Careerwise I managed to plow through, focusing on work was a way for life to seem normal again. I was inspired by a great professor at the university and worked on my PhD at the Department of Neuropsychology, focusing on the effects of physical activity on cognition and behaviour. I was on this academic path, getting my PhD, doing post-docs, and became an assistant professor. I enjoyed working with students and my colleagues, but I was not thinking about whether this was really what I wanted to do. When I realized my passion was just not in academics, I switched it up and started working in a commercial setting. In this company for specialized medical nutrition I learned a lot, worked with great people, and.. found the love of my life. After a couple of years however I realized I was still sitting behind the laptop a lot, and I missed more direct impact on people’s lives. Again.. I had not found what I really wanted to do.
During these years, I tried to deal with the loss of my brother. After some time, when I was ready, I started working actively on the process, with a psychologist, a small bereavement therapy group and some sessions together with my parents. Sharing experiences, communicating, and feeling connection to other people was key in my coping. Dealing with the loss of my brother has become better, and it is still continuing.