Learning a foreign language is one of the most desired goals most people have—and that's particularly true for travel lovers. But why do so many people fail in this quest? Today we use linguistics and speech pathology to think about learning languages with special guest Lisa Wilcox. Sound boring? Turns out, it is actually really funny. *** This episode was sponsored by LUGZ, offering comfortable, versatile and affordable footwear, from stylish boots to canvas shoes. Visit Lugz.com and enter our ...
Aug 19, 2021•35 min•Season 8Ep. 386
The Borgias are one of the most fascinating and depraved families in Italian history, and they ruled the Catholic Church. This family has been portrayed in two recent tv shows, but what's the true story? Did they really engage in incest? Did Cesare really murder his brother Juan? Was Lucrezia an over-sexed poisoner or an innocent victim of her family's ambition, or somewhere in between? And what about all those reported orgies? Did they really happen (inside Vatican walls)? Tiffany talks about t...
Aug 16, 2021•45 min•Season 8Ep. 385
We often talk about North American expats in Europe or Asia. But what about when the shoe is on the other foot? Today we talk to Sabine, a French expat living in New Orleans. Do Americans need more positive feedback than the French? Sabine explains the communication issues she faces with her American husband. Also, what do her French friends think of her decision to move the the United States? Would you trade Paris for New Orleans? For Sabine, living in NOLA is like taking a tropical vacation—we...
Aug 12, 2021•37 min•Season 8Ep. 384
We all have fantasies when we're young about how we want our life to turn out. Some are far-fetched, some are probably doable. But ow much of life is us trying to fulfill the fantasies of our youth? And what do we do when those fantasies go unfulfilled? Do we look back with regret, or do we just create new ones? ------------------------------------- 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:...
Aug 09, 2021•32 min•Season 8Ep. 383
Writing while traveling. Many of us do it. Professor Daniel Butterworth teaches us how to do it better. Whether journaling is the way you document your travels, you're an aspiring travel writer, or you're working on a new book, you can't miss this episode. Show correction: Ghirlandaio painted the Santa Maria Novella frescoes Dan refers to, not Brunelleschi. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to ...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr•Season 8Ep. 382
What mistakes do museum visitors make? Tiffany Parks, a regular museum visitor and someone who has led tours through the Vatican Museums upwards of a thousand time, shares her expert tips to make your museum visit more enjoyable. We also debate which is better, taking pictures of everything or putting the camera away and living in the moment? ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the convers...
Aug 02, 2021•29 min•Season 8Ep. 381
Can you travel across nine time zones without more than a day's worth of jetlag? Tiffany is convinced that you can (without taking any pills). After decades of making regular trips across the ocean (at least until 2020), she's got the avoidance of jetlag down to an art—even little Aurelio never suffers from it. Claudio on the other hand, well... he doesn't listen to her advice, so it takes him several days to adjust. What's her secret? Listen to this week's mini-episode to find out. ------------...
Jul 29, 2021•17 min•Season 8Ep. 119
Did you hear about the doctor who unknowingly bought an original Caravaggio painting at an estate sale? Yes. That happened. Today we talk not only about this unbelievable story, but also about the allure of estate sales. Katy adores them. Tiffany's never been to one. What is it that intrigues Katy so much about them, and what was her one regret after buying a dead woman's most beloved position, a necklace she wore daily until her death? Find out on this week's episode. Read more about the discov...
Jul 26, 2021•36 min•Season 8Ep. 380
Everyone has their favorite book, author, or series, but when children fall in love with a book, that love can border on obsession. (And how lovely that is to witness!) Of course all demographics, from toddlers to great-great-grandmothers, can count Harry Potter mega-fans in their numbers, but for kids, that Harry Potter magic was extra special. Today, we re-air a bit of tape Katy captured way back in 2005, when she talked to young (and not-so-young) Harry Potter fans on the night that The Half-...
Jul 22, 2021•13 min•Season 8Ep. 18
Inspired by a passage in the book Outline by Rachel Cusk, today we discuss the complexity of living life in two (or more!) languages, and if you can truly be yourself in every language you speak. Are you a different person when you speak a second language? Does it depend on at what age you start to learn the second language, or how well you speak it? And, intriguingly, does the way a language sounds influence the personalities of the people who speak it? These are just some of the topics that co...
