The Bittersweet Life

Bittersweet Moment #55: Memorizing Poetry

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today Tiffany talks about one of her favorite hobbies: memorizing poetry! She lays out the plethora of surprising benefits she reaps from this persona...

Episode 312: PHASE TWO

19 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When will Italy reopen—and what will that reopening entail? These are the questions that Italy's residents have been asking themselves constantly la...

Bittersweet Moment #54: Learning to Read in Two Languages at Once

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With Aurelio home from school, Tiffany is taking the opportunity to teach him how to read and write in English—before Italian school gets its hooks ...

Episode 311: LONG DISTANCE

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We all have those close friendships that survive over time, despite the fact that we live half a world apart. And now—with most of us living under l...

Bittersweet Moment #53: Roman Easter in the Time of Coronavirus

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rome is the center of the Catholic world, the home the pope, the city of St. Peter. Easter time draws enormous crowds of faithful to participate in th...

Episode 310: A Day in the Life under Quarantine, Part 2

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of this Day in the Life episode, Katy offers a rare glimpse into what it's like to edit and a long piece of tape, extracting its ge...

Episode 309: A Day in the Life under Quarantine, Part 1

05 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What does a day in the life of someone under lockdown look like? That's what we asked our listeners for today's episode, offering a peek into their li...

Bittersweet Moment #52: Shopping and Consumerism in the Time of Coronavirus

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you CAN'T shop? When all the stores in your town are closed and your supermarket stops selling anything beyond the basic necessities...

Episode 308: Tips and Tricks for Surviving Quarantine

29 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An astounding half of the world's population is now on some form of legal lockdown, quarantine, shelter-in-place, or self-isolation. With many of our ...

Bittersweet Moment #51: LOCKDOWN, Part 4

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How are our daily lives changed due to quarantine and life during the coronavirus outbreak? It seems like every day something changes: restrictions ge...

Episode 307: REPORTING

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When did a podcast about travel, living abroad, embracing adventure, and going off the script become about… staying home all day, every day? Since c...

Bittersweet Moment #50: LOCKDOWN, Part 3

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lockdown has hit the United States—at least in some parts of the country. And people all around the nation are choosing to self-isolate. On this min...

Episode 306: LOCKDOWN, Part 2

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 wor...

Episode 305: LOCKDOWN, Part 1

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Bittersweet Moment #49: VIRUS UPDATE, Part 2

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How are Italians reacting to the strict restrictions now in place during the unprecedented Italy lock down? Are they exhibiting their characteristic "...

Bittersweet Moment #48: VIRUS UPDATE, Part 1

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 fir...

Episode 304: VIRUS

06 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Bittersweet Moment #47: How to get an agent with PITMAD

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 303: FALCON THIEF (with Joshua Hammer)

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Bittersweet Moment #46: QUESTING

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 M...

Episode 302: QUEST

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Bittersweet Moment #45: CARNEVALE

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Episode 301: PERSONALITY

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know your personality type? On this week's episode, Katy sits down with personality consultant Leslie McDaniel, who diagnoses Katy's personalit...

Bittersweet Moment #44: NOTABLE GUESTS

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've had some fascinating guests over the past six years of this podcast, and to celebrate our exciting 300-episode milestone, this Bittersweet Momen...

Episode 300: TRECENTO

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Two countries, six years, 300 episodes! On this week's episode, The Bittersweet Life podcast reaches a major milestone! To  commemorate this importan...

Bittersweet Moment #43: RAPHAEL

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Renais...

Episode 299: CORRUPTION

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Bittersweet Moment #42: ROMAN HOROSCOPE

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Episode 298: VIETNAM

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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-l...

Bittersweet Moment #41: MORE SNOW

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 297: SNOW

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Bittersweet Moment #40: TRAVELING TO WRITE (with Jess Walter)

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 fo...

Episode 296: READING (with Nancy Pearl)

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Bittersweet Moment #39: ROMAN RESOLUTIONS

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 wan...

Episode 295: VENTI VENTI

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 294: SHAKESPEARE

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 293: HOLIDAY MAGIC

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Bittersweet Moment #38 COCKTAILS

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn't love a good cocktail, especially around the holidays? On this week's Bittersweet Moment, Katy revisits Monday's episode and her interview ...

Episode 292: WILD GAME (with Adrienne Brodeur)

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Can you keep a secret? Author Adrienne Brodeur was asked to keep an explosive secret at just fourteen years old when her mother confided in her about ...

Bittersweet Moment #37: CHRISTMAS IN ROME

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spending Christmas in Rome? On this week's mini-episode, Tiffany shares her tips on the best, coziest, and most festive ways to celebrate Christmas in...

Episode 291: LIGHTS OUT

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Should you visit a country if you can't speak the language? Some say no, that you'll never be able to understand or truly experience a culture if you ...

Bittersweet Moment #36: NEARLY FORGOTTEN

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We won't be remembered for long after we die—that's a conclusion that Mo Rocca, correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, came to on Episode 290 MOBITUA...

