The Bittersweet Life

On Monday’s episode, we discussed the tragic fire at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral. (If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, do that now!) At the end of the episode, we wonder what other buildings…

This week, Katy and Tiffany discuss the tragedy of the Notre Dame fire. How do you move on after all but losing such an integral monument to human history? We muse on our own reactions to the disaste…

In the aftermath of the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Tiffany is reminded of a similar fire that took place at Rome’s Basilica San Paolo fuori le Mura in 1823. In telling the sto…

Amy Herman is an art expert who trains members of law enforcement, intelligence agents, counter-terrorist specialists, and healthcare professionals to enhance their observation skills by learning to …

On this week’s mini-episode, Katy interviews Matt Harding—you know, that crazy American guy who danced with people all over the world and taped himself doing it? His videos dancing alone and with loc…

What do Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin (and so many other artists) have in common? They all reached the apex of their creative output while living outside their countries of birth.

An …

In this week's Bittersweet Moment mini-episode, we tackle a question from a listener: how do you learn a new language effectively?

Tiffany draws on her experiences studying and speaking Italian and F…

How many of your life decisions were entirely your own, and how many were influenced by what the people around you wanted, hoped, or expected you to be doing? And what happens when you decide to go o…

It’s time for our first full Bittersweet Moment!

Inspired by Monday’s episode, Katy wonders how many people have lived in places they didn’t like, and what they did about it. Be sure to listen to Epi…

We often chat with expats on The Bittersweet Life, whether they are corporate expats off to a new country every other year, passion expats who follow their dream of living in a foreign land, or anyth…

On occasion of the fifth anniversary of The Bittersweet Life, we're launching Bittersweet Moments, mid-week mini-episodes to bring a little extra (bitter) sweetness to your week. We'll be regaling yo…

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 …

This week, we chat with Lori-Lee Elliott, many-time expat, world traveler, and techie girlboss. Lori-Lee’s first appearance on The Bittersweet Life was back in July of 2017 in Episode 166: TIPS, when…

In this long-awaited epsiode, Tiffany finally reveals how she moved to Rome. It wasn't all a bed of roses (and frankly, it wasn't all legal), but after innumerable requests from listeners, who regula…

Whether due to poor planning, penny pinching, or simply laziness, we’ve all got regrets when it comes to our past travels.

You know what we’re talking about: the time you didn’t cough up the extra 5 …

Have you ever thumbed through a cookbook only to roll your eyes and wonder, who has the time? And who has all these ingredients laying around? Italian food expert and cookbook author Francesca Montil…

Do I deserve to live a bigger life? If you're asking that question, it's a gift to have parent (or friend) who answers- why not? Sarah McColl, author of Joy Enough, joins us to talk about the beautif…

Katy's sisters, Dana and Sara, join us again this week!

They discuss what tethers people have (real or invented) that tie them to the city they are currently living in. Whether it's a stable job, a f…

This week we're joined by two of The Bittersweet Life's most ardent listeners: Katy's own sisters, Dana Zahler and Sara Johnson. The three sisters chat about the things that prompt you to change wher…

Our super summer Share-a-thon came to an end a few months ago now, and today is the big day (***fanfare***) that our super-fun, super-secret Truth or Dare episode hits the airwaves!

If you've been pa…