Jul 19, 2021•30 min•Season 8Ep. 379
It's the biggest soccer (aka football) (aka calcio) match of the year as Italy faces off against England in the European Cup. But who do cheer for if you're an Englishwoman living in Italy for more than half your life, with an Italian husband and two half-Italian kids? To find out, we chat with Julia Charity, a thoroughly English tour guide who has called Italy home for more than two decades. Listen in to this mini-episode to find out which country she is more loyal too, and why she felt more co...
Jul 15, 2021•19 min•Season 8Ep. 117
Are you someone who has a hard time when things come to an end? Even when what's coming next might be just as good, if not better? Or possibly even when what is ending was never very good in the first place? Tiffany and Katy are both prone to nostalgia over endings, and as Aurelio finishes up Kindergarten or "Scuola Materna" as it's called in Italy, Tiffany begins to feel a pervading sadness over the impending end of her son's little-boyhood. In this episode we chat about endings, new beginnings...
Jul 12, 2021•36 min•Season 8Ep. 378
We hear from five-year-old Aurelio and his friend Jacopo on their very last day of Kindergarten—are they feeling the same sense of nostalgia that Tiffany's feeling, or are they just thrilled it's finally summer vacation? Also, Tiffany explains what preschool and Kindergarten are like in Italy, and how those very first years of school differ from their American counterparts. **This episode was sponsored by Faherty —a family-run environmentally friendly clothing company that creates soft and comfo...
Jul 08, 2021•14 min•Season 8Ep. 116
Are you a person who always travels to a new place? Or do you prefer to revisit the same place over and over? Today we explore the value of going to the same place again and again. We discuss how going deeper into the culture of a place and getting to know its people on an intimate level can only come after prolonged or repeated visits, as well as the impact this kind of travel can have on our lives and how we see the world. **This episode was sponsored by Faherty —a family-run environmentally f...
Jul 05, 2021•27 min•Season 8Ep. 377
Last week Katy regaled listeners with the story of her adventure aboard the Sea Star, a 1965 classic yacht, and her experiences cruising the inland passage from Seattle to Alaska. If you haven't listened yet, you can catch that episode here . In this mini-episode, she answers questions about this unforgettable trip, from practical things like what they ate, what the motor sounded like, and where the sewage went, to more probing questions such as, how did being "stuck" in a tiny ship cabin for ov...
Jul 01, 2021•18 min•Season 8Ep. 115
What do you do when your partner of almost a decade—and husband of only a few short months—tells you he thinks you made a mistake in getting married? Well, if you're today's guest, you pack your bags and start traveling the world. You might never even come back. Today we sit down with Asia Dawn Simonell i, who's unexpected heartbreak made her realize that life is too short and uncertain to do anything but what brings her joy. Her sudden divorce inspired her to spend a year traveling around South...
Jun 28, 2021•31 min•Season 8Ep. 376
To conclude our series of wedding-related mini-episodes, Tiffany regales you with the most common traditions and rituals surrounding weddings that took place in Ancient Rome. What words did the bride and groom recite to each other at the moment of marriage? What color was the bride's veil (and her shoes)? What did the bride, groom, and guests do after the wedding dinner? Find out all this and more on this mini-episode. Don't miss the earlier episodes in this series! Hear about classic Italian tr...
Jun 24, 2021•12 min•Season 8Ep. 114
A private yacht called the Sea Star, a handful of strangers who would soon be friends, the inland passage to Alaska, and a few whales that like to show off—these are the ingredients in Katy's first post-pandemic trip. Although observing humpback whales in the wild has long been a dream of hers, she had no idea how much she would enjoy the actual trip, sailing the tranquil inland waters that stretch the entire length of British Colombia and beyond, making friends with her fellow passengers and le...
Jun 21, 2021•34 min•Season 8Ep. 375
Last week we talked about food, cake, invitations, and the dreaded colors of black and purple. This week, on the third installment in the Italian wedding mini-series, we delve into the differences between Italian and American weddings in terms of ceremony, bomboniere (aka very elaborate party favors), photography and—perhaps most intriguingly—who pays for the wedding. Find out why Italian newlyweds are almost always at least an hour late for their own wedding reception, and hear what Italian tra...
Jun 17, 2021•13 min•Season 8Ep. 113
Make-up. Unpleasant social obligations. Commuting. Lots of things fell by the wayside during the pandemic. Lots of things that seemed absolutely necessary parts of life "before Covid" suddenly were either impossible or simply irrelevant. Now that life, for many people around the world, is starting to go back to normal, we can't help but wonder: do we have to start doing these things again? We put a call out on Instagram and got lots of responses of things our listeners would rather not go back t...