Episode 290: MOBITUARIES (With Mo Rocca)

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What makes someone's life worth remembering? Mo Rocca spends a lot of time thinking and talking about this, on his podcast Mobituaries with Mo Rocca. ...

Bittersweet Moment #35: THANKS

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We are so grateful for all of our wonderful listeners around the world for your love, attention, and support throughout the over five years of this sh...

Episode 289: LOSS

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead up to Thanksgiving, Katy and Tiffany muse on the inevitable missing out on important holidays and events that comes with being a far-away ...

Bittersweet Moment #34: OPERA

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you love opera? Hate it? Indifferent? Give Tiffany the length of a mini-episode and you might finding yourself warming to it. Tiffany tells how she...

Episode 288: CHINA VS. BALI

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Shaw recently moved to Bali after eleven years in Beijing. So far, it has been a hard move. On this week's episode, he chats with Katy about why ...

Bittersweet Moment #33: THE BORDER (with Paul Theroux)

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Theroux is back! This time, live onstage. If you loved Monday's double-header episode featuring an in-depth interview with legendary travel write...

Episode 287: PAUL THEROUX, Part 2

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

World-famous travel writer Paul Theroux joins us again for the continuation of this fascinating discussion. In Part 2, Theroux weighs in on the cult o...

Episode 286: PAUL THEROUX, Part 1

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary travel writer Paul Theroux joins us this week for a candid, backstage interview delving into his five decades spent traveling the world and ...

Bittersweet Moment #32: RENT

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dying to move to Italy? Be forewarned: renting over here is a bit different than it is back home. On this mini-episode, Tiffany lists some of the odde...

Episode 285: HOUSE

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Since moving back to the states from Rome in 2014, Katy has flit around the country, moving from Seattle to New Orleans to San Francisco and back agai...

Bittersweet Moment #31: THE BLOOD

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of Halloween, today's mini-episode features a snippet from Katy's most controversial NPR story ever recorded. Listen in to hear an interview ...

Episode 284: ASK A MORTICIAN (with Caitlin Doughty)

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Self-described dead body enthusiast and corpse geek, Caitlin Doughty joins us this week for a fascinating discussion about all things death. Doughty i...

Bittersweet Moment #30: VILLA AURORA

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A glorious Guercino ceiling fresco, Caravaggio's only wall painting, a maybe-Michelangelo, an oasis off Via Veneto, and a real live American princess!...

Episode 283: SPIRITS

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever encountered a ghost? As the Halloween season pulls into full swing, we replay one of the most popular shows from our archives: our ghos...

Bittersweet Moment #29: INTERVIEWING

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you conduct a successful interview? What are the best tricks for organizing and carrying out an effective interview? And what are some things t...

Episode 282: ROMANCE

14 Oct 2019

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 fr...

Bittersweet Moment #28: ITALIAN

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Want to kickstart your Italian language learning? On this week's mini-episode, Tiffany offers five practical tips for learning Italian fast, with spec...

Episode 281: LANGUAGE

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fifteen years of living your life in a foreign language can change the way you think in your own native tongue, or at least that's the case for Tiffan...

Bittersweet Moment #27: BUDGET

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Longing to visit Rome but don't want to dip into your life savings? On this week's mini-episode, Tiffany shares her tips for visiting Rome on a budget...

Episode 280: NO, Part 2 (with Sheri Salata and Nancy Hala)

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Oprah Winfrey's former executive producer Sheri Salata and her cohost Nancy Hala from The Sheri + Nancy Show podcast, join us again this week to conti...

Bittersweet Moment #26: READING

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"Are we brave enough to want our heart's desires?" One of the best parts about hosting this podcast is getting to meet amazing authors and talk about ...

Episode 279: NO, Part 1 (with Sheri Salata and Nancy Hala)

22 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The executive producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show, Sheri Salata and her cohost Nancy Hala on the popular podcast, The Sheri and Nancy Show join us on t...

Bittersweet Moment #25: UNFORGETTABLE

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Bittersweet Moment, Katy takes to the streets of Seattle to ask passersby if they've ever had a brief encounter with someone and never ...

Episode 278: LISTENER

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today Katy recounts her relationship with a long-time listener, someone she never met but communicated with often, and how finding out about his death...

Bittersweet Moment #24: ILLUSION

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's mini-episode, Tiffany takes you on a virtual tour of one of the most fascinating and little-known sites in Rome, which also happens to ...

Episode 277: TRANSITION

08 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

SEASON 7 is opening with an announcement from Katy. Another move is in store for her! In fact, part of this episode captures some of the highlights o...

Episode 276: FAREWELL

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every year on Labor Day, we take the day off to enjoy the fruits of our labors, and post one of our favorite episodes from the archives. Today we take...

Bittersweet Moment #23: FICTIVE

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this mini-episode, Katy takes us back in time to the the Golden Age of radio, by re-broadcasting a piece she produced for the Radio Retrospective. ...

Episode 275: STORY, Part 2 (with Anthony Doerr)

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is Part 2 of an interview with bestselling writer Anthony Doerr, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, and Four ...

