in Rome? How do you break into the business? And how do you learn all the facts, much less put them together to make...
Bittersweet Moment #152: Storybowl Party
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After our interview with Andrea Scher, author of Wonder Seeker, Katy is inspired to play a game that Andrea invented and outlines in her book. It's a ...
Episode 425: Seeking Wonder (with Andrea Scher)
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is wonder? And how does it affect your life? Perhaps most importantly, what can we do to harness it? Today we are joined by Andrea Scher, author ...
Bittersweet Moment #151: Rome's Birthday (Il Natale di Roma)
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to legend, the city of Rome was founded on 21 April 753 BC. That means today is Rome's 2775th birthday! On this mini-episode, Tiffany tells ...
Episode 424: Returning to Rome
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We have news! Katy is on her way back to Rome—for the first time in over four years! She's traveling to Rome partly for vacation, and partly to get ...
Bittersweet Moment #150: How to Celebrate Easter in Rome
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rome is the center of the Christian world, and therefore, Easter is a BIG DEAL here. (The Pope lives here, after all!) In this mini-episode, Tiffany l...
Episode 423: Contronyms
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know what synonyms are, and probably antonyms too. But have you ever heard of contronyms? Tiffany and Katy have a little fun playing with these...
Bittersweet Moment #149: The Sounds of Katy's Office
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We recently challenged you to send us sounds you love, or even familiar everyday sounds that elicit a positive feeling or a sense of anticipation. To ...
Episode 422: Solo Travel—Is It For You?
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Traveling all alone... does sound like a nightmare or a dream? Or perhaps the idea intrigues you but you're a little too scared to try it. Thanks to a...
Bittersweet Moment #148: Free Art in Rome's Churches: Cloisters
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who can say no to amazing works of art that you can see for free? If you've been paying attention, you know we started this series of mini-episodes wi...
Episode 421: What a Horse can Teach You about Life (with Mary Anne Campbell)
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katy's New Year's resolution to go horseback riding (and specifically to gallop) inspired her to interview Mary Anne Campbell, a trainer and master of...
Bittersweet Moment #147: A Tribute to Doug
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran KUOW sound engineer and long-time colleague of Katy, Doug Patterson passed away this month. Much of the work that Katy created over her public...