So an update seems long overdue! A lot has happened since my last post back in October 2007. I was later appointed acting CEO in December 2007 and then followed 15 months of very hard work, which unfortunately included shutting down the operations in 2009. I then started working for Pergamum as COO in August 2009, another biotech company within the Karolinska Development portfolio. This has also been a great learning experience and provided me with many growth opportunities. For example, I am proud to be a participant of the 2012 Karolinska Institutet Science Park mentoring & leadership development program.
Helena moved back to Sweden and Sandviken in August 2008. In early 2009 she moved in with Carsten, a dentist she met online, in Gävle and they got engaged on New Years Day 2010 in Cyprus. I calculated that between June 2005 and January 2011 I have spent more than 6 months in total in Cyprus (i.e. 2 weeks in the summer, 2-3 weeks around Christmas, as well as sometimes 1-2 weeks at Easter). My parents moved back to Sweden from Cyprus in May 2011 and are now living full time in the remodeled farmhouse we bought in 1998 as a vacation home in Sjöbo kommun, Skåne. In April 2010 Helena started a new job in Copenhagen and Carsten moved down to Skåne as well in December 2010.
In November 2011 I moved to my very own house in Huddinge - no more compact living in small apartments for me! More than 200 square meters of floor space is a lot for a single person - many have commented - but it makes entertaining and having guests stay with me easy and enjoyable - which was definitely not the case in the past! Since moving to my new house most of my energy and finances has been focused on getting it furnished and decorated as my own and I am planning for some additional renovations and improvements during 2012. Luckily my parents could help me with the move because otherwise I do not know how I would have coped!
In July 2008 the whole family spent an incredible vacation in the US - including a road trip from Chicago to Yellowstone National Park and back again. We still have not organized photos and mementos from this trip - another item on a long "to do" list! Helena and I also embraced our inner adolescents in October 2010 when we spent a week at theme parks in Orlando, FL where Helena had attended a conference. My latest trip was with Helena to London in January 2012 - once again focused on musical theater, museums and shopping.
Once again, I would love to get in touch with more old friends so leave a comment or poke me on Facebook!
/Ulrika
