Reflections on 2012

Wow, where do I even begin...this year has been an abundance of extremes: a lot of positive vibes and a few stressful events as well. Every year since beginning this blog I have written annual reflections and I have to say that this year is on of the most memorable because of three major life-changing events:


1.) Marriage: April 20 was the magical day where we said, "I do" and joined together in blissful union. I feel blessed to have met and married such an incredible, kind, and compassionate man. 2012 pretty much sealed the deal on our relationship as we lived together (officially) for the first time in a tiny European apartment (and we did not kill each other). Charlie's proposal in the Finnish sauna continues to be an entertaining story and cherished memory. We had the great pleasure of celebrating our union not once, but three times...in Finland, Colorado, and Ohio.

2.) Pregnancy: In October we discovered that Charlie's swimmers won the race. Pure joy! I never really knew if I would bear children and now it is a reality. Although, the first trimester was H-E-L-L with morning sickness and dissertation cramming, we both acknowledged the miracle that was growing in my body.

3.) Completing (dumping) my dissertation: No words can explain how great it feels to have this monkey off of my back (finally!) The highlight of my dissertation experience was unequivocally the Fulbright adventure in Finland and conducting the interviews (I loved talking to people and getting their perspective on such a divisive and culturally sensitive issue). It was a rough ride in the final push, especially in November--the darkest month in Finland and the peak of my morning sickness, but I put it to rest! No sense in discussing this anymore...onto the next chapter in this book called LOVE & LIFE.

Of course, this year's reflection would not be complete without highlighting the travel too...Denmark (Erasmus Mundus conference), Serbia (academic conference), Greece (pure pleasure!), Estonia (a romantic weekend), Czech Republic (Erasmus Mundus meeting), Denmark (meeting Charlie's relatives), Latvia (honeymoon with my parents), Brussels (Erasmus Mundus meeting), Berlin (Fulbright meeting), Arctic Circle (Fulbright trip), and Italy (travel with my sister and bro-in-law). Wow, those travelin' shoes put on a lot of miles!

Back to a (NEW) Reality!

Superhubby and I flew back across the Atlantic Ocean and made our way home. Home to Finland, where we have no car (thank goodness!), we bike or walk everywhere (so nice!), the air is fresh, the nature is in our backyard, and life is simplistically peaceful. While the past 50 days have been incredibly wonderful, they were also quite intense and rather stressful (especially during the 2-week full court press to get my dissertation completed). We arrived home yesterday and I began the journey of settling back into a new existence--without dissertation writing everyday, without morning sickness, and without impending darkness (snow now illuminates the dark winter and we are now gaining precious daylight everyday!)

A Moment of Truth: The Dissertation Defense

Monday came only too soon and I rallied at 5 a.m. when my mind (and nerves) woke me up. My defense was scheduled for 10 a.m. and I had to make sure we had proper Skype connection with one of the professors in Oslo, so I planned to arrive at 9 a.m. I stopped at my favorite Athens coffee shop and relaxed there, going over my presentation, as I sipped rooibois tea and snacked on a vegetarian breakfast burrito. I walked to campus and worked with the IT dude to connect the professor in Oslo...which was more problematic than expected, but we managed to come to a working (but not optimal) solution. Finally, the other three professors filed in and before I knew it I was on the HOT seat. My major professor explained the defense process to me and then asked me to leave the room:

1.) They ask me to leave the room and discuss between them if there were any major concerns or gaps.
2.) If not, then they invite me back in and ask me to make a 15-minute presentation covering the findings, key discoveries, challenges, and future pursuits.
3.) Each professor then asks me questions and gives me feedback on the work.
4.) They ask me to leave the room again and discuss if I passed and what revisions (if any) I need to make.
5.) If all is good, then I sign paperwork and jump up and down and scream my head off with pure joy and liberation!

The famous "arch" on campus!

By this time, my nerves had turned into adrenalin...and I was ready to kick some ass. They invited me back and said there were no major concerns or problems and I began my presentation. The Q&A with the professors was more like a discussion. I did not feel stumped or put on the spot at any moment, in fact it was great to talk in depth about my lover that I had been working with for the past two years...that I was about to DUMP! All of the questions and suggested revisions were fair and reasonable. After about one hour of Q&As they asked me to step out of the room and before I knew it I was walking back into a room full of congratulations! Woohoo! We signed the paperwork, which felt all too surreal and I did everything I could to stop myself from busting into my favorite dance move, "Drop that Ass...". Charlie was waiting for me outside the room and I melted into his arms with a true feeling of liberation. See ya later, DISS!

We celebrated by eating pizza (of which I had been craving). Later, and after a much needed nap, we met up with our Athens friends (the Brazilians, Mallory, our Latino dudes, and a few PhD colleagues) at a local watering hole, the Globe. It was a perfectly intimate way to celebrate a long 4.5 years of my life.

The Final Pilgrimage: Dissertation Defense in Georgia!

Dissertation defense or bust! We rented a compact car and loaded our four 50-lb bags in the trunk/back-seat and headed South for Georgia...the land of PhD freedom! A road trip of this magnitude (530 miles) with a pregnant lady really means a tour of gas-station bathrooms. What fun! Actually, the drive down was not so bad and we stopped mid-way to meet up with Charlie's former boss and partner in Knoxville, Tennessee. We ate at the delicious Tupelo Honey Cafe, one of our favorite Southern eateries with incredible, freshly baked biscuits (OMG, how I could devour one of those right now). A few days earlier Charlie and I had food poisoning, so we welcomed a GOOD hearty plate of Southern cooking. And, of course the wonderful company made the food even tastier and more special!

We continued on our journey to Athens, Georgia where we stayed with our dear friends, Jack and Linda Toma. We had one day (Sunday) to relax before my defense and so we met up with another dear friend, Mallory, at one of our favorite Athens eateries--Big City Bread. YUM! While there we saw my major professor and a fellow yogini friend. This is what I love about returning to a place you used to call home--all of the familiar locales, sights, smells, and best of all the people. Reflecting back on this trip (I am writing this in February) I have to say that it was a perfect way to remember all of the sweetness of Athens, Georgia. While living there, I struggled to feel truly connected to the community, the politics, the quality of life, my PhD experience, etc., but this trip accentuated only the positive vibes and good memories I have for Athens. An epic way to close this chapter in my life!

Good 'Ol Family Time in Ohio

Charlie's grandmother is 96 years old and she is an amazingly bright woman for her age (nice! super-hubby comes from good, healthy genes). We drove up north to Toledo (164 miles from Charlie's parents house in Dayton) to visit her and I have to say I was quite taken with her gentle demeanor and sharp mind; she makes growing older look like a cake walk. She keeps her minds stimulated by sewing. While we were visiting her in the retirement home, an employee knocked on her door and asked if she could fix a clothing item for him. She looked at it and said, "Why yes, I can fix this...come back before you leave for work." She showed us her sewing room/bedroom, with hundreds of spools of thread hanging on her wall, and she gave us a few baby blankets she had hand-sewn (to be cherished by us and the little girl that will soon be dancing in our arms).


We also made time to meet Charlie's uncle Joel and aunt Sally in Toledo and the BIG doggy...Dane.