Episode 529: Going Native, Part 2
The Bittersweet Life
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. By the way, we love love love hearing from you, our loyal listeners! We invite you to share your thoughts on any of the many topics we cover on our (literally) hundreds of episodes. Email us or better yet, you can send us a voice memo! (You...
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Episode 528: Going Native
The Bittersweet Life
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 resists and rejects, even after two decades in the country. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge...
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Episode 527: Moving to Rome—Sight Unseen (with Brie Ripley)
The Bittersweet Life
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 as a brand-new expat, struggling to speak the language, searching for an apartment, missing her new husband who will be joining her soon, and quickly acquiring an unquenchable dependence on espresso. She also talks about what it was like to...
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Episode 526: An Unbelievable Discovery in Rome!
The Bittersweet Life
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 to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click to send financial support via PayPal. (You can...
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Episode 525: A Question of Season
The Bittersweet Life
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 therefore which ones you prefer), and the drawbacks of living in a place without distinct seasons. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an to get the...
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Episode 524: What if New Year's Were in March?
The Bittersweet Life
Is early January—the deepest, bleakest, darkest moment of winter—really the best time to make New Year's Resolutions? Isn't early spring a more fortuitous time for new beginnings? (And did you know that March used to be the first month of the year?) We mull this and other season-related questions on this episode (including a check-in to see how Tiffany and Katy are getting on with their resolutions for this year). We also talk about what we love about certain seasons, how where you live can vastly affect how you experience the seasons (and therefore which ones you prefer), and the...
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Episode 523: Legacy and Loss (with Kaila Merrill)
The Bittersweet Life
Today we explore a story of one woman whose family legacy—in particular her close relationship with her mother whom she lost suddenly to cancer—brought about a life pivot that she was never expecting. Kaila Merrill joins us today to tell her moving story, from growing up in tiny island town in northern Vermont to a carefree life on the beaches of Australia where she met her future husband, to her whirlwind wedding on Lake Como—one of the last joyful moments she was able to share with her mom—to realizing, while she greived her loss, that her destiny was to run an agrigurismo in Umbria...
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Episode 522: The Case Against Travel, Part 2
The Bittersweet Life
What if travel doesn't actually change you? A few weeks ago, we discussed this controversial idea, a conversation inspired by an . (Make sure you listen to first, because we had a lot to say on the topic!) It turns out, our listeners did too, as we got a lot of feedback on the subject. Today, we share some of it and dig even deeper into the topic. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive...
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Episode 521: Road Trips (with John Roderick)
The Bittersweet Life
What makes a song a good road trip song? This is something Katy has been musing over for several years now. What better person to ask than a musician who has crossed the country on tour numerous times? This week, Katy sits down with musician and podcaster John Roderick to talk about the allure of the American road trip, as well as what you should listen to while you are doing it. John talks about his experience hitchhiking across the US as a recent high school graduate, and even hopping on a freight train, and how it sparked a love for overland travel. Now that...
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Episode 520: The Case Against Travel
The Bittersweet Life
Tell me about that trip that changed your life... and I'll tell you how you're lying to yourself. So claims a recent essay in The New Yorker titled l. In it, author Agnes Callard makes some pretty bold and sweeping assertions, including that travel "turns us into the worst version of ourselves while convincing us that we’re at our best." Visiting a new place doesn't change the traveler, Callard argues, rather, the traveler changes the place. While there's certainly a nugget of unpleasant truth in that, the idea that travel simply cannot change you is something both Katy and Tiffany know from...
info_outlineArtist Cat Seto completely remade her stationery business after being bullied into a trip to France.
- Ferme a Papier (Cat's reborn business)
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