Jun 14, 2021•28 min•Season 8Ep. 374
For the second installment in our series of Italian wedding-themed mini-episodes, Tiffany looks back on her wedding in Rome almost exactly ten years ago, and how she tried (and sometimes failed) to incorporate both the stylish American wedding trends she loved and the strict Italian wedding traditions and norms that her soon-to-be in-laws expected. Throw misunderstandings and assumptions into the mix and you have a few hitches that can be looked back on and laughed at—now that ten years have pas...
Jun 10, 2021•15 min•Season 8Ep. 112
Last week we talked about the labels expat vs immigrant, and specifically, why Tiffany, after nearly 17 years in Italy, still considers herself more of an expat than an immigrant. Today, we replay an episode from way back in 2015, the very first time we debated the expat vs immigrant question, and specifically, if the color of your skin determines whether you're considered an expat or an immigrant. In addition to our own conversation, we are joined by longtime listener and former expat Keith Coo...
Jun 07, 2021•34 min•Season 8Ep. 373
On occasion of her 10th wedding anniversary, Tiffany talks about Italian wedding traditions, particularly the ones popular in the mid-20th century. Ever wonder why Italians give sugared almonds at weddings and what they represent? Curious to know what a bride must never wear before the wedding day, and what a groom should carry in his pocket to ward off evil spirits? You learn about these traditions and more on this mini-episode. Some of these traditions are still around, and some are now comple...
Jun 03, 2021•16 min•Season 8Ep. 111
Tiffany moved to Italy as an expat in the fall 2004—nearly 17 years ago. Since then, she's married an Italian and started a family, bought an apartment in Italy, and become an Italian citizenship, so... is it time to change that label from expat to immigrant? In response to a listener email, Tiffany and Katy chat about why Tiffany nevertheless still identifies as an expat, and how despite being a legal Italian citizenship, she still doesn't feel as Italian as the native-born. We also discuss wea...
May 31, 2021•31 min•Season 8Ep. 372
Today we continue our conversation with Anna Sale, host of the popular podcast Death, Sex, and Money and author of bestselling book Let's Talk About Hard Things . On Part 1 of this interview, Anna goes into the nitty-gritty of talks about sex and death—why they are so hard to have, and how to make them easier. On Part 2, she delves into money. She talks about something called financial vigilance, and how people who have historically felt the need to over-control their money can have a hard time ...
May 27, 2021•22 min•Season 8Ep. 371
Can you talk about hard things? Can you negotiate your salary with a new boss? Can you tactfully comfort someone who’s just had a devastating loss? Can you be open about your sexual needs with your partner? Anna Sale is the host of the Death, Sex, and Money , a award-winning podcast that “explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.” She's also the author of Let's Talk About Hard Things , a bestselling book that teaches you to have that conversation...
May 24, 2021•34 min•Season 8Ep. 370
What was it like to work in an international airport in the time of Covid? For this mini-episode, we're joined by someone who can answer that question with first-hand experience. Today's guest is Valentina, a staff member for a major Italian airline who worked at Rome's Fiumicino Airport throughout the pandemic. She shares her unprecedented experiences during this time, as well as how she feels about Italy's somewhat controversial reopening to tourists this month. She also explains how the new "...
May 20, 2021•10 min•Season 8Ep. 110
One year ago, we asked our listeners, What does a day in the life of someone under lockdown look like? Listeners from around the world sent us a peek into their lives in the form of voice memos, and we included our own auditory snapshots as well. This year, we once again sent out a call for recorded snippet of our listeners daily lives to see what has changed in one year—and what has stayed the same. Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a voice memo. We love hearing the voices of the people...
May 17, 2021•27 min•Season 8Ep. 369
Have you ever taken off your clothes for the camera? Today Katy reaches back into the archives of her long career as a radio producer and pulls out an interview with a boudoir photographer, and one of her clients. On this mini-episode, you'll learn who is likely to get a boudoir photography session, and why you should do it. The photographer interviewed in this episode is Christina Mallet, who now lives in Berlin, Germany. You can find her on Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook . ----------------...
May 13, 2021•13 min•Season 8Ep. 109
The wait is over—at long last, you can finally go to Italy again! But is it a good idea? According to a recent announcement, the Italian government is not waiting for the EU "green pass" to welcome travelers from outside the EU this summer, but are instead launching their own version a month earlier, that could see the country open up to tourists from around the world in less than a week. It's a huge relief to anyone in the tourist or tourist-adjacent sectors in Italy (and Italophiles around the...
May 10, 2021•31 min•Season 8Ep. 368
