Why are U in Rome ?

To kick off the podcast again, I’m delighted to welcome Sergio Beercock to the show. We met by chance in Pigneto, where a friend of his was playing Italian music, and I realized I had already seen him perform once before.Sergio is a self-described "gothic mediterranean." He comes from two islands—Sicily and England—and this duality has profoundly shaped his human and artistic path.This mix leads to a deep and tender conversation about the impact our environment has on our lives, exploring the complexity and unique character of Rome. In this episode, you’ll hear what it means to hold a critical point of view about your own city, and how to always bring creativity into your life.We recorded this when it was hot as hell in Rome this summer, and I hope it brings you some tenderness and light during this fall.

This special end-of-summer episode marks the four-year anniversary of the podcast's very first recording—made even before Good Dramma existed.I reconnected with my first-ever guest, Cristina from NYC, who was the inspiration for this project. She continues to return to Rome, and this summer, I wanted to explore why she keeps coming back and what she has learned from the city.If you'd like to learn more about the project's origins, you can subscribe to my Italian newsletter on Substack. I released this episode there as an exclusive premiere back in July and wrote more about the genesis of the podcast ;)

"All roads lead back to Rome." This is what my guest, Federico Geremei, told me during our conversation, and it perfectly captures his story.Federico is a travel journalist who has seen the world - a lot, yet he always finds his way back to his home base: Monteverde, Rome. Two words that perfectly describe Federico? Curious and interested. He never stops at the basics and likes to go beyond the clichés, to explore all the layers of a place and its people — especially in his own city. Passionate about so many things that it would be impossible to summarize them all, Rome is his "stimulus," and that’s the word I’ll keep in mind for a new adjective for the city.In this episode, you’ll dive deep into the neighborhood of Monteverde, explore the Roman mentality, and unpack the feeling of being home in a place that constantly evolves. You'll also hear us discuss the art of storytelling in Rome and how a city can be a source of endless discovery, never growing old.This is a conversation about seeing the familiar with fresh eyes and finding infinite stories in the place you call home. And stick around until the end — you might just hear the best advice for visiting Rome I've ever recorded.

I met my new guest Emiliane twice before truly meeting her on the third occasion: and this, already predicts a lot about our conversation.Emiliane is from Paris. She came to Rome for love, and — maybe even more powerfully — she stayed for love. Not just romantic love, but a love of the city, of the life she built here, of the version of herself she found in Rome.In this episode, you’ll hear about what it means to choose a city without always being able to explain why, about feeling home (again!), about the culture and the daily life in Rome, and what it’s like to feel more Roman than Parisian — and yet still, somehow, foreign.You’ll also hear about Emiliane’s inspiring path through philosophy at La Sapienza, how she learned Italian by thinking in it, and how she’s now helping reshape the way we teach and learn through transformative pedagogies.This is a story of trying, creating, staying. Of not knowing, and doing it anyway. And maybe that’s the most beautiful part of Emiliane’s journey — she doesn’t know exactly why she loves Rome. She just does.

For this new season, I wanted to start with the story that’s closest to me — the one of my neighbor, Nicoletta.Nicoletta is Italian, but she still doesn’t quite know how to answer the question, “Where are you from?” She lives in San Lorenzo and is actively involved in several local communities. She loves doing, meeting, discovering, and most of all, living alongside others.In this episode, you’ll get a glimpse into what it means to find — or build — your community, and how sometimes, it takes a second chance to truly connect. Because for Nicoletta, Rome wasn’t love at first sight. And maybe that’s the most powerful part of her story: sometimes you have to try again, and that new beginning can lead you somewhere entirely unexpected.

We’re back! To kick off the new season of Why Are U in Rome, we’re doing something a little different: I’m on the other side of the mic.It’s a challenge I accepted from Tania, one of the guests I interviewed last year. Truth is, I never really wanted to tell my story — partly because I wasn’t sure how to answer. But it felt like the right moment, and the right way to begin again. And honestly, I owed it to all the amazing guests who’ve taken on the tough task of opening up.So here it is. It’s not easy to put it out there, but I hope you’ll enjoy it — and maybe understand a bit more about the energy and meaning I put into this podcast.With love 💛