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THE BITTERSWEET LIFE is a Rome-based podcast that explores the joys and frustrations of the expat experience. Your hosts on this journey have two very different points of view on the “dolce vita.” Katy Sewall lived in Rome for a year, and after stints living in San Francisco and New Orleans, she’s now back in her hometown of Seattle for the long term. But she was changed by her experience as an expat, and intentionally seeks out adventure and novelty in her day-to-day life. I moved to Rome over two decades ago with no real plan. I'm still here and still in love with this magical city, but for me, Rome has become more real. I'm now an Italian citizen, with an Italian husband and son. I experience the city more like a local than an expat now, for better or for worse.
But this is not just a podcast extolling the glories of living in Italy. Living outside your own culture and country can be hard. (Incredibly rewarding, but hard.) Living in Italy can be hard. That’s where the name of the show comes from. From the outside, life in Italy can seem like the dolce vita. But it’s more than that. It’s wonderful and agonizing at the same time. It’s bittersweet in so many ways.
So how did Katy and I find each other? We met on the school bus in the 6th grade in a suburb of Seattle, and we've been friends ever since. After over a decade living across the world from one another, we were lucky enough to reconnect in Rome in 2013, when Katy, a seasoned radio professional, got the idea to launch this podcast.
Whether you're an adventurous expat or a happy homebody, whether you've repatriated after living abroad or are currently planning your next adventure, join us weekly for insightful and engaging conversations. Get to know Rome and other fascinating destinations. Hear about the challenges that every expat faces, as well as the joys that come with living life on your own terms—whether in the town where you grew up or somewhere across the world. Laugh at our embarrassments and learn from our mistakes. Listen to the experiences of our guests, most of them expats, former expats, or would-be expats. Most of all, imagine the possibilities for your own life.
New episodes every Monday.
How to subscribe to The BitterSweet Life Podcast
We’ve had a lot of listeners ask us how to subscribe to The Bittersweet Life podcast. It’s simple but takes a couple of steps, so we’ve broken it down for you below.
Your smartphone may already have a podcast player installed. If not, there are plenty to choose from. Katy and I recommend Overcast, one of the most user-friendly and steam-lined options that is available for both Apple and Android devices.
Download it here or search for “Overcast” wherever you get your apps.
Now that you have a podcast player, it’s time to get some podcasts!
1) Open the Overcast app.
2) Tap the + symbol in the upper right corner to search for podcasts.
3) Type The Bittersweet Life (or whatever podcast you’re looking for) into the “Search Directory” bar at the top of the page.
4) Tap on the show and then hit SUBSCRIBE. (It’s literally that easy.)
5) A DONE button will appear letting you know it worked. Just tap DONE and start listening! (The app will also automatically download the latest episode.)
BUT WAIT!! What about all the earlier episodes I missed?
It’s easy to get to those too.
1) Tap The Bittersweet Life in your podcast list. That will take you a new screen with The Bittersweet Life logo and show description at the top.
2) Tap ALL. This will show you a list of every episode ever made. Episodes may appear oldest-to-newest or newest-to-oldest, depending on your settings.
3) Scroll through the list to find episodes you don’t have. Look for titles that are faded-white. Those are the ones you don’t have yet. (You’ve already downloaded the bright-white titles.)
4) Tap the episode you want and either push play (center option), or download the episode for later (downward arrow on the far right)
—optional—
5) You can also download episodes by tapping the (i) icon that appears to the right of each episode’s title. Here you can read more about an episode, find additional links and host contact information, and download the episode. Just tap the downward arrow in the upper right corner of the screen.
We hope this helps you listen to The Bittersweet Life and other podcasts for years to come. If you need help, just let us know. You can reach us at bittersweetlifepodcast@gmail.com
You can also stream any episode of the show at thebittersweetlife.net.