397: What if you survived a terrorist attack in Paris?
This Is Actually Happening
Audible
4.6 • 10.4K Ratings
🗓️ 10 March 2026
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After surviving the 2015 ISIS terrorist attacks at a Paris café, a woman begins the painful work of confronting buried childhood trauma and reclaiming a life she had never fully allowed herself to live.
Today’s episode featured Mandy Palmucci. You can email Mandy at mandypalmucci@gmail.com.
Mandy is on Instagram @palmuccim
Mandy is currently working on a book about her experience.
Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits
Content/Trigger Warnings: Childhood sexual abuse, Terrorism / mass shooting, Graphic violence and death, Severe injury, Survivor’s guilt, PTSD / trauma responses, Self-hatred and shame, Emotional abuse in childhood, explicit language
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Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez
Music Bed: Ambient Themes
Services
If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:
National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of This Is Actually Happening, |
| 0:04.4 | ad free right now. |
| 0:06.4 | Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. |
| 0:09.4 | This Is Actually Happening features real experiences that often include traumatic events. |
| 0:13.7 | Please consult the show notes for specific content warnings on each episode, |
| 0:17.0 | and for more information about support services. |
| 0:21.6 | I didn't know that Hopeless actually has a feeling attached to it, |
| 0:26.6 | like a really heavy, heavy-sinking feeling. |
| 0:30.6 | It's visceral, and I wanted it over. |
| 0:35.6 | I expected whomever was shooting to come just take us off one by one. |
| 0:41.9 | And I was ready for that. |
| 0:51.5 | From Audible Originals, I'm Witnessildine. |
| 0:55.5 | You're listening to This Is Actually Happening. |
| 1:02.1 | Episode 397. |
| 1:05.1 | What if you survived a terrorist attack in Paris. My dad is the son of an immigrant from San Marino. |
| 1:35.6 | My dad grew up in Ohio with his sister. |
| 1:38.3 | My mom also grew up in Ohio. |
| 1:41.0 | They got married in 1980 when she was 20 and he was 22. And they had me two years later. |
| 1:48.8 | My brother was born in 1985 and so that was our family. We moved when I was in kindergarten to |
| 1:57.5 | Amish country in Millersburg, Ohio. |
| 2:05.1 | My mom is very motherly, and it was nice. |
| 2:09.0 | She didn't work on Fridays, and one of my earlier memories was being excited to come home from school because I knew she was going to be there, and it was just nice that she |
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