Voice Notes

Day 27

In this high speed race against the clock (and productivity), we bring you a seven-minute-or-less podcast (definitely our speediest yet)!

We open with a noble mission: say something before bedtime. And we do — oh, we do. The morning was a gentle symphony of socks, towels, and underpants flapping on clotheslines. Just kidding, no underpants because you don't wash those, right? By noon, we scooted down the mountain (on our bottoms, no, I wish) to quit the bustling downtown — plot twist: Sundays are the place to be in Raito!

It was pizza for one, an Italian burger for the other — devoured picnic-style on the beach like the classy coastal cowboys we are. We read, journaled, and laid on the sand. 

Evening rolled in with bold dreams of productivity, which were swiftly replaced with TV and avoidance of Monday. Sunday scaries? Very real. But also: deep inner peace achieved via mutual delusion that hey, it's gonna be a good week though. 

We wrap it all up with a countdown to bedtime and a farewell that covers every timezone, because we care about you like that. And now you don't even have to listen to the voice note! 

Day 26

It's a giggler. Welcome to our wild ride along the Amalfi Coast—a journey filled with scenic views, big buses, and not throwing up.

A few things for you to note: Italian bus schedules are like a suggestion, not a rule. We should've, would've, could've (but didn't) think about it being packed to the brim, as if everyone else in Italy had the same exact idea. Catch us snuggling the bus driver and buckle up for this story a the bus ride turned into a rollercoaster as we twisted and turned around cliffs, and by cliffs, we mean, a 100-foot drop to the sea. Every turn felt like we were living on the edge.

Obviously, we survive to tell the tale, eat a lot of yummy (and much healthier) sugar and enjoy our little hearts out. 

Long story short: Amalfi’s gorgeous, the people are kind, and the buses… well, let’s just say we’re committed to the trains and planes and boats from here on out. It was one heck of a ride. ;) 

Day 25

"Hey everybody!" "Hey everybody!"

Is 25 the perfect number? Maybe. It’s clean. It’s crisp. It’s Andruw Jones’ jersey number. It’s half of 50. It’s a quarter of a dollar. It just feels good. By the time you’re 25, you’ve made it. If you haven’t figured out your entire life by 25? Well… you’re late. You should’ve traveled the world. You should’ve discovered your passion. You should’ve filed your taxes on time (at least once). If you haven’t? (Insert absolute judgement)

Speaking of quarters… Taylor wants to talk about coins.

You know what’s crazy? Here, they don’t have dollar bills—just coins. A one-dollar coin. A two-dollar coin. If you buy a one-dollar soda with a five-dollar bill, you get two whole coins back. It’s honestly a better system. Bills take up too much space. Have you ever stuffed ten one-dollar bills in your wallet? It’s chaos. But ten little coins? They have weight. They have purpose. You can feel them in your pocket. Or, if you’re Taylor , in your fanny pack pouch. His "fouch" if you will.

Which naturally leads us to… Anthony Fauci.
Why? No one knows. But here we are.

Anyway, welcome Linda to the podcast!

Linda, listen. Linda was OFFENDED that she didn’t know about the podcast or the Facebook group. I told her, “Linda, that’s a you problem.” Nobody checks their Facebook notifications. I log in once a day, and every time there are at least nine notifications, none of which are important. It’s all, “So-and-so posted for the first time in a while!” or “You might know this random person from 2013!” Instagram is just as bad. This is why I have 12,000 unread texts—notifications are fake news.

But Linda? If you were a notification, you would matter.

Let’s talk gelato.

It’s been over a week since we’ve had gelato. A crime. A disgrace. The last time might have been in Venice. Before that? Naples. Except… did we even get gelato in Naples? No. No, we did not. And for what? Who do we think we are? We were gelato people. We were gelato. 

Where are we now? Sitting on the beach, staring at pastel-painted mountains, counting four big ships. 

And speaking of life choices—Taylor has an adventure to share including his Italian haircut, the high stakes with potential family photos, and his leap of faith. 

We set the scene with a morning market run, exploring the town, coffee shop fun, and makeup sessions. Not us, dad. We don't kiss. 

So yeah. If you ever wonder what it’s like here? Just know: the coins are solid, the gelato is alive and well, and love—deep, passionate, kissy-kissy, borderline-questionable love—is very much alive.

 

Day 24

Welcome to another thrilling episode! 

Today face consequences that result in deciding to not eat dinner and that Taylor is potentially German & Argentinian, and of course we debate the true population of lizards on this fine island—five? Fifty? Five hundred? Census pending.

In other news, we uncover a multimillionaire dream: fresh socks every week (because washed socks aren't good enough?), and the thrilling tale of a nighttime soap quest unfolds, featuring high-stakes hand gestures and unexpected vegan options. Lastly, we discover that standing ab workouts are a thing (thanks fitness influencers), and the local barista Lisa finally gets her well-earned name reveal.

