If the end-of-year mindset is one of reflection and nostalgia, then I’d say the new-year headspace is more practical and strategic. For me, it's a state of mind that invites critical and tactical thinking around the process of self-refinement. A blank page kind of moment that invites not only improvements, but also possibilities. What I like to call intentional tweaks.
In the spirit of improving — and because my husband Arron (WAC founder + CEO) and I have been doing a deep dive into the Kallenberg family history lately — I thought it might be fun to come up with some 2025 resolutions (intentional tweaks sounds so much better, in my opinion) inspired by the legacy of the Kallenbergs in Alaska. Here goes!
Make Land and Sea Your Family
This one takes its cues straight from the core tenets of the Kallenberg way of life. Arron’s grandparents, Robert and Polly, who moved deep into the Alaskan wilderness before it was even a state, wanted more than just time outdoors — they sought to build lives woven into nature, directed by its rhythms and cycles and refined by its elements. And they did. They pioneered a lifestyle for their family, our family, directly inspired by the full glory of the Alaskan wilds.
Embrace Chaos
As soon as I married into this quirky family, I understood that chaos was not simply something the Kallenbergs endured, but really embraced. On the Bering Sea you can’t control the ocean, you have to get in sync with the sea and its waves. To flow with the unexpected. To surf on the swell of the unknown. To settle into discomfort as if it were an old armchair, and to gaze out at the world from the vantage point, armed with the courage that comes with building resilience.
Don’t Waste the Lessons of the Last Year
I love this one because it asks us to look back before we look ahead. What did we learn? Where did we flop? How would we do it better given the opportunity? The new year quite literally hands us a chance to try again — but this time with the advent of experience, even, and especially, if that experience was a gigantic mistake.
Swim Upstream if You Have To
Go against the grain, think outside the box — or swim upstream, as we like to call it around here. It’s what the salmon do, and we think it’s a fine metaphor for what it takes to reach our goals. The road to accomplishment is not always linear. Think of Grandpa Kallenberg, who initially came to Alaska in the hopes of herding reindeer, which instead led him to teach school in rural Alaska, and which ultimately led him to a job on a commercial fishing vessel — which sealed the family’s fate.
Etch Gratitude into Every Fiber of Your Being
This one is so much more than “be grateful.” It’s about lacing one’s whole soul with the ever-presence of appreciation. It’s about staying connected to an undercurrent of thankfulness for everything in our lives. It’s even about being grateful for the unpredictability of the waves and their swells, because they give you an opportunity to take an unexpected ride.
So, here’s to a resplendent 2025 and all of its wonderful possibilities. From our family to yours, we wish you a healthy and happy new year!
Live Wild!
Monica
Anchor Points is a collection of letters penned by the Kallenbergs. Expect equal parts culinary insights, philosophical musings, and meditations on the maritime — all with a dose of Alaskan family pride. See more weekly missives here.
Pictured above: Arron and I in front of the Mary K, which is the commercial salmon fishing vessel that was designed and built by Arron’s father, Walt Kallenberg, may he rest in peace. I love this image of us here as a symbol for the new year — connected to our mandate, and poised and ready to cruise right into 2025.
