The Ride of Memories
Building a lifetime of memories, trust, and connection, through shared experiences.
One of the things I treasure most in life isn’t something you can buy—it’s experiences. Creating memories to last a lifetime. You’ve probably heard about those studies on what matters most to people at the end of their lives. It’s never the things they bought. It’s the words they didn’t say, the adventures they didn’t take, the moments they never allowed themselves to have.
For me, it’s the laughter that makes us cry. The curiosity in her eyes when she’s trying something new. The quiet comfort of just sitting next to each other. Those moments are the real wealth in my life. They come from being together—really together—and giving each other the space to explore what we love, to try things for the first time, and sometimes to push just a little past our comfort zones.
Travel is a big part of our lives. Yes, we travel to visit family in Denmark and Miami, but more than anything, it’s about discovering the world together and letting those discoveries shape us. Travel takes us out of the everyday and into the unfamiliar. It’s not just about seeing new places—it’s about seeing each other in new ways, too.
Our annual Copenhagen summer trip is one of my favorite traditions. It’s a chance to be with family and old friends, and for Coco, it’s a way to feel her roots in Denmark. She’s building a little “chosen family” here—friends her age who make her feel at home even though we live far away. Every year, her Danish gets better, and I see her confidence grow as she learns to navigate both cultures.
In recent years, we’ve added Italy to the mix—the culture, the beaches, the incredible food. And this year, we did something new: just Coco and I went to London for her first visit. I lived in London 15 years ago while studying at Central Saint Martins, then later working there, and I hadn’t been back in a long time. Watching her discover the city, with me sharing pieces of my past, is something special.
These trips aren’t just vacations. They’re building blocks for the relationship I want with her for the rest of our lives. Whether it’s something as small as ordering her own meal in a restaurant or as big as navigating a train station in a foreign country, each moment builds trust. In London, I had her lead us through busy Underground stations, figuring out connections and exits on her own. Those moments of responsibility are small now, but they lay the groundwork for the kind of trust I hope will matter years from now, when she knows she can talk to me about anything: fun, challenging, or uncomfortable.
It’s not always easy. Travel can be stressful. We get jet-lagged, tired, frustrated, and sometimes we want completely different things (like when she insisted on riding loop-the-loop roller coasters in Tivoli… more than once, but hey, I did it, got outside my comfort zone, and had a lot of fun). But we keep showing up for each other. She gets to choose some of our adventures, and I bring her into my world, letting her see life from an adult’s perspective. That balance of giving her independence while still guiding her, is where so much of our connection grows.
One of my favorite moments in London was something so simple: a Sunday roast in a busy pub. She ordered for herself and chatted with a few adults while I was ordering at the bar. Small things like that quietly shape her confidence and her ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
I grew up traveling with my family, trying new foods (my favorite at her age was escargot), hearing different languages (often ones I couldn’t speak but could still understand through human interaction), and figuring things out without always having the words. Those experiences taught me empathy, patience, and how to connect with people beyond what they say. I want her to have that same gift.
Because in the end, The Ride of Memories isn’t just about collecting stories from our travels. It’s about weaving a thread between us, made of trust, shared experience, and a deep knowing of each other, so that as she grows up, she’ll always feel she can come to me whether it’s to share her biggest dreams, her hardest struggles, or just a random thought over coffee one day.
With heart,
Kristian aka. papa
So beautifully said! I really enjoy witnessing your adventures 💕