Author Archives: Pia

Baby News and our Happymoon in Egypt!

  By Pia | February 27, 2012 - 10:27 am | Update
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First of all, we have some exciting news..  I am pregnant!!! After 2 years of trying including 2 attempts with the fertility clinic in Canada and only after 2 weeks living in Sweden, we got pregnant naturally. The day before leaving for our honeymoon, we got to see Baby Holden for the first time! Now about our honeymoon… You can see all the pics here… http://photobucket.com/PiaNeilHoneymoon   We arrived in Egypt on Thursday night. The original airline was on strike so we were on a charter airline provided by the tour company which turned out to be completely English speaking which was nice! I have to say, people are NUTS! The lady seated next to me was a real piece of work. She covered herself (head and all) in her winter coat while she slept. I was so annoyed because I knew I would have to make several trips to … Read More →

Happy Valentine’s Day! Alla Hjärtans Dag!

  By Pia | February 14, 2012 - 8:53 am | Rambling
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Well, today is the big day. The day where businesses everywhere get to make a mint on guilt… ok ok that is a little harsh. Truthfully, Neil and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. When we first started dating, we agreed not to celebrate Valentine’s on Feb 14th and just celebrate our relationship (and each other) every day! Neil and I were both relieved that we made this decision! I think I would feel slightly insulted if one day a year, Neil went all-out and spoiled me with flowers and candy and romance. Romance shouldn’t be limited to one day and although I don’t expect candy and flowers on a daily basis, it is a far bigger treat when it comes as a surprise! I used to be friends with girls that would guilt their partners into a super spoiled Valentine’s Day, demanding that they get taken to fancy restaurants with … Read More →

Reflections of loss and appreciation…

  By Pia | February 3, 2012 - 1:33 pm | Update
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Since redoing my website, I have been reflecting a lot on the last 5 or so years. So much has happened.. you can read back to see but it is so crazy to think how different my life was 5 years ago.  I keep thinking how much weight I have lost.  I got my wrist tattoo as a reminder to never forget where I came from/what I used to be like etc.. it was meant to keep me “in check” and now almost 5 years since my surgery, I feel like I have nearly forgotten. Then I wonder, is it ok to forget? Just let go of who I was and what I went through? Its tough. I think a line between remembering the past to not repeat it vs. moving forward. I lost a total of 233 lbs. initially (before the 5 lb. bounce- back) that is just over … Read More →

Important info about changes to my site…

  By Pia | February 2, 2012 - 3:36 pm | Update
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Hi! I have changed the site to make it a lot nicer (and easier for me to use). As part of the renovations, I discovered a cool tool which was able to import all of my posts from my old Blogger site!  As a result, the entire history is here now (and a lot easier to navigate). I have also discovered that the only way interested readers can receive my blog post updates via email is to subscribe to the RSS feed (see the link on the right-side menu).  If you are interested in subscribing (thank you!) please use the Entries RSS option. At the moment I don’t have a routine for blogging so this will ensure you are notified when I do post! Lastly, if you are interested in commenting, participating in posts/discussions or just making your presence known as a subscriber, please register on the site. You will be … Read More →

Language, letters and living my life…

  By Pia | February 2, 2012 - 12:47 am | Update
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I have lived in Sweden over 2 months and I have to admit, it feels like a lot longer. I am not sure if it is the pace here, or the lack of understanding of the language that makes time seem to go by at a different rate. Since we received our crate of belongings from Canada in January, I expected that our home would just become more homey.. what I didn’t realise, is that having half of a house still empty (our rental house is much much larger than the house we left in Canada and we didn’t bring all of our furniture!) still fosters an unsettled feeling. As we slowly fill the house and move into every room properly, I expect the house to warm up in both temperature and atmosphere. Only time can tell.. we’ll see. Also at the beginning of January I started my Swedish language lessons. … Read More →

Christmas, twice… my jackpot & emerging from the underground.

  By Pia | January 5, 2012 - 2:11 am | In a Nutshell..., Update
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I love Christmas. There is something about the season that is warming and comfortable. It makes me feel like the world is somehow more united, people flood out to the malls and (mostly) put up with each other while buying gifts for others. Ok so I know it is a little delusional to think that everything is so apple pie (or should I say mulled wine) during the season but for me, the season is perfectly cosy! So this year, things have obviously changed. We moved to Sweden not long before Christmas and into our home just a couple weeks before we were to leave for England to spend the holidays with Neil’s family. Our Christmas tree was about 2 feet tall and although I decorated with a few strings of lights (in the basement where we have been dwelling) there wasn’t a lot to signify Christmas at the Holden … Read More →

Swedish living… a change in perspective…

  By Pia | December 14, 2011 - 7:58 am | In a Nutshell..., Update
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I have been in Sweden for 2 weeks now and I am amazed at what a difference 2 weeks makes! Two weeks ago when we arrived in Sweden, I completely understood what it feels like to be without a home. It just felt so empty to know that you have no home address. I think being sick made it all worse since I think people tend to want to be all comfy cosy at home when sick…  Last week I really hit rock bottom. We moved into our new home with a few suitcases of clothes and little more. We managed to purchase what we needed until our container arrives and I think we’re both grateful to have this opportunity but I think there is more to it than the adventure of it all. I had a little pity party for one several times throughout the earlier part of the … Read More →

Whirlwind of Change. Marriage, Moving and Medicine?!

  By Pia | December 3, 2011 - 12:36 am | In a Nutshell..., Update
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Wow things have changed dramatically since I last posted. To recap, on September 10, 2011, my Soul-mate Neil and I were married at Heritage Pointe Golf Course. What an amazing day.  We are still in disbelief that it all actually happened and so perfectly. The few issues we encountered were so minor. In May of 2011,  Neil and I were both away at separate conferences in the US. Neil was in Denver and I was in Sacramento. Neil was asked to speak at his conference, doing a presentation on his research. That led to two opportunities and eventually, two job offers. In August, Neil and I were flown to Sweden for 4 days while Neil had a job interview. Then a couple of weeks later, Neil was in Seattle for another interview. Two nights before the wedding in September, we had to make the decision… were we going to move … Read More →

Blink restaurant review – She said, he said…

  By Pia | June 5, 2011 - 1:35 am | Food, Restaurant Review
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Going for a routine appointment with your family doctor doesn’t usually include pleasant conversation about food and a sub-sequential craving for fine dining… but that is what happened to me and Neil. It is really inspiring to talk to a fellow foodie and realize that what you thought was a little bit of gluttony mixed with being spoiled rotten by really good food, turns out to be a lifestyle choice! Food is fuel, agreed. And while I should be watching how much of that fuel I put into my body, I also like to dabble in the premium unleaded type. Neil and I share a common interest. Good food. Not like mainstream chain restaurant good (although we have some favourites there too) but higher end, really thoughtful, continually changing menu sort of restaurants. One thing we love and covet is foie gras! Ok, so it has a bazillion calories but … Read More →

All about blogging…

  By Pia | May 23, 2011 - 9:26 pm | In a Nutshell...
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Funny thing about blogging… you actually have to sit down at a computer, think about something interesting (or not) to say and then type… So I got an Iphone a couple of months ago… and guess what happened?  I stopped picking up my laptop and I started usign apps for everything.  For the record, typing on any handheld device sucks!! So I am going to try and get back to blogging!  I have a lot to type about!  I recently attended the STC 2011 conference, I am still getting married in 108 days and I have a poor sick kitty! So… I’ll TRY to get some words down.. share some interesting foodie reviews and let you in on my wedding planning secrets. No promises though