It's a slow build, that maybe doesn't quit build - but, hey, for us, day 24 was a really lovely day. 

Tune in next time for more riveting insights, like: Do lizards have nuclear families? Will we ever be able to speak Italian? And does Perri really love animals? (Yes.)

Day 23

Welcome to the podcast where we say things for 10 minutes and realize we weren't recording (ugh it's like we were just having a conversation or something). So then, you're under the pressure of, do we say the same thing again but with slightly more resentment? No. We started a new conversation and got to bring you along with us this time.

This is technically episode 23, but in our hearts, it’s episode 23.5, thanks to a tragic 10-minute monologue that will forever not be cherished. OKAY MOVING ON, geez.

Today, we dive into the big life questions: What do you do 23 times a day? Open the fridge? Flip a light switch? Listen to 23 songs? Say “ciao” an unnecessary amount? We also reminisce about the golden age of childhood snacking—Ritz crackers, goldfish, and putting leftovers in a mug.

In a shocking twist, we uncover the great mystery of parental silence in the car—"turns out, after 32 years of listening to life, you just crave less sound," says Taylor. We also explore whether the ocean has feelings, if it mourns the loss of fish (and people), and if it’s just jazzed up when it’s stormy. The kind of deep stuff CS Lewis would approve of and that you can't take too seriously because God is mysterious and so creative and whimsical and the author, here. Don't get judgy and think you know everything.

We wish we were having this conversation with you, so hey, if you have time today, will you send us a voice note and tell us about your life?! We miss you. 

Day 22

Welcome to two people trying to record a five-minute podcast and ending up at a number that's sizably more than that. 

Today we kick things off with Perri's actually pitiful whistling and I guess every time it didn't come out of my mouth I was surprised so I just kept trying... you're welcome. We then dive into a hard-hitting investigative report on the hierarchy of clowning, thanks to faithful listener and bff Mackenzie Sloan herself. Did you know that mimes are just a subset of clowns? And that clowns reign supreme at the top of the entertainment food chain? Terrifying. But don’t fact-check that—Mackenzie already did. We are all left asking the same question..."are we all some kind of clown?"

We also learn that our T & P spent the day enjoying coffee, cats, and unexpected breakfast ice cream (a “Crema Café” mix-up led to a 10 a.m. sundae situation, which we bravely licked our way to the bottom).

We say a lot of things, but we round things out by vibing to aggressively loud Italian-Latin music, lounging on concrete blocks by the boat docks, and watching soccer games on the dirt field by the beach. It’s the kind of day you wish you could force all your loved ones to experience with you. 

Out of love, obviously. <3

Day 21

Welcome to the Amalfi Coast! We have officially stumbled upon a magical town just south of the tourist-packed Amalfi, where the air is fresh, the food is affordable, and the locals are wonderfully confused by our attempts at conversation and it's just the best ever. Taylor is bringing the funny stories today and Perri, per usual, is at a loss for words (or delay of words) from the magnitude of beauty here but she's present to giggle along. 

Enjoy a couple fun highlights including a near-life changing experience at a market where a week’s worth of food costs less than a Starbucks order, and some bonding with an Italian shopkeeper over our mutual inability to understand each other. Is "goodbye" in Italian really "Goodbye" ...?

And a few other highlights include:

    •    The seven stages of our daily Everest hike home

    •    A scenic train ride that felt like stepping into an alternate reality

    •    A battle for mustard at McDonald’s

Join us as we embrace slow living, the beauty around us, and the universal language of big, enthusiastic hand waves.

Day 20

Okay, we know you came here for the street sermon but we forgot to record our usual street-walking session because it was cold, dark, and, frankly, we just didn’t think about you (yet).

But we hopefully made up for it with some top-tier dilemmas—like whether they’d rather be a gladiator, a mime, or a recorder-playing orchestra member. Perri loves on the spot questions where she has to make a decision in the midst of her stage fright of speaking in front of you (hand full of listeners). She will then think more about her decision later and debate her true desires. 

Speaking of mimes, we took a detour into the surprisingly alive-and-kicking world of gospel miming, which was kind of alarming - but you know what happens when you click on the wrong video and it take you somewhere you don't want to go. 

Oh yeah, we also visited Pompeii... CRAZY! With a train ride that hugged the Italian coast with dramatic ocean views, setting the stage for our grand exploration of a city frozen in volcanic ash since 79 AD. The only problem? No plaques. No labels. No idea what we were looking at. Or what Taylor was trying to learn about. Pompeii, the ancient city of mystery, left him in a silent rage (perhaps an unintended miming exercise). Just kidding - he was very controlled and cool. And eventually got the audio app to work. 

Moral of the story? Ask for help when you’re lost, support the mime revival, and always, ALWAYS, find a tour/audio tour on historical sites.