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).
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Repat Podcasts
Moving across the world to another country can be hard, but it's easier when your significant other is a local. "From My Home To Yours" follows the journey of Bernadine (Irish) & Matthew (Australian) moving their lives from Australia to Ireland. They leave no stone unturned as they discuss the logistics and planning needed to make the journey successful, and the emotional upheaval of making a new life together halfway across the world.
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Successful e-commerce, retail, and tech entrepreneurs share their startup stories and proven strategies and tactics that they used to start and grow their businesses. Learn, get inspired, and then take action to build your dream business.
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Bittersweet Moment #228: Back to School, Italian Style
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After a seeminly endless summer (nearly 3 and a half months!), Aurelio is finally back to school this week! In this informative mini-episode, Tiffany lays out all the ways Italian school—and elementary school in particular—is different from American school, from the early introduction of cursive to summer homework, to the ubiquitous grembuile (scho…
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Episode 595: Would You Move Abroad for Political Reasons? (with Jennie Spohr)
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There are many reasons a family might choose to move abroad. In the case of Americans, that reason is generally motivated by a desire for adventure, change, new scenery, unfamiliar culture, a slower pace of living, or just plain fun. But not always. Today we sit down with friend of the show and past guest Jennie Spohr, a Seattleite historical ficti…
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Unlocking Growth Through Wellness with St. Belford - Alex Stanford of Saint Belford
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Alex Stanford, the founder of St. Belford, a company specializing in lifestyle planners and journals designed to help individuals prioritize self-care, build healthier habits, and achieve personal growth. Alex shares her entrepreneurial journey, including her motivation behind starting the business in 2017 following personal burnout, and the unique…
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The Bittersweet Past: Why Change is Hard (with John Wynn)
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Life is full of major transitions. When Katy moved to Rome in 2013, then back to Seattle less than a year later, the transition was hard to say the least. In this episode from our archives, Katy sits down with psychiatrist and former expat John Wynn to explore why change is so hard. He also shares his insight on how to handle transitions in a healt…
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Bittersweet Peek: The After Report: Drama at the High School Reunion
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Katy recently attended her high school reunion. In this bonus episode—available only to our Patreon supporters—she breaks down all the unexpected drama from the night. This just a sneak peak at one of our hundreds of bonus episodes. Want to hear more? Become part of the Bittersweet Life community by supporting just on Patreon! For as little as $5 p…
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We've all heard it. We've all said it. But what does "when in Rome" really mean? Katy reveals the somewhat surprising origin of this ubiquitous catch-phrase, which has become the title of more Rome-based rom-coms and expat memoirs than we could count. Tiffany and Katy have different opinions of the meaning of this cliché expression, and we end up d…
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Bittersweet Moment #228: The Storm Remade: Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later
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Twenty years ago, on August 29th 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The Category 5 storm and its aftermath devastated the city, and the consequences still last today. Listen in as Katy takes you on a journey of remembrance to mark the occasion. You’ll hear some of the New Orleans voices she has never forgotten in the intervening decades. ----…
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The Bittersweet Past: In Search of Continuity
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When Tiffany's husband Claudio takes a photo with the karate instructor of his youth, Tiffany realizes that by being an expat, it can sometimes feel like her life has no continuity. She can't revisit old teachers and places. She never unexpectedly stumbles upon people and objects from her childhood, and maintaining relationships longterm takes extr…
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Have you ever received a sign to do something? Did you listen to it? Do signs even exist? What about bad and good omens? Are they real or a product of our imagination? Katy and Tiffany share their experiences and those of our listeners on this episode from our archives. The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! T…
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On last week’s archive episode, we talked about fantasy, and the benefits and pitfalls of focusing on and working toward your personal fantasies. But somehow, no matter how hard we try, reality always seems to intrude upon fantasy. Is that always a bad thing? Our thoughts might surprise you. Listen in to this week’s episode from our archives where …
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Turning Canine Love Into a Lifestyle Brand - Mai Tran of Cavology
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Mai Tran, the founder of Cavology, a Canadian-based lifestyle brand specializing in fashionable and functional accessories for dogs and their owners. Mai shares her inspiring journey from practicing law to becoming an entrepreneur in the pet industry. She discusses the development and growth of her brand, the strategies and tactics used to build an…
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The Bittersweet Past: Sometimes a Fantasy
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How much of life is us trying to fulfill the fantasies of our youth? And is there anything inherently wrong with weaving fantasies and attempting to fulfill them? Is reality overrated? We explore this idea on this episode from our archives. The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! This August, we are taking a we…
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The Bittersweet Past: The Infamous Hat Box Episode
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It began with a simple question: what's the most impractical thing you have ever traveled with? Little did we know it would turn into one of our favorite (and perhaps silliest episodes) as Tiffany reminisces about her earliest trips abroad in the 1990s, when bringing two hat boxes and three full-sized suitcases on a solo trip to Europe was actually…
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Bittersweet Moment #227: Ferragosto and Italy's Universal August Holidays
