The Bittersweet Life

A school initiative in Italy is bringing elementary school children and opera together in an ingenius way!

On this bonus episode, available exclusively to our supporters on Patreon, we talk about t…

Have you ever noticed that Italian homes don't have closets?

Bedroom closets, linen closets, broom closets, coat closets—they simply don't exist (unless you as a homeowner or renter decide to build o…

Do expat couples divorce more than couples who live in their home countries? They certainly face different challenges.

On this episode from our archives, writer and former expat Debra Bruno joins us …

Tiffany does not get Italian beach culture.

In this candid (and a bit heated) mini-episode, she wonders: what's the appeal of overcrowded beaches, endless rows of umbrellas and chaise longues as far …

Tiffany finally made it to Rome's epic 2025 Caravaggio exhibit and it was well worth the wait! (The tickets were also nearly as hard to come by as seats at Taylor Swift concert!)

Tiffany and Katy tal…

Expat Amy has lived abroad since college. First in Italy, then in Nicaragua, then back to Italy.

In this interview from our archives, we sat down with her (over a decade ago!) to chat about her indec…

After Monday's episode about traveling with teens, Tiffany and Katy continue the conversation on this bonus episode by turning the spotlight on themselves.

What were we like as annoying teen traveler…

Have you ever traveled with a teenager? Or maybe you have travel memories of your teenage self?

Were you as insufferable a traveler as teens these days appear to be?

Today we chat about what exactly …

Is dating harder when you're an expat? Is it easier? And does your gender make a difference?

If an expat dates a local, does that improve their social standing? Do all cultures flirt in the same way?…

Americans show their patriotism on the 4th of July—Italians do it on the 2nd of June.

But in very different ways! On this mini-episode, Tiffany talks about the history of the Italian Repulic (it's se…

Tiffany and her family recently spend ten days in and around Paris, a city Tiffany has visited many times.

Somehow, though—and to be fair, it was a quickly thrown together trip—Tiffany seemed to get …

As you know if you're a regular listener, our show goes a lot deeper than travel tips an "best of"s. Our weekly conversations explore many aspects of life (both abroad and at home), and we encourage …

On this snippet from a recent bonus episode—available only to our supporters on Patreon—Tiffany reveals why she decided to cancel her trip back to the States this year. 

To hear her full explanation…

It's Memorial Day in the States, Aurelio's First Communion in Rome, and the occasion for a catch-up on the latest happenings in our lives on this casual, conversational episode. Happy Memorial Day to…

Is there anywhere else on earth that offers as much sheer beauty as Italy? (We'd wager there isn't.) But in addition to Italy's undeniable beauty, it offers a sense of magic that, once you've experie…

Did Tiffany manage to witness the white smoke at conclave 2025 and see the first appearance of Pepe Leo XIV—as she did in 2013 for the election of Pope Francis? (Listen to this episode to hear that s…

Solo travel... it can be inspiring, healing, life-changing...

...except when it isn't. Except when all it makes you is lonely and sad.

Today we sit down with writer Jennie Spohr to discuss what happe…

Little known fact: Rome is the city in Europe with the most green space per capita!

It's true, Rome is not all crumbling ruins and crowded city streets. The city is bursting with parks and gardens, t…

When Tiffany first moved to Rome, she made a grave mistake. She paid several months' rent in advance to a seemingly kind man who rented out rooms in his Trastevere apartment to brand new expats.

He w…

When did traveling stop being about the place you are visiting and instead become about you in that place?

And how much do shows like The White Lotus have to do with this mental shift?

When ordinary …