Another Sunday, Another Naive Weekly — Observations From The Internet Wilderness.
Good morning,
This newsletter edition is a personal celebration of the past year. Therefore, it is a more intimate letter where I share many of the best private moments from 2021.
Next week I’ll return with another unusual letter as it is time to write my annual patterns and resolutions edition. So you’ll have to wait two weeks before I return with the usual links to the Internet Wilderness.
Before the year is over, I’d like to say thank you for reading along. It matters more than you know.
With care,
Kristoffer
January
I blew into the new year sleeping. Washed ashore from the turbulence of starting a new work project, moving houses, and with Uno requesting the care appropriate for his age, I felt like the half-full bottle of Prosecco we left on the dining table. I recall lifting my eyelids as Ana went to watch the fireworks at midnight, registering that it was no longer 2020, but I was unable to summon the power to join her. January was the month I walked the least with 8.605 daily average steps. I was exhausted. But also finding peace in our new home and watching Ghibli movies in the evening.
February
In February, the lakes in Copenhagen froze. It warmed my heart to witness how people in our neighbourhood Facebook group were sharing ice-skates in different sizes so all the children could experience the joy of flowing on frozen water. One sunny afternoon we took Uno out on the ice in his pram, eating a seasonal pastry; it was a moment of pure happiness. All around us were glowing faces and smiling voices, an anti-dote to months of social distancing and lockdown.
March
As Uno started crawling, I started discovering our new neighbourhood, walking on average 4.000 steps per day more than in February and almost 6.000 more than in January. I was supported by the promise of spring, with milder weather, longer days, and the first flowers popping up on the sunny spots. Inside our home, the moving boxes were almost gone, and it was one of the first non-survival plans I made in a long time when I registered www.penpal.cafe.
April
The sky was perfect blue on the first of April. And although the trees were still naked, the grass stood firm and green in the King’s Garden where Uno was crawling for the first time outside. As April progressed, the trees were blooming, first came all the fruit trees, and then the majestic magnolia. At the beginning of the month, I launched the first season of Penpal Café and was overwhelmed by the many people joining. I also purchased www.mygirlfriendisanartist.com to support Ana with launching her print collection. To this day, it might still be my favourite domain.
May
Denmark was gradually opening. I was thrilled when I could return to the stadium, drinking beers with my cousin and watching my football team play. I lost my voice for several days following the first game in almost a year. We also used the freedom to visit museums, cafés, and friends and families. All of my photos from May look very light-hearted as if the sun was shining the entire month, but maybe it was because before the month was over, I had gathered an impressive stroller tan on my hands. The best moment of the month was when Uno woke Ana on her birthday by showering her with kisses.
June
In June, I went flying for the first time in 1.5 years. It took me by surprise how quickly i felt comfortable flying. I was dreading tests, masks, and entry forms, but none of it bothered me once on the road. First, I went on a short work trip, and shortly after, we went on our first family trip with Uno to visit the magical places of the Dissertori family. While Ana was photographing, Uno and I splashed around in the pool.
July
We spent most of July on the road, combining work and family visits. Uno took his first independent steps beside a mountain lake, and I started to feel comfortable leaving him with others. By the end of the month, when we celebrated Uno’s one-year birthday, he had met all of his five living great-grandparents and been to six countries.
August
August was the month I walked the most, with a daily average of 15.590 steps. I was walking hand in hand with Uno on some of these steps. He started the month barefoot and ended it dancing around in shoes. We also had a short trip to Berlin, where Ana photographed an office by Annabell Kutucu, and Uno and I tried every single playground we passed while strolling the streets.
September
On the evening after a big double birthday celebration, Uno was dancing with my grandmother in her living room. It was one of the best moments of my life. Ana, my granddad, and two of my siblings were there too, all of us clapping and cheering along. We also went to Sweden with friends, staying in a red wooden house with a floating sauna and a cozy couch in front of a fireplace. It is on such trips I wonder why we live in the city.
October
During October, we found our domestic routine. In the morning, I’d bring Uno to daycare, and early in the afternoon, we’d pick him up again. The freed-up time was swallowed by work but, towards the end of the month, I recalibrated and found a balance more suitable for me. I was happy to publish Wilderness Land, a project I first started working on in the spring, and when Ana took us to Greece for work, I had five amazing days playing with Uno.
November
An endless series of sicknesses associated with the season and having a kid in daycare broke most of our routines. It felt like being thrown back in time to the early days of being a family, with every day being unpredictable and Uno requiring much more care and attention. We struggled with juggling work and caretaking but fortunately found our way through every day. The highlight was seeing Ana bike with Uno; they looked super happy and proud.
December
We brought November into the first two weeks of December. So by the time none of us were sick, Ana and I were exhausted. Still, Ana published five postcard sets, I launched a small intimate space to talk about personal projects, and we ate pastries almost every day. Now we are ending the year visiting our families in Austria and Slovenia. 2021 was an amazing year.
Hi, I’m Kristoffer and you have just read Naive Weekly — Observations from the Internet Wilderness.
Last week this letter was sent to 779 people. Thirtyone are crazy enough to chip in every month/year to support me making time to write. Logo by Studio Hollywood. Print by Luka. Photograph by Ana Santl.