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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Moving across the world to another country can be hard, but it's easier when your significant other is a local. "From My Home To Yours" follows the journey of Bernadine (Irish) & Matthew (Australian) moving their lives from Australia to Ireland. They leave no stone unturned as they discuss the logistics and planning needed to make the journey successful, and the emotional upheaval of making a new life together halfway across the world.
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Leading an expat life can seem so glamorous and exciting, and often it is! But what if you struggle with the language, your professional credentials aren't recognized, or you find it difficult to build new relationships? Crafting a meaningful, satisfying life takes work no matter where you are, but for expat partners, the challenges can be even greater. If you're looking to create meaningful change in your life, to have a lifestyle, relationships, and career that truly suit and fulfill you, ...
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Episode 543: Leisure Wars: Italy vs. the United States
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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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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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Episode 530: Revisiting a Long-Lost Place
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What happens when you go back to a city you used to live in after not stepping foot there for twenty years? Tiffany finds out on this episode. After spending some of the most formative years of her life, her univeristy and post-univeristy years, in Boston, she moved to Rome and never went back. Earlier this month, she finally got a chance to visit …
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Who knew that "going native" was a topic that would resonate so strongly with our listeners? We got so much feedback on this subject—both social media comments as well as voice messages—that we just had to share them with you, and of course, open the discussion back up! So many new ideas came up hearing your thoughts, so we weigh in on them as well…
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What happens when an expat "goes native"? How long does it take, and is it inevitable? Is it a conscious choice or does it just happen? Today we chat about this idea, and Tiffany lays out the ways she has gone native—eschewing American culture and habits entirely in favor of Italian ones—as well as the aspects of Italian life that she staunchly res…
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Episode 527: Moving to Rome—Sight Unseen (with Brie Ripley)
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Would you move across the world to a country without ever having been there? That's what this week's guest did. We sit down with Brie Ripley to talk about her decision to take a 4-year contract with the World Food Program, which meant a relocation to Rome—a city she had never even visited. She talks about the challenges of adjusting to life abroad …
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Episode 526: An Unbelievable Discovery in Rome!
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An exciting discovery out of Rome has recently rocked the archeological community! We have the details on this week's episode. ------------------------------------- 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: Pledge your monthly support of The B…
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Last week we talked—among other things—about what it would be like if the year started in March, as it used to do in ancient Rome. This got us thinking about seasons and how they effect our lives. On this week's episode we talk about what we love about certain seasons, how where you live can vastly affect how you experience the seasons (and therefo…
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