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.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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.
This podcast digs into the fourpowerful themes that shape my
life Travel, food, bipolarliving and raging against the

(00:23):
machine.
Each with its own segment, butall woven together by the ways
they shape our journeys, ourplates and our sense of self.
I'm here to guide you throughstories of the road, the kitchen
and the everyday realities ofmental health, all with a spirit
of resistance and fun.
Settle in as we explore howthese threads connect.

(00:47):
Travel is more than a passportstamp.
It's an invitation to expansion.
In this segment, appropriatelycalled Untethered, we'll dive
into the ways that being inmotion, crossing borders,
meeting strangers, learning newlanguages, can open our minds
and deepen our compassion.

(01:07):
Whether you're wandering citystreets in Istanbul or on a
beach in the Maldives, travelreveals both the beauty and
complexity of the world.
As we journey outward, we'llsee how the act of exploration
often sets the stage for thestories of food and the
realities of living with bipolardisorder, showing how movement

(01:30):
and discovery go hand in handwith growth.
My most recent adventure wasnine days driving the Pacific
Coast Highway in California.
Driving has always been mysense of relief wandering,
finding new places andCalifornia is the perfect place
to wander.

(01:50):
Next week, we'll dive into myjourney and how important it was
to get me to the place that Iam today.
Food is the universal languageIn this segment Food for the
Soul we focus on how what we eattells stories about where we've
been, who we meet and how wecare for ourselves.

(02:11):
Whether it's savoring newflavors 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 betweentravel's outer journeys and the
inner world of bipolar living, aspace where memory, emotion and

(02:35):
identity all sit down at thesame table.
Food has always played a majorrole in my life.
Food has always played a majorrole in my life, growing up with
food insecurity.
Feeding others is my lovelanguage, whether I'm cooking to
share with those that will gowithout, or using my bipolar

(02:56):
brain to come up with recipesbased on what I have in the
house.
Who else loves to read menus?
Do you get excited at thethought 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 myhomemade Caesar dressing, tell

(03:17):
you about my favoriterestaurants and what you should
order, and share many of thefood experiences I've had while
traveling abroad.
I'll share local finds andcheap eats.
My first tip the Utter Bar inAllentown, pennsylvania.
The best ice cream I've everhad.
My favorite day of the week isTuesday.

(03:38):
It's Taco Tuesday, but not theway that you would think.
The Utter Bar sells.
Buy one, get one free ice creamtacos.
I promise it will be the best$5 you've ever spent.
Living with bipolar disordermeans navigating a landscape as
varied as any travel itineraryor culinary adventure.
In this segment Sunny with aChance of Crazy we'll talk

(04:03):
candidly about how mental healthshapes the way we experience
both the world and the everyday.
The journey of bipolar livingis one of adaptation and
embracing unpredictability as asource of strength.
It's about honoring both thechallenges and the triumphs,
knowing that each experience ispart of a larger, interconnected

(04:25):
story.
We'll discuss real experiencesand ways to manage your bipolar
that work for you.
My hope is that my stories willencourage you to live a
beautiful bipolar life.
Welcome to Small Town USA, asegment where I'm shining a
light on the uncomfortabletruths hiding behind familiar

(04:47):
faces and quiet streets.
Catasauqua, nicknamed SmallTown, usa, is a place where
racism, bigotry and homophobiaare quietly tolerated and, even
worse, ignored.
But staying silent is not anoption.
This segment is about using myprivilege to speak up for those

(05:08):
who are too often silenced.
It's about holding bigotsaccountable, not letting hate
slide under the radar andpushing 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 hardstuff, challenge the status quo

(05:34):
and learn how to be the voicewhen it matters most.
Whether it's trolling the bigotson my local Facebook page or
holding people accountable fortheir words, I want this segment
to be a flashlight shiningbrightly on the faces of the
bigots that live in my town andeverywhere in the world.

(05:55):
I recently posted something onmy local Facebook page regarding
white men being the problem.
For centuries, white men inpositions of power created laws,
systems and narratives thatupheld white supremacy, while
criminalizing blackness, erasingindigenous identity, exploiting

(06:17):
labor and silencing dissent.
This isn't opinion, it'shistory, policy data.
This incited a level of ragethat resulted in them doxing my
information, wishing death uponme and attacking me like a pack
of animals, but the joke's onthem.

(06:39):
My self-worth is not a groupdiscussion.
I have healed the parts of methat would be bothered by their
words.
Instead, it is a reminder ofthe work that needs to be done
in this world, that evil livesamong us and hides behind fake
smiles and hollow words.
Next week, I'll highlight thosewords and share with you the

(07:03):
reality of small town USA, or asI like to call it, deliverance
Catasauqua.
So how do travel, food, bipolarliving and raging against the
machine intertwine?
Each shapes the other.
The courage to wander andexplore come from who we are and

(07:24):
how.
Bipolar changes the way we live.
Who we are and how bipolarchanges the way we live.
The food we seek reflects bothwhere we are and how we feel.
The stand we take againstinjustice is strengthened by
empathy grown from our journeysand our struggles.
So let's keep moving, tastingand living with intention and

(07:51):
living with intention.
Until next time, my friends,stay brave, stay curious and
stay true to yourself always.