My birthday: I'm 49 years old today. I look at that number and just shake my head because that cannot possibly be true. 49? That's not at all the number I'd assign myself if I woke up with amnesia and had to guess my age based on how I feel. I'd guess around 32. I really would ( Read more... )

I spent the past two weeks with my family in the states. That'd be (in chronological order of the visit) my dad and his wife, my daughter, my nearest-age brother and his wife, my nephew and his wife, my mom, my youngest brother and his wife, my aunt, my great aunt ( Read more... )

Dear Internet,

Having a great time in the land of southern accented English.

My time in Europe has had a real impact on how I view my homeland. That's not a negative or positive thing - it's just a thing I notice.

I ate a taco at Taco Bell. Two, in fact. And two enchiritos. I hope to be doing that again before I return to Sweden.

I also had some ( Read more... )

I've packed into two suitcases all the Swedish things I want my family to taste and experience. Packed enough clothes to last me until I get to Walmart to buy jeans that fit. All of the things I promised to bring a few people in the states are also packed away ( Read more... )

The Swedes have two separate words for grandmothers, one for a dad's mom (farmor) and one for a mom's mom (mormor). My mormor died while I was in Sweden visiting Björn for the first time so she never got to know how much that trip changed my life. And she never got to know that she and he share a birthday. I think it would have pleased her to know ( Read more... )

In the book I'm reading (one of the aforementioned big ol' fat books in a big ol' fat series*), the main character is a woman who, at about my age, made the decision to leave her daughter, who is about my daughter's age, to move to Europe from America in order to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved ( Read more... )

Today is the day I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with my Swedish family ( Read more... )

Big Birthday Balloons to my Biggest Baby Brother Brad!


( Read more... )