Episode
Episode 625: What's It Like to Live in Guantanamo Bay? (with Victoria Montes)
- Podcast
- The Bittersweet Life
- Published
- Apr 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1619
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Summary
Don't miss this fascinating interview with writer and teacher Victoria Montes, a long-time expat currently living in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Victoria has spent much of her life moving around the word, from Nigeria, Morocco, and Pakistan as a diplomat's kid growing up in the '70s, to a young military police officer based in Germany, to working as a photojournalist covering the war in Afghanistan, and now teaching schoolkids on military bases. She sits down with us to talk about her journey navigating identity, home, transitions, and the complicated emotions that come with uprooting and beginning again. Her extraordinary experiences have led her to write a number of books, including The Embassy Burned , inspired by her own proximity to the 1979 attack on the US Embassy in Pakistan. Victoria also discusses living in GTMO, something she describes as "the surreal normalcy of everyday life." ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: Our third annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is in the books! If you'd like to join us in 2026, and be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here . AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon , for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free! ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at th…