A day
Rather spontaneously, I decided to write about a day in my life. I'm fascinated by everyday life and how sustainability manifests (and does not manifest) in small everyday actions. The intention behind this autoethnography is of course not to glorify a particular lifestyle, but to become aware of, and reveal, nuances, constraints and empowering factors. Now I've relocated to Denmark, I feel that even more of these nuances etc. are becoming obvious, and I hope to capture them. I wanted to write about a usual day.
My partner and I woke up early. He made coffee for us. For a long time I've been trying to consume less coffee and drink herbal teas instead. But here in the Nordics coffee feels like an institution rather than a beverage, consider fika in Sweden. Here in Denmark I get organic oat milk made from Danish oats.
In the morning we were again looking at tables to buy online. When my partner moved out of his previous home, his ex partner asked if she could keep the table. He said yes. We found a table that is made in Denmark from certified wood. My partner wrote to the company to ask more about the table. They got back to him quickly. Smaller businesses usually answer relatively quickly with personalised messages. I research such businesses and also prefer to buy from them. The table will take a month or so to arrive. I hope they make these tables when they receive an order. This would be a beautiful ecological practice. We were thinking about fast furniture, and how normal it has become to get furniture immediately.
Then we went for a long walk towards the centre of Copenhagen and the waterfront. We only had a few hours to spend together, as today and tomorrow my partner has childcare responsibilities. We didn't have time to have lunch together, but we found a small bakery in town and spent a little bit of time there.
We talked a lot about consumption. Since I relocated to Denmark, we've consumed more than we usually would. But setting up a household requires extra consumption. Instead of buying from small businesses, we could buy second-hand. But neither of us likes shopping, so buying from small and ecological Danish businesses made more sense. We could find everything we wanted to keep for the rest of our lives and then hopefully pass on to fellow humans.
Shortly after we came back home, my partner left to see his child and spend time with them. I don't join them because he has never introduced us. At home it feels cold, though it was warm outside. I wear a large scarf that I bought in Sweden some years ago. It feels good to spend time on my own, and I decided to write.
For dinner I have Danish potatoes and salad made from Danish vegetables. We buy them from a supermarket. We try to buy organic food whenever possible. At times, organic produce is packaged in plastic, while zero waste produce is not organic. More ecological options are rather expensive. We minimise our consumption in many domains. We don't have a car, and buy new clothing very rarely. I don't use makeup and don't wear jewellery. We don't buy expensive gifts for each other, there is no such expectation. Reducing consumption significantly in many domains allows us to buy better food. We prioritise our basic needs in general: our home (rent) and food.