PodcastsArtsThe Bittersweet Life

The Bittersweet Life

Expat, Repat, Travel, Rome, Seattle, Books, Art, Italy, Wonder
The Bittersweet Life
Latest episode

1138 episodes

  • The Bittersweet Life

    The Bittersweet Past: A German Adventure The (with Dana Newman)

    01/05/2026 | 40 mins.
    In this episode from our archives, we chat with expat, author, and vlogger Dana Newman, an American living in Germany. Dana moved to Europe back in 2008, first to Prague, then later to Munich, where she married a German and still lives today.
    On her YouTube channel, Wanted Adventure, Dana talks about her experiences living abroad in general and living in Germany in particular, including the culture, the food, the traditions, and, of course, mastering the German language. (The infamously difficult-to-learn German language! Do you know how many ways there are to say "the" in German? We don't either, but it's a lot.)
    In fact, the German language is the subject of Dana's book. The full title of the book contains some German, so we'll let Dana tell you the whole thing, but the first part is You Go Me on the Cookie!, a literal English translation of a German expression.
    Find Dana on Instagram here or here.
    ***The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to help newer listeners discover some of our earlier episodes, every Friday we are now airing an episode from our vast archives! Enjoy!***
    -------------------------------------
    COME TO ROME WITH US: Our 4th annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is taking place this year from 1 to 7 November 2026! If you'd like to be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here.
    AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free!
    ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.
    GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more.
    TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.
    START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.
    SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.
    WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.
    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!
    NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET
    BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.
    TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!
  • The Bittersweet Life

    Episode 626: Happy Accidents

    27/04/2026 | 30 mins.
    When an unpleasant hitch seems to ruin your best-laid plans, sometimes, just sometimes, you discover later that it was all for the best. That something better than you could have ever imagined was in store for you.
    In fact, sometimes these "happy accidents" can lead to amazing outcomes, and sometimes even change your life for the better.
     
    On this new episode, we talk about the happy accidents we've experienced in our lives and how we never saw them coming.
     
    Write to us here (or send us a voice memo) about your experiences with happy accidents.
    -------------------------------------
    COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here.
    AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free!
    ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.
    GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more.
    TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.
    START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.
    SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.
    WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.
    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!
    NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET
    BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.
    TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!
  • The Bittersweet Life

    The Bittersweet Past: The Creative Lives of Expats

    24/04/2026 | 35 mins.
    What do Goethe, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin and so many other writers and artists have in common? They all reached the apex of their creative output while living outside their countries of birth.
    An email from a listener, who also happens to be a member of indie band Trash Can Dream, inspired this episode from our archives. Emma Grace Stephenson is one of two Aussie expats who make up the band that is now based in New York City. Her email sparked a discussion on how travel, and specifically living abroad, can inspire art and creativity—and why we think that is.
    The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to help newer listeners discover some of our earlier episodes, every Friday we are now airing an episode from our vast archives! Enjoy!
    PS Learn more about the famous foreign writers who lived and worked in Rome on Tiffany's audio tour Rome For Readers: A Literary Tour of the Eternal City.
    -------------------------------------
    COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here.
    AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free!
    ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.
    GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more.
    TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.
    START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.
    SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.
    WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.
    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!
    NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET
    BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.
    TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!
  • The Bittersweet Life

    Bittersweet Moment #243: Five Reasons You Should Come to Rome with Us

    22/04/2026 | 9 mins.
    Tiffany lays out five reasons why you should drop whatever you're doing and come spend a week in Rome with us this fall... and why it might just be your best trip ever!
    Thinking of joining us on our intimate Rome listener trip in November 2026? Find out all about it here, or email us for more information!
    -------------------------------------
    COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here.
    AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free!
    ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.
    GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more.
    TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.
    START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.
    SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.
    WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.
    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!
    NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET
    BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.
    TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!
  • The Bittersweet Life

    Episode 625: What's It Like to Live in Guantanamo Bay? (with Victoria Montes)

    20/04/2026 | 26 mins.
    Don't miss this fascinating interview with writer and teacher Victoria Montes, a long-time expat currently living in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
    Victoria has spent much of her life moving around the word, from Nigeria, Morocco, and Pakistan as a diplomat's kid growing up in the '70s, to a young military police officer based in Germany, to working as a photojournalist covering the war in Afghanistan, and now teaching schoolkids on military bases.
    She sits down with us to talk about her journey navigating identity, home, transitions, and the complicated emotions that come with uprooting and beginning again. Her extraordinary experiences have led her to write a number of books, including The Embassy Burned, inspired by her own proximity to the 1979 attack on the US Embassy in Pakistan.
    Victoria also discusses living in GTMO, something she describes as "the surreal normalcy of everyday life."
    -------------------------------------
    COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here.
    AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free!
    ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.
    GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more.
    TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.
    START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up.
    SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps.
    WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us.
    JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured!
    NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET
    BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon.
    TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

More Arts podcasts

About The Bittersweet Life

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).
Podcast website

Listen to The Bittersweet Life, The New Yorker: Fiction and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features