Voice Notes

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. 

Welcome back! 

We start off with an impromptu, rough (yet enthusiastic) musical intro, followed by some classic podcasting dead air where we insist that listeners tell us about their day—while trying to give them actual time to respond. Embrace the awkwardness. 

After our "quality conversation" with you, we invent yet another app but it’s basically voice memos meets Marco Polo (the app not the person) and could be a real hit but we don’t know how to code, so Jonathan and Dan should do it for us.

Then, we debate if you should re-watch movies you've already seen... movies like The Princess Diaries. One of us thinks it’s a cozy nostalgia hug; the other sees it as a two-hour time commitment they just can’t justify.

Guess who.

This naturally spirals into deep reflections on The Office, bedtime habits, and whether watching it with another person counts as emotional betrayal. (Spoiler: it does?)

From there, we dive into our very chill Saturday in Naples, which includes:

    •    A foot injury (but make it European)

    •    20,000 steps (because resting is for quitters)

    •    The best pizza of all time 

To top it all off, we confirm that Naples is, in fact, not just a sketchy back alley, but actually a beautiful, oceanfront city that people love, and to turn the series of events around, we are those people. 

Final takeaways: If you’re in Naples, eat pizza. If your feet hurt, buy new shoes. And if you’re thinking of watching The Princess Diaries, I will watch it with you.

Welcome back to Real Life & Rambles, where we are really alive and really rambling. Today we navigate the profound mysteries of favorite colors, animals, and bodies of water... and the meaning behind it all. No pressure, but your answers reveal something deeply existential about you (which we will reveal tomorrow).

Along the way, we learn about the delicate politics of stuffed animal favoritism, the ethical dilemmas of saying “goodnight” in the correct parental order, and a childhood spent fearing the police over stepping on a suspiciously placed silver button for many torturous months / years to come. Also featured: frisbees as micro-cities, a series of unanswered “am I safe?” and “am I loved?” questions, and a heartfelt shout-out-to-God and Grove Park.

Don't miss the end with our surprise musical guests for a surprise song. All our XOXOs. 

Welcome to today’s episode, where we turn our entire day into an ASMR experience—except instead of relaxing whispers, it’s mostly chaotic noises with mouth smacking and wheeze-laughter in the background. 

We packed up and left Venice, where one of us achieved peak mosquito defense with Taylor's method of sleep known as "cockooning". We then boarded another fast train to Naples, made two new friends, and attempted to describe an indescribable Airbnb host who lead us to the coziest, most thoughtful Airbnb in existence—complete with handwritten notes, mystery candies, and mosquito repellent that felt personally placed there by God.

All in all, it was a lovely travel day. We aren't super confident in the last 2 episodes... but hey, that's show business. ;) Stay tuned to see if we ever figure out how to pronounce anything in Italian as we begin our adventure in Naples! And yes, we are trying with daily lessons on Babbel. 

It's day 16 and Perri is embarrassed at her “Happy Birthday” which then spirals into an existential debate on the correct way to say umbrella (um-BRELL-a? UM-brella?) and an impromptu musical number inspired by rain and Rihanna. Is this a musical episode?

We navigated a beautifully dreary day in Venice, and debated whether romanticized rain is just wet inconvenience in disguise. Along the way, we processed what felt like absolute horror of revealing you’re from Atlanta in an international tour group (should we start saying Schlabino Island instead?) and why is that, ATL is cool - you know?

It’s a chaotic, too comfortable, and hopefully relatable episode (we listen and we don't judge)—perfect for anyone who’s ever felt the need to defend their hometown, feel the rain on their skin, or overthink how they pronounce everyday words.

Stay dry, stay dramatic, and, for the love of all things linguistics, send in your umbrella voice notes.

Welcome to Voice Notes, where this time, we switch things up by facing each other while recording, which apparently feels like a date (and you, dear listener, are third-wheeling).

Topics of discussion include:

    •    A dramatic retelling of how last night’s episode went too long, involved a mild existential crisis, and ended in discussing the marriage advice to never go to bed angry.

    •    Perri’s well-documented clubbing schedule (Tuesdays & Thursdays, mark your calendars) and the resulting concern that this information might end up in a church bulletin

    •    Fur coats. Specifically, the excessive number of them in Italy and which one Taylor would wear (spoiler: a cropped white one for maximum cuteness)

You're in for us developing our morning announcement voices, observed European things, and whether certain Italian lingerie shops are actually selling Halloween costumes.

It’s a 10/10 mix of deep thoughts, travel observations, and absolute nonsense—yeah, sounds like us. 

Venetian Bed Bugs, Satin Floss, and Poop Anxiety: A Love Story

Ah, day 14—where the ramble is ramblin', but the commitment to daily voice journaling remains strong. In today’s installment, we learn that floss matters, and apparently, only satin floss is fit for us (how posh). Meanwhile, the old floss, possibly made of barbed wire, has been retired with great ceremony.

But floss isn’t the only thing we are battling. Allow us to introduce The Mosquito-Bed Bug-Phantom Itch Epidemic of Venice. There are bites. Many bites. Are they mosquitoes? Are they bed bugs? Will they crawl into mouths at night? We have committed to not Googling for answers until we have completed our stay.

Speaking of discomfort, there's been a submitted question from a faithful listener... regarding panxiety. Is this a male thing or a people thing? Tune in to find out. 

We also reflect on how this daily podcast has unexpectedly made us feel closer than ever to friends and family—despite being across the world. The big takeaway? Whether it’s sharing travels, anxieties, goofy banter, or your very specific floss preferences, staying connected is all about making time to share your life with people and them share it back for one big family style feast of friendship. 

Till tomorrow!

Welcome to Day 13: Sunday Street Sessions in Venice, where we take you with us through the streets. You may also call this episode, Street Sermons, as we all walk away inspired by Taylor's words as a fill-in street preacher. 

Did you know Europe has a different daylight savings time than the U.S.? Now you do! Time’s still confusing, but who cares when you’re exploring Venice’s bridges, palaces, and mysterious Jell-O water?

We’re talking glassblowing, restaurants in gardens, and boats that double as buses. Oh, and forget the $90 gondola ride, we’ve got a boat tour that loops the Grand Canal that was cheaper, thanks to Saturday's tour guide suggestions. 

Along the way, we muse about life in slow motion, ponder possible future destinations (Croatia? Switzerland? The middle of nowhere (but still very much so somewhere). So, join us for a walk where we get lost, get found, and get philosophical about Venice.