This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sia and Mikael Lilja , who moved from Sweden to Japan, where they bought and are restoring an old house. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
We’ve been together for 12 years and married for the last 4.
In 2020, we bought a piece of land in a small town about 15 minutes outside Malmö in Sweden, and started building our dream home. We were planning for our long-term future: have kids and live close to family.
By the end of 2023, we were able to move in, although there were still projects — including an upstairs bathroom — that we’d take our time to complete.
However, by then, our plans had…