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Why does (seemingly) every single person in Italy go on vacation during the month of August? If you've ever visited Italy in the month of August, you'll know that big cities and small towns alike empty out, particularly during the two middle weeks of August, and it can be a challenge to find a decent restaurant or shop open, or more locals than you…
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Crafting a Sustainable Business From Worn Tees - Nathan Rothstein of Project Repat
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Nathan Rothstein, founder of Project Repat. Nathan shares the story of how Project Repat started in 2012 to convert customers' memorable t-shirts into high-quality quilts. Discussing his entrepreneurial journey, Nathan reveals the initial inspiration, challenges faced, and strategies used to scale the business to an eight-figure enterprise.…
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What percentage of Italian men cheat? Is it really 100% like a family friend of Tiffany’s smugly insisted when she first moved to Italy? Or is that number closer to the rest of the world, only it’s more acknowledged over here? Did Tiffany take a terrible risk marrying an Italian, or is cultural background irrelevant to fidelity? And what about Ital…
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The BIttersweet Past: The Irresistible Call of Vietnam
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Katy's father Dale and sister Sara join us on this episode from our archives to look back on their past family travels to Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. Katy, who was not a travel-lover as a younger person, asks her dad if he invited her to join him on his frequent trips to Vietnam in order to expand her world through travel. His answer surp…
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It's a common security question: What is the name of your first pet? Tiffany and Katy reminisce about the pets that they adopted and loved throughout their childhood and what was special about them. Aurelio (Tiffany's son), would like his first pet now, please, and he really wants a dog. Should he get one? This is just a snippet of our most recent …
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Can you remember the first time you were truly frightened—by a movie, a ghost story, or even a real event that you witnessed? On this episode, Katy and Tiffany delve back into their earliest memories to come up with the first instances of true fear that they experienced—and most of the time they can laugh at them now. We also wonder: can one instan…
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[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Florence, Memories, and A Room with a View
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On this nostalgic episode from our archives, Tiffany regales Katy with the details of a recent trip to the cradle of the Renaissance, including specific stops she made to research her latest book, a YA historical fiction thriller set in Florence in 1600. Also, we talk about how memory-provoking it can be to travel to a place that you haven't been i…
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Navigating challenges in finance, leadership, and tech integration - Joanne Liscano of On-Air Parking
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Joanne Liscano, the Chief Executive Officer of On-Air Parking. Joanne shares her inspiring journey from working at American Airlines to becoming the CEO of a travel technology company. She discusses the challenges of balancing family life with a professional career and how she utilized her skills to climb the ranks within On-Air Parking. Joanne als…
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Episode 591: Where Would You Go if You Had Six Months to Travel? (with Katy's sisters Dana and Sara)
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Where would you go if you only had about six months left before travel would be out of the question for health reasons? Most people will never be forced to answer this question, but today's guest was recently asked this question by her husband, as they prepare and plan for the end of her life, after a devastating termincal cancer diagnosis. In this…
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[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Katy Explores the Rich Culture of Bali
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In a world that is becoming ever more homogenized, what sets places apart? What are the blaring indicators that communicate we are in a place vastly different from anywhere we've ever been before? In this episode from our archives, Katy recounts her magical and sometimes maddening week in Bali. She lays out the ways the island delighted and surpris…
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School is out in Italy, and the summer is LONG (not to mention, extremely HOT!) and a certain red-headed someone is refusing to go to summer camp. To fill the time (and keep his brain from atrophying), Tiffany has created a daily list of ten things her son Aurelio must do. Can you guess what's on there? This is jsut a preview of a bonus episode ava…
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Episode 590: How to Cultivate a Growth Mindset
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What is a growth mindset and why would you want one? And perhaps more importantly, how do you cultivate one? To answer these questions, we dive back into Dr. Therese Huston's fascinating book, Sharp: 14 Simple Ways to Improve Your Live with Brain Science. We explore the idea of growth vs. fixed mindset in relation to our own lives, learning to do t…
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[THE BITTERSWEET PAST] Just Across the Border: Austria vs. Italy
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Since July is a big month for travel, this month we are re-airing episodes from our archives every Friday that revisit trips we've taken in the past. After her recent two-week trip to Austria, Tiffany reflects on the differences between Italy and Austria. Despite the fact that the countries share a border, it turns out there are many glaring differ…
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The $500K Kickstarter Torch That Changed Grilling Forever - Bob Healey of GrillBlazer
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Bob Healey, founder and inventor of GrillBlazer. Bob shares his fascinating journey from frustration with low-quality propane torches to creating the innovative Grill Gun. He discusses the challenges and strategies he employed to take his idea from concept to market. Bob explains the importance of hands-on design, navigating manufacturing hurdles, …
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bittersweet Moment #226: Skip the Vatican (and Go Here Instead)
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Rome is extremely hot and extremely crowded right now, and the Vatican Museums have become an almost unbearable place. Instead of spending a miserable (and potentially hazardous) day inside one of the most amazing but sadly most overcrowded and unpleasant museums in the world, we've come up with a list of places you can go in Rome to find the same …
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