I was born in Sweden to Swedish parents, grew up speaking English, French and Swedish. I lived in the Mediterranean, specifically Lebanon and Greece until age 18 before moving to England, where I became trained as a Montessori teacher.

Once I graduated with my Montessori Diploma, I moved to Sweden, where I taught Montessori, and was submerged in the Swedish culture for the first time in my life. After two years, I realized I wasn't fit to live in a cold climate. I took the opportunity to move to sunny South Africa, where I continued to teach for the next three years.

I moved to California in 1991 to be closer to my brother, who is three years older than I. I started taking classes at a local college, which turned out to be the greatest decision I have ever made - because I met Ken.

I finished my degree in Psychology at the state university in 1995 and worked as an assistant helping students with disabilities. Upon graduating with a BS, I worked for a while at a group home for emotionally disturbed children and got married in 1996.

I entered into the master's program in counseling and took night classes for five years while working full-time. I've been working as a Marriage Family Therapist intern for the last three years and will be licensed soon.