So I'll blog.

WARNING - THIS BLOG HAS HARDLY ANYTHING TO DO WITH LAPBAND RELATED STUFF!

I am pretty overdue anyways. First, I'll start off with the big news...

I'm moving back to Vermont this summer!


I'm really excited about this. For some background information, my family has an awesome house here. We've been coming to Stowe our whole lives. We also own a hotel/resort here called Topnotch. I first worked at Topnotch in late 2006. I had dropped out of University after two years, and then spent a year faltering in Toronto, trying desperately to figure my life out. That summer, I went backpacking in Europe, and decided that although I had no idea what I would do with my life, I needed to be out of Toronto, away from the pressures of my parents. I decided to go to Stowe cause I loved it here, having no expectations beyond escape.

And then I finally found something I was good at. I worked for that year as a Spa Experience Coordinator - I worked at the spa desk to book people's appointments, help them choose what would be best for them, and deliver excellent customer service. And I loved it. It was like the KT Tunstall song - Suddenly I See! It was an amazing year, and I made incredible friends and had so much fun. When I lived in Stowe my social life was more active than it had ever been. I even had a (somewhat regrettable and totally stupid) relationship. But then I had to leave. My work visa was up... I knew that day would come, and I had planned, planned my amazing 6 month trip to Australia. I've been living in Toronto since I got home from Oz, almost a year ago.

And I always miss Stowe. I missed it tons when I was here three times over the summer. Twice in the fall. For two weeks at Christmas. Once in February. And again now. It is my happy place. My place where everything seems a bit less overwhelming, a bit easier to swallow (there's a lapband analogy somewhere in there.) So I've decided there's no good reason not to be happy. I'll move here in June, when one of my cousins is getting married. I'll start working at the Spa Desk again, full time for July and August, and then part time in September, when I go back to school. Yes, I'm going back to school too. I'll have to go to Community College for a semester to get my GPA back up, because I was a 17/18 year old kid when I made my first attempt at university, and I mostly majored in drinking and marijuana. This time I am doing it for myself, not because it is what is expected of me, and I'll be studying something I love - Hospitality Management, at a school only about half an hour away from Stowe, Johnson State College. I am very excited to begin this new chapter in my life, and I kind of think getting the band may have been the catalyst I needed to change a lot more than just my weight.

In terms of band stuff, eating with this restriction/fill-level is still something I'm getting used to, though I am pretty sure I am satisfied on less. I need to practise eating slower and smaller bites, because I have gotten myself uncomfortable on foods that should not be causing problems. I've had great reception from some of my friends who know I've been working on losing but don't know about the band. One of my close friends here, Kate, is a massage therapist at the Spa. I got a massage from her on Friday and she told me today at a friend of ours party that she could tell I had lost weight when she was massaging me. A bit awkward, haha, but I totally appreciate her honesty and I can't wait to continue to wow her.

I am struggling a bit with making the best choices when I am constantly surrounded by people who don't know about my surgery. It makes me more personably accountable, I can't rely on other people to get me to make the right choices. It is not upsetting or overwhelming me though, rather I am just trying to take it one day at a time, and be as active as I can. On Friday I walked from my house to the village of Stowe, which we clocked in the car on the way back as 4.2 miles. It was long and we walked slow, but other than some blisters I could easily do it again. I took an aquafit class on Saturday morning and again yesterday, and although it maybe wasn't as difficult as I could handle, any activity is good activity.

Tomorrow I'm going shopping for some party supplies with a friend in Burlington, and am excited to go shopping... see if my Size 14 Old Navy Jeans were a fluke or if I can continue to fit into that size.

Hope everyones doing great. I wanted to take this chance also to thank Catherine who so generously offered to send me a beautiful dress she has that she is now too slim to wear! I am so appreciative and will be sure to pay it forward.

xoxox
ange

P.S. Not sure if anyone has ever bought Svoboda jeans but they're plus size premium denim and amaaaazing, and they're currently having a 50% off sale on all their specialty jeans. They also have really gorgeous bright coloured denim for sale that is so trendy right now... I just love them and thought I should spread hte love. check out www.svobodastyle.com