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Life doesn't have a script. At least, it doesn't have to. Hosts Katy Sewall and Tiffany Parks explore the challenges and joys of moving abroad and moving home. Whether you’re living overseas, or not — or not yet — join us weekly for unadulterated conversation. Get to know Rome. Laugh at our embarrassments and insights. Most of all, imagine the possibilities for your own life (and meet some famous authors along the way).
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Episode 548: Are You an Expat or an Immigrant?
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Tiffany moved to Italy as an expat in the fall of 2004—almost exactly two decades ago. Since then, she's married an Italian and started a family, bought a home in Italy, and become an Italian citizen, 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 can't seem to…
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Reading books can inspire you to travel, and travel can inspire you to read books. It's what we call a delicious cycle. Today we talk about the books (and other types of art) that have inspired not only particular trips, but the things that we have sought out while on that trip, or even things we have made a point to see in our own cities. But this…
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Dreaming of moving abroad but loath to give up the job you love? On this episode from our archives, we discuss the hazards of giving up or interrupting your career in order to persue your expat dreams. Tiffany also gives listener Darlene practical tips to keep in mind when moving to Italy. Future expats, this is the show for you! Thanks to textile …
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Episode 545: The Secret of Success: Luck vs. Hard Work
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32:18
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You did it! You've landed that amazing job, or maybe you're successfully living abroad in the country you've always dreamed of, or you've published your book, bought your dream home, won a major award in your industry (you fill in the blank). The question is: can you chalk it all up to hard work? Or was there some luck involved? And how much of wha…
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[PATREON PREVIEW] A Confession and a Decision
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Tiffany has an addiction she's decided to break, but she doesn't want to talk about it on the main show. She talks about it on this exclusive bonus episode. Want to hear the whole episode? 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 wil…
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Episode 544: It's Not a Goal, it's a QUEST!
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What’s the difference between a goal and a quest? On this episode pulled from our archives (it's August afterall), Tiffany and Katy discuss what goes in to embarking on a quest, and why you would want to go on one. Tiffany (who famously loves a challenge) sets down her own definition of a quest, as well as why she believes the fun is not in the com…
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Episode 543: Leisure Wars: Italy vs. the United States
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32:09
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Who does leisure better, Italy or America? The answer is probably obvious, but you may be surprised to learn that Italians are emulating more and more the infamous American work ethic. Is the Italian dolce far niente instict enough to overcome the trend of over-productivity? And what can Americans learn from Italians about how to slow down and enjo…
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[PATREON PREVIEW] How Well Do You Know July?
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On this exclusive bonus episode, we put you and Tiffany, our queen of trivia, to the test. How many questions about July can you answer correctly? 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 multip…
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Episode 542: Leisure Time in Ancient Rome
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31:39
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From all accounts, the ancient Romans knew how to do leisure—the priviledged classes at least. According to historians, they didn't see leisure time as something they got to enjoy once their obligations were completed, but rather, as the ideal state in which to live, when they had control over all their actions. Can we learn something from this? Ar…
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Episode 541: Living Life Between Two Countries (with Laurel Attanasio)
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What is it like to divide your life between two countries? It sounds like the best of both worlds, but is it really? Today we are joined by someone who does just that, Laurel Attanasio, founder of Laurel Ann, LLC a boutique travel company specializing in wellness adventures. Laurel divides her time between the US and Europe, mostly Italy but occasi…
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Tiffany's had a rough week. And to make matters worse, some of the people in her life have been driving her absolutely crazy. On this exclusive bonus episode, she vents her frustration. 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 som…
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Episode 540: I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself (with Glynnis MacNicol)
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"When you’re a woman of a certain age, you are only promised that everything will get worse. But what if everything you’ve been told is a lie?" This is the leading question of Glynnis MacNicol's dazzling new memoir, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself. The acclaimed author joins us this week for a personal, intimate and delightful interview that explor…
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Episode 539: The Dullness and Comfort of Rituals
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40:02
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We all have our beloved rituals, the things we do that center us, that comfort us, that make us feel that all is right with the world. It can be anything from the way we prepare and enjoy our favorite morning beverage, to walking our dog the same route every day, to watching a favorite show before bed. But what happens when we get so attached to th…
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One of the hardest things about expat life is when your friends inevitably leave. For some expats, this happens like clockwork every single year (usually in June), causing heartache, disappointment, and a sense of continually having to begin again with a fresh set of expat friends. An article on The Culture Blend (that was mentioned to us by one of…
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[PATREON PREVIEW] A Very Italian End to the School Year
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On this bonus episode exclusively for our Patreon supporters, we take you inside a very loud, very LATE dinner celebration marking the end of the school year in Rome. How late is too late for a third grader to party? Depends on who you ask. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon! For as little…
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Episode 537: Navigating US Taxes as an Expat (with Nathalie Goldstein)
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Whether you're a newly minted expat wondering how to go about filing your US taxes, or a longterm expat who wants to make sure you're doing it right—or maybe it's been years since you filed a return and now you're scared to get help—this episode is for you. Expat tax expert, and founder and CEO of My Expat Taxes, Nathalie Goldstein joins us to make…
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Episode 536: Trying Something New: How to Keep Trying
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Katy continues to have epiphanies as she challenges herself every week in her pottery class. In a continuation of our Trying Something New episode, we talk about what it is that keeps us trying when those new things inevitably continue to be hard work. We also discuss those "fantasy self" items we buy for ourselves when, full of ambition, we decide…
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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 take place on the main show, you'll be part of our new chat commun…
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The Pope has given the green light to canonize the very first saint from the millennial generation, Italian Carlo Acutis. Does it seem strange to have a saint from your own generation? Or one from a generation even younger than yours? Does it take away a little from the "magic" of the saints, who lived 2000 years ago and have improbable and unbelie…
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[PATREON PREVIEW] Sorry About the Giant Squid
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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 take place on the main show, you'll be part of our new chat commun…
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Episode 534: Trying Something New: It's Supposed to Be Hard
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The difficulty is the point. How often have we been seduced into thinking that something we've never tried must be easy, simply because experts make it look that way? On this episode, we talk about the new things we've recently tried, and how often we underestimated how difficult they would be. As Katy dips her toes into the art of pottery, she lea…
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[PATREON PREVIEW] You Can Move to Italy—But Should You?
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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 take place on the main show, you'll be part of our new chat commun…
…
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Episode 533: Italy Welcomes the Digital Nomad
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If you've been dreaming of moving to Italy but thought it was impossible, your chance has finally arrived! Italy has just launched the so-called "Digital Nomad Visa" which enables non-EU-nationals who are self-employed or remote workers who derive their income entirely outside of Italy, the chance to live in Italy on a year-by-year basis. For Itala…
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Episode 532: Same Same but Different: Katy Visits Bali
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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 different from anywhere we've ever been before? After a magical and sometimes maddening week in Bali, Katy lays out the ways the island delighted and surprised her, the aspects that felt wholly differe…
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Episode 531: Life as a Sociopath (with Patric Gagne)
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What's it like to be a sociopath? This week's guest tells us. On this episode, Katy sits down with author and self-described sociopath Patric Gagne for a LIVE interview with audience at Seattle's Town Hall venue, whose recent book Sociopath has been acclaimed as a "fascinating, revelatory memoir revealing the author’s struggle to come to terms with…
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