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 particular appeal to women. In addition to being author of the book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, Van Allen also leads women-only tours of Italy, and shares her insights on the feminine allure Italy holds for so many, and why women seem to get even more out of travel here. Order Susan's book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go here . F...
Feb 10, 2025•38 min•Season 12Ep. 571
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 into a room in an Italian home that has been freshly mopped and been given the evil eye by the lady of the house? (Tiffany has.) Part of living in a foreign culture is learning (often the hard way) that some things that are totally acceptable back home are, at best, a faux pas in your adopted country, and, at worst, a humiliating gaff. Picking up on...
Feb 07, 2025•23 min
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 House ! 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 most charming, yet little visited, museums in Rome. Tucked away among the greenery of Villa Torlonia in the leafy north of Rome, la Casina delle Civette, or the Owl House, was built in 1840 for an...
Feb 05, 2025•11 min
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 in for a conversation about storytelling, memory, and the transition from screen to page. Acclaimed filmmaker and actor Edward Burns steps into the world of fiction with his debut novel, A Kid from Marlboro Road . Set in the 1970s, this coming-of-age story draws inspiration from Burns’s own Irish-Ameican childhood on Long Island, capturing the co...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr•Season 12Ep. 570
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 been inhabited without interruption for over three thousand of years. A past like that cannot but leave its mark on a city. And if you keep your eyes open, the vestiges of Rome’s ancient past can be found around almost every corner. From the fluted Corinthian columns walled into the sides of nondescript buildings to the piazza that follows the s...
Jan 31, 2025•30 min
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 Patreon supporters on the life and times of Aurelio, how he's growing, and what he loves lately. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month. You'll hear co...
Jan 29, 2025•3 min
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 never-cruisers. But what is travel for if not to park your biases and open your mind a little? Is it possible that a never-cruiser could actually (gasp!) enjoy a cruise? On this episode, Katy describes how she was roped into going on a cruise with her sisters, in order to participate in their annual sisters' trip " Sisterfest ," an unmissable even...
Jan 27, 2025•34 min•Season 12Ep. 569
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 (or more) languages, and the benefits you will pass on to your child are significant. But how do you go about it? On this episode from our archives, we sit down with British mum Kristie Prada, author and creator of the blog Mamma Prada . She and her Italian husband live in the UK and are serious about raising their children to speak both languages fl...
Jan 24, 2025•33 min
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 Jubilee? Find out on this all-new mini-episode! Plus, learn some fun facts about Rome's seven most important churches! To find out more about Rome's Jubilee, don't miss our previous mini-episode, Bittersweet Moment #215: Rome's Jubilee Arrives! And don’t miss your chance to visit Rome with us, on our intimate Rome listener trip , coming up in October...
Jan 22, 2025•9 min•Season 12Ep. 216
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 interview with Darlene Sullivan , now she's not so sure. Katy and Tiffany discuss their takeaways from the previous episode, and Tiffany shares a story about the time being stubborn definitely did not benefit her. ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: For the third year in a row, we are hosting an intimate group of listeners for...
Jan 20, 2025•34 min•Season 12Ep. 568
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 the rapid learning and expanding period of being a new expat inevitably slows down. After a little over a year living on the idyllic Italian island of Ischia (by way of New York, London, and Rome), Giovanna ponders what to do when the novelty of expat life wears off and you’re left with just... life. She also asks the question: does moving to the tin...
Jan 17, 2025•37 min
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 how they are affecting some of Tiffany's closest family members. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month. You'll hear conversations that would never ...
Jan 15, 2025•4 min
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 happy. Could it be that you made a mistake in moving abroad? Or maybe you're just not in the right town. Longtime listener Darlene Sullivan joins us this week to talk about what happens when expat reality doesn't quite live up to your dreams—but how that doesn't necessarily mean you've made a mistake. Sometimes you just need to recalibrate and fin...
Jan 13, 2025•41 min•Season 12Ep. 567
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 archives of The Bittersweet Life , Tiffany reflects on 15 years of living abroad and how it has transformed the way she communicates—even in her first language. We dive into the surprising cognitive and emotional challenges of navigating life in a foreign language, especially for writers, who rely so heavily on nuanced expression. Plus, we explore ...
Jan 10, 2025•39 min
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, Tiffany explains the history and origins of this very Roman and VERY Catholic event, why it's so important, and what to do if you want to take part in this historic pilgrimage. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME...
Jan 08, 2025•9 min
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-described "fairy godmother to people's dolce vita dreams." She's the founder of Doing Italy , where she and her team help people gain the knowledge and resources they need to move to Italy as well as buy property in Italy with ease, all while avoiding many of the pitfalls that negatively affect other expats when moving abroad. She answers all our questions, inclu...
Jan 06, 2025•43 min•Season 12Ep. 566
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! ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversati...
Dec 30, 2024•54 min•Season 12Ep. 565
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 Christmas has evolved. We listen back to one of our very first episodes, when we discussed Katy's first (and only) Christmas in Italy back in 2013. How did it feel different to her from Christmas in the States, and what makes an expat Christmas different from one in your home country? Listening back, Tiffany observes how different Christmas in Italy f...
