PODCAST · society
Bear Fur & Sparkles
by Fernando Ventresca and Jason Hanasik
Bear Fur and Sparkles is a conversational podcast about starting over—geographically, emotionally, and culturally—after 40.Hosted by Fernando Ventresca and Jason Hanasik, two former San Francisco residents who relocated to Europe in midlife to experience new ways to "do human."This isn’t a podcast about chasing youth or reliving glory days. It’s about learning new rules when no one hands you a guidebook and how being gay abroad can feel both freeing and oddly constraining.Bear Fur and Sparkles looks at the emotional, social, and political realities of being a gay man in your forties and fifties—when you’re no longer becoming who you’ll be, but deciding who you want to stay.Smart, funny, reflective, and occasionally messy, this is a podcast for anyone asking:What does a good life look like now—and where might I find it?
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Fantasy vs. Reality: Shameless Sex and Abundant Eating Abroad
Season 1, Episode 4In this episode of Bear Fur & Sparkles, Fernando (Lisbon) and Jason (Athens) get refreshingly honest about two topics people rarely discuss together: food and sex. (Unless you freaky like that then go on girl, do you!)Fernando confesses he's gained 10 pounds since moving to Portugal — but here's the twist: he's never felt better about his body, he's off every fad diet he was cycling through in California, and the chains are officially off!Jason gets even more personal, sharing how PrEP's limited availability in Greece has been a wake-up call — one that connects to a lifetime of shame, fear, and the very real trauma that gay men of their generation carry from growing up during the AIDS crisis. They talk about the life-changing harm reduction models at San Francisco's Magnet and Strut clinics, what it means to reclaim your body for pleasure, and why access to sexual health care is a quality-of-life issue — not a moral one.They also answer a listener question from Tara, who wants to know: where do I even begin if I want to move abroad? Fernando and Jason break it down with practical, honest advice — including the most important question you need to ask yourself before you book that one-way ticket.
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The Role Models
Role models who never knew they were role models. Fernando and Jason share stories about the people they've met earlier in life that showed them they can live their lives anyway they wanted. These role models don't give you the script. But they show us what it could look like. That includes picking up and moving abroad.Plus! Fernando reveals to Jason how he saved Fernando's move to Portugal.Oh, and we debut our brand new theme song. 🎶Enjoy episode 3 of Bear Fur & Sparkles!
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Fantasy vs. Reality: Culture Shock and "Cheap" Travel
Episode 2 is here! What is "disidentification?" You could be doing it right now! Jason spills the tea on that and his struggles to come to terms with new cultural norms in Greece.With budget airlines and aggressive competition, air travel in Europe is thought to be inexpensive and easy. Fernando draws back the curtain on what travel is really like within the European continent.
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Goodbye, I'm Home!
Season 1 debut!Episode one of Bear Fur and Sparkles starts with Jason's brush with a god on the Athens subway and Fernando's hot takes on the "Heated Rivalry" phenomenon. Then hear the full story of why they chose to leave the US and begin again with new lives in Europe. If you've ever thought about living in a foreign country, you'll love the first episode of Bear Fur and Sparkles!
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Bear Fur and Sparkles is a conversational podcast about starting over—geographically, emotionally, and culturally—after 40.Hosted by Fernando Ventresca and Jason Hanasik, two former San Francisco residents who relocated to Europe in midlife to experience new ways to "do human."This isn’t a podcast about chasing youth or reliving glory days. It’s about learning new rules when no one hands you a guidebook and how being gay abroad can feel both freeing and oddly constraining.Bear Fur and Sparkles looks at the emotional, social, and political realities of being a gay man in your forties and fifties—when you’re no longer becoming who you’ll be, but deciding who you want to stay.Smart, funny, reflective, and occasionally messy, this is a podcast for anyone asking:What does a good life look like now—and where might I find it?
HOSTED BY
Fernando Ventresca and Jason Hanasik
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Bear Fur & Sparkles have?
Bear Fur & Sparkles currently has 4 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Bear Fur & Sparkles about?
Bear Fur and Sparkles is a conversational podcast about starting over—geographically, emotionally, and culturally—after 40.Hosted by Fernando Ventresca and Jason Hanasik, two former San Francisco residents who relocated to Europe in midlife to experience new ways to "do human."This isn’t a podcast...
How often does Bear Fur & Sparkles release new episodes?
Bear Fur & Sparkles has 4 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Bear Fur & Sparkles?
You can listen to Bear Fur & Sparkles on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Bear Fur & Sparkles?
Bear Fur & Sparkles is created and hosted by Fernando Ventresca and Jason Hanasik.
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