The Bittersweet Life

To cruise or not to cruise?

Most travelers have strong opinions about cruising, and can be easily divided into two factions: the cruise-lovers and the never-cruisers. But what is travel for if not to…

Want to raise a bilingual child? Whether you are an expat or not, in a mixed-culture relationship or not, it is possible to raise your child in two (or more) languages, and the benefits you will pass…

What does it mean to do the Giro delle Sette Chiese, or the Route of the Seven Churches? And what does it have to do with Rome's newly inaugurated Jubilee?

Find out on this all-new mini-episode! Plus…

Is being stubborn a good thing or a bad thing?

Tiffany has always considered it one of her best qualities, but after listening to last week's expat interview with Darlene Sullivan, now she's not so s…

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 …

On this week's exlusive bonus episode, we talk about the catastrophic fires that are, as of recording time, still raging in the Los Angeles area, and how they are affecting some of Tiffany's closest…

You've dreamed of moving to Italy since you were 16 years old, and after years of scheming and planning, you finally made it happen.

But... you're not happy.

Could it be that you made a mistake in mo…

Have you ever wondered how speaking a second or third language more often than your native tongue can reshape your thinking?

In this episode from the archives of The Bittersweet Life, Tiffany reflect…

Rome's Jubilee is here!

And our Bittersweet Moments are back! (And you thought Christmas was over.)

On this short-but-sweet mid-week mini-episode, Tiffany explains the history and origins of this ver…

So you want to move to Italy but... HOW???

Today we are joined by a guest who happens to have all the answers.

Thea Duncan is the self-described "fairy godmother to people's dolce vita dreams." She's…

It's that time of year again!

Every turn of the year, we look back at the resolutions we set for the previous year and discuss whether or not we accomplished them, or at least got close. This is ofte…

How much has Italian Christmas changed over the years?

Turns out, even in the last ten years, since we began this show, the way Italians celebrate Christmas has evolved. We listen back to one of our …

How many of us dream of living in a villa in the Umbrian countryside... but how many of us would quit our jobs and move abroad (not to mention do all the work) to actually make it happen?

Today w…

Last year we met Brie Ripley, a young newly married Seattlite who had moved to Rome for a job without ever having visited the city, or even the country.

On this episode, we catch up with Brie and her…

“You fall in love with Rome very slowly, a little at a time—but for all your life.”

Nikolaj Gogol sums up so perfectly what many people experience when viisting Rome.

The city can be so overwhelm…

Join us for this LIVE EPISODE taped in Rome with the listeners who participated in our 2024 Bittersweet Life Rome Trip!

On this episode, we chat about what happens when places that we have lived or t…

Can you believe that this little indie show premiered way back in March of 2014?? 

That's an entire decade of The Bittersweet Life! Have you been with us from the very start? Or have you joined us la…

What are some of the most surprising things that have ever happened to you—in a good or a bad way? What are life's curve balls that you truly didn't see coming?

That's the subject of this week's bo…

Come to Rome with us! (Virtually or IN PERSON!)

This week we're thrilled to share the episode in which we kick off our 2024 Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure!

We had an absolute blast sharing "our Rom…

Tomorrow is presidential election day in the US! (Cue the angst-ridden gnashing of teeth.)

If you're so worried about the results of the election that you are considering fleeing the country if your …