Episode 274: STORY, Part 1 (with Anthony Doerr)

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this very special episode, we are joined by the award-winning, best-selling writer, Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See, and Four ...

Bittersweet Moment #22: OBSERVATIONS

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This mini-episode finds Tiffany sitting on a bench on a crowded street corner in Rome's Prati neighborhood, observing the world around her—without h...

Episode 273: ADDICTION, Part 2

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of this week's double-header, we continue our discussion of addiction, this time focusing more on physical addictions, and specifically ci...

Episode 272: ADDICTION, Part 1

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you know you're addicted to your phone? And more importantly, what can you do about it? Tiffany recognizes the signs of a looming problem and a...

Bittersweet Moment #21: OWL HOUSE

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Swiss cabin meets medieval hamlet meets art nouveau glass? As crazy as it sounds, this unlikely mash-up is not an abomination, but rather one of the m...

Episode 271: PUNCTUALITY

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is it important to be on time? What does it say about you if you are often late? What does it say about you if it really bothers you when others are l...

Bittersweet Moment #20: PARADE

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's mini-episode, Katy captures the unique and festive sounds of a parade that is passing through her town. And she explains why she someti...

Episode 270: STATES

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, TIffany fills Katy in on her recent trip to the States, the best parts of the adventure, and how Aurelio is turning out to be an awesome tr...

Bittersweet Moment #19: AUGUST

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Rome in August. It's hot, it's sticky and it's surprisingly empty. August is the month in which Romans desert the city en masse and head for the seash...

Episode 269: UNDERLAND (with Robert MacFarlane)

29 Jul 2019

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 ...

Bittersweet Moment #18: INDIA

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Bittersweet Moment, Tiffany interviews an old friend, someone who has had an influence on her writing in a very concrete way. The inter...

Episode 268: RAILS

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you think traveling by rail is romantic? Or are we the only ones? We're digging into our archives this week to bring you this episode that we recor...

Bittersweet Moment #17: MEDIUM REFLECTIONS

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's Bittersweet Moment, we check in with listener and friend Lynn Fortunato to hear her reaction to her session with a psychic medium. If you h...

Episode 267: MEDIUM, Part 2

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last week we were off, so this week, we're putting out two shows for the price of one! (That price being FREE—as always! :-) Make sure you listen to...

Episode 266: MEDIUM, Part 1

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

And for this week, something completely new! Katy meets up with one of The Bittersweet Life's longtime listeners, San Francisco resident Lynn Fortunat...

Episode 265: BREAK

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Katy and Tiffany take a much-deserved break this week, but we do stop by, if just to say hi. If you feel a twitch of disappointment that you don't get...

Bittersweet Moment #16: FEEDBACK

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this extra-mini Bittersweet Moment, Katy and Tiffany take a break from their mid-week mini-episode formula to ask YOU a question: what do you think...

Episode 264: TRAVEL ANXIETY

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you love to travel but get inordinately stressed out when it comes time to book your reservations? Are you a typically chill person who wakes up in...

Bittersweet Moment #15: BEHIND THE SCENES, Part 2

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It takes more than one mini-episode to go behind the scenes at The Bittersweet Life! We're joined again this week by Sara Johnson who turns the tables...

Episode 263: CRACK-DOWN

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week we discuss the new strict laws that have recently been signed into law by Rome's mayor, Virginia Raggi. Feel like enjoying a gelato on the S...

Bittersweet Moment #14: BEHIND THE SCENES, Part 1

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Bittersweet Moment, we offer a peek behind the curtain as Katy's sister Sara—one of our most ardent fans—interviews Katy about ever...

Episode 262: JOURNALIST (with Natalie Higgins)

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we sit down with a BBC Europe producer Natalie Higgins to discuss the ins and outs of the journalist game, as well as her experiences livin...

Bittersweet Moment #13: TEMPIETTO

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Bittersweet Moment, Tiffany and Aurelio chat about their recent visit to one of Rome's most secret and best-hidden gems: the Tempietto ...

Episode 261: ICONS

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are the instantly recognizable symbols that represent your city? And more importantly, what do you think of them? We hash out the whys behind the...

Bittersweet Moment #12: BODIES (with Hallie Rubenhold)

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's mini-episode, we delve a little deeper with social historian Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed...

Episode 260: THE FIVE (with Hallie Rubenhold)

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Since Victorian times, people have been obsessed with Jack the Ripper. There are endless volumes full of history about him and the gory deaths of his ...

Bittersweet Moment #11: VATICAN

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's mini-episode, Tiffany shares all her expert tips for visiting the Vatican—and keeping your sanity while you do it. The Vatican Museum...

Episode 259: CHALLENGE

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you like to do hard things? Do you tend to challenge yourself… just because? On this episode, Katy and Tiffany talk about deliberately seeking ou...

Bittersweet Moment #10: RAMADAN

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ramadan began for millions of Muslims on May 5, 2019. But what exactly is Ramadan? Most people know it entails fasting, contemplation, and prayer, but...