My beautiful bipolar life
What started as a cross country bucket list journey with my terminally ill and estranged father, evolved into a search and rescue effort. To find the little girl who got lost amongst generational trauma, domestic violence and societal expectations. I found the fearless wildflower who loved herself and was ready to change the world. In my father’s death, I discovered the life I was supposed to live, while evolving into the woman I am today. I hope this podcast is a safe place to land for those wanting to heal, grow and live an authentic life rooted in gratitude, kindness, limited f***s and yummy snacks.
My beautiful bipolar life
Untethered & Unfiltered
Step into the colorful, complex world of "My Beautiful Bipolar Life," where the boundaries between travel adventures, culinary discoveries, mental health journeys, and social activism blur into one vibrant tapestry.
The podcast's four interconnected segments offer something for every curious soul. "Untethered" takes you beyond typical tourist experiences, exploring how movement across borders transforms our understanding of both the world and ourselves. Fresh from a soul-stirring drive along California's Pacific Coast Highway, I'll share how the open road provides relief and clarity when life feels overwhelming.
Food lovers will find a kindred spirit in "Food for the Soul," where we celebrate cuisine as the universal language that transcends cultural barriers. Growing up with food insecurity shaped my perspective—feeding others has become my love language. Whether you're planning vacations around restaurants or simply appreciate a good meal, you'll find practical recommendations and fun food finds.
"Sunny with a Chance of Crazy" offers an unflinchingly honest look at living with bipolar disorder. We'll navigate the unpredictable landscape of mental health together, finding strength in adaptability and celebrating the unique perspectives this condition brings. My stories aim to inspire, providing practical management strategies while honoring both the challenges and triumphs of the bipolar experience.
"Small Town USA" confronts the uncomfortable truths lurking beneath the surface of communities like my own Catasauqua, where prejudice often hides behind friendly facades. Recent confrontations with local bigotry—resulting in doxxing and harassment—only strengthen my resolve to shine light on injustice and amplify silenced voices.
Subscribe now and join a community where courage, curiosity, and authenticity are celebrated. Together, we'll discover how travel shapes our souls, food connects our hearts, mental health informs our perspectives, and activism changes our world.
Hello and welcome to my beautiful bipolar life. I am your host, kelly Bauer. If this is your first time, welcome. If you've been here before, welcome back.
Speaker 1:This podcast digs into the four powerful themes that shape my life Travel, food, bipolar living and raging against the machine. Each with its own segment, but all woven together by the ways they shape our journeys, our plates and our sense of self. I'm here to guide you through stories of the road, the kitchen and the everyday realities of mental health, all with a spirit of resistance and fun. Settle in as we explore how these threads connect. Travel is more than a passport stamp. It's an invitation to expansion. In this segment, appropriately called Untethered, we'll dive into the ways that being in motion, crossing borders, meeting strangers, learning new languages, can open our minds and deepen our compassion. Whether you're wandering city streets in Istanbul or on a beach in the Maldives, travel reveals both the beauty and complexity of the world. As we journey outward, we'll see how the act of exploration often sets the stage for the stories of food and the realities of living with bipolar disorder, showing how movement and discovery go hand in hand with growth. My most recent adventure was nine days driving the Pacific Coast Highway in California. Driving has always been my sense of relief wandering, finding new places and California is the perfect place to wander. Next week, we'll dive into my journey and how important it was to get me to the place that I am today.
Speaker 1:Food is the universal language In this segment Food for the Soul we focus on how what we eat tells stories about where we've been, who we meet and how we care for ourselves. Whether it's savoring new flavors in a bustling market or preparing a comfort meal at home, food grounds us when we're far from what's familiar. Food brings people together, transcends barriers and often becomes the bridge between travel's outer journeys and the inner world of bipolar living, a space where memory, emotion and identity all sit down at the same table. Food has always played a major role in my life. Food has always played a major role in my life, growing up with food insecurity. Feeding others is my love language, whether I'm cooking to share with those that will go without, or using my bipolar brain to come up with recipes based on what I have in the house. Who else loves to read menus? Do you get excited at the thought of what you might eat while on vacation? Then this segment is for you. We will discuss all things food. I'll share recipes like my homemade Caesar dressing, tell you about my favorite restaurants and what you should order, and share many of the food experiences I've had while traveling abroad. I'll share local finds and cheap eats. My first tip the Utter Bar in Allentown, pennsylvania. The best ice cream I've ever had. My favorite day of the week is Tuesday. It's Taco Tuesday, but not the way that you would think. The Utter Bar sells. Buy one, get one free ice cream tacos. I promise it will be the best $5 you've ever spent.
Speaker 1:Living with bipolar disorder means navigating a landscape as varied as any travel itinerary or culinary adventure. In this segment Sunny with a Chance of Crazy we'll talk candidly about how mental health shapes the way we experience both the world and the everyday. The journey of bipolar living is one of adaptation and embracing unpredictability as a source of strength. It's about honoring both the challenges and the triumphs, knowing that each experience is part of a larger, interconnected story. We'll discuss real experiences and ways to manage your bipolar that work for you. My hope is that my stories will encourage you to live a beautiful bipolar life.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Small Town USA, a segment where I'm shining a light on the uncomfortable truths hiding behind familiar faces and quiet streets. Catasauqua, nicknamed Small Town, usa, is a place where racism, bigotry and homophobia are quietly tolerated and, even worse, ignored. But staying silent is not an option. This segment is about using my privilege to speak up for those who are too often silenced. It's about holding bigots accountable, not letting hate slide under the radar and pushing for real change, not just here, but everywhere, because fighting injustice isn't for the cities of the headlines, it's for every town that calls itself home. Join me as we confront the hard stuff, challenge the status quo and learn how to be the voice when it matters most.
Speaker 1:Whether it's trolling the bigots on my local Facebook page or holding people accountable for their words, I want this segment to be a flashlight shining brightly on the faces of the bigots that live in my town and everywhere in the world. I recently posted something on my local Facebook page regarding white men being the problem. For centuries, white men in positions of power created laws, systems and narratives that upheld white supremacy, while criminalizing blackness, erasing indigenous identity, exploiting labor and silencing dissent. This isn't opinion, it's history, policy data. This incited a level of rage that resulted in them doxing my information, wishing death upon me and attacking me like a pack of animals, but the joke's on them. My self-worth is not a group discussion. I have healed the parts of me that would be bothered by their words. Instead, it is a reminder of the work that needs to be done in this world, that evil lives among us and hides behind fake smiles and hollow words. Next week, I'll highlight those words and share with you the reality of small town USA, or as I like to call it, deliverance Catasauqua.
Speaker 1:So how do travel, food, bipolar living and raging against the machine intertwine? Each shapes the other. The courage to wander and explore come from who we are and how. Bipolar changes the way we live. Who we are and how bipolar changes the way we live. The food we seek reflects both where we are and how we feel. The stand we take against injustice is strengthened by empathy grown from our journeys and our struggles. So let's keep moving, tasting and living with intention and living with intention. Until next time, my friends, stay brave, stay curious and stay true to yourself always.