Dec 23, 2024•44 min•Season 12Ep. 564
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 all the work) to actually make it happen? Today we are joined by Kaila Merrill, native Vermonter and now owner of gorgeous Poggio Belvedere, a 17th-century farmhouse deep in the Umbrian countryside that she and her husband Ludovico have lovingly renovated from the ruin it had been reduced to. It's now a luxury boutique hotel and villa-for-hire. Kaila t...
Dec 16, 2024•41 min•Season 12Ep. 563
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 country. On this episode, we catch up with Brie and her husband 10 months later to see how they are adjusting to life in Rome and life as expats, now that the expat honeymoon phase is over and they are faced with the real challenges of living abroad. We talk about their struggles to learn the language, their attempts to create a community, and how hard i...
Dec 09, 2024•40 min•Season 12Ep. 562
“You fall in love with Rome very slowly, a little at a time—but for all your life.” Nikolaj Gogol sums up so perfectly what many people experience when viisting Rome. The city can be so overwhelming, so daunting, that many people aren't able to fully experience it on their first visit, or even their first few visits. And yet, it's a city that has captivated and fascinated people—perhaps beyond any other city—for centuries if not millennia, and it continues to do so to this day. So what is it abo...
Dec 02, 2024•22 min•Season 12Ep. 561
Join us for this LIVE EPISODE taped in Rome with the listeners who participated in our 2024 Bittersweet Life Rome Trip! On this episode, we chat about what happens when places that we have lived or traveled to extensively change drastically over the years—particularly if we are not there to witness those changes slowly occurring. When we return, it can feel like the ghosts of those missing people and places are all around us. The city has moved on... but we still miss what has disappeared. Hear ...
Nov 25, 2024•48 min•Season 12Ep. 560
Can you believe that this little indie show premiered way back in March of 2014?? That's an entire decade of The Bittersweet Life! Have you been with us from the very start? Or have you joined us late but caught up on all the episodes over the years? Or perhaps those first few seasons are a mystery that you've never tapped? Either way we're going to have fun on this episode. In honor of 10 (and a half) years of this show (and actually 11 since the taping of this pilot episode in Katy's Trastever...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 12Ep. 559
What are some of the most surprising things that have ever happened to you—in a good or a bad way? What are life's curve balls that you truly didn't see coming? That's the subject of this week's bonus epiosode. Here's a little peek behind the paywall. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon ! For as little as $5 per month—less than the price of a coffee in some places—you will have access to multiple bonus episodes every single month. You'll...
Nov 14, 2024•8 min
Come to Rome with us! (Virtually or IN PERSON!) This week we're thrilled to share the episode in which we kick off our 2024 Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure! We had an absolute blast sharing "our Rome" with 11 of our amazing listeners and we can't wait to do it again next year. Maybe in 2025 you will join us! ( Get in touch to find out how!) ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversa...
Nov 11, 2024•30 min•Season 12Ep. 558
Tomorrow is presidential election day in the US! (Cue the angst-ridden gnashing of teeth.) If you're so worried about the results of the election that you are considering fleeing the country if your side doesn't win, consider this first: The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Countries like Italy, with its year-round sunshine, amazing food, and infamous " dolce far niente " lifestyle, can feel awfully tempting when things in your home country aren't going your way. But i...
Nov 04, 2024•35 min•Season 12Ep. 557
To get into the Halloween mood, grab a hot drink, dim the lights, and curl up in a cozy spot to listen to this new original radio drama. Matthew P. Woerner and our friends at Audioimagination77 Productions present a spine-tingling story in the tradition of the classic audio drama of the golden age of radio. Don't be surprised if the story sounds a bit familiar. It was inspired by an urban legend most of us know, and probably told during a sleepover or around a campfire in our younger days. The C...
Oct 28, 2024•50 min•Season 12Ep. 556
How do you get into the spooky Halloween spirit? If you're like us, you spend October reading scary books. Find out what's on our Halloween reading list list on this week's episode. If you want to order any of these wonderful books, you can find links here... The dark hell-inspired Japanese story Tiffany recently read. An understated but nevertheless chilling story about an innocuous but terrifying ghost. A classic eerie book in which the most important character is a dead woman. A creepy short ...
Oct 20, 2024•33 min•Season 12Ep. 555
In this exclusive bonus episode—of which we're sharing just a sneak peek here—we chat about what movies get wrong when they showcase a particular city when filming on location. What major mistake was made in the filming of Sleepless in Seattle , and did they actually drive a car down the Spanish Steps in the latest Mission Impossible film? What annoyed Katy about a famous movie that takes place in her hometown, and what's the worst movie that was ever shot in Rome (in Tiffany's opinion)? Tiffany...
Oct 17, 2024•6 min
This month, Tiffany sets off to accomplish one of her New Year's resolutions: a month of buying nothing (beyond the essentials of daily life). In an effort to better understand her spending habits, save a bit of money, and pare down the superfluous matter in her home, she attempts to spend nothing but the essential cost of living for the entire month. Will she succeed? And with this more intentional way of spending effect a lasting change in her financial life? We discuss this and more on this w...
Oct 14, 2024•37 min•Season 12Ep. 554
