Today, we take a look back at Baltimore 17 years ago. Astronomer Pavel created this entry on September 17, 2009—the very day he became a U.S. resident. He celebrated the occasion with friends, and the rest of the week continued in the same relaxed, pleasant spirit. There are outings with Laura, social events, the ballet, parties with friends, and a street festival—all accompanied by brief descriptions, a rarity for entries from this period. It was simply a fantastic week, and we’d be very curious to know what Baltimore is like today—and whether Pavel even still lives there.

A return after 17 years—that is something we have likely never seen before here in the Week of Life project. Photographer Toh Gouttenoire from Costa Rica previously contributed two weeks’ worth of work at the end of 2009; now, he has added a current week, offering us a glimpse into his life and the natural beauty of a country that feels quite exotic to us. This week is presented without words, yet its narrative is clearly conveyed through the photographs. We featured him in a retrospective two years ago, and even back then, his professional background as a photographer was evident. In fact, he remains a professional photographer to this day, and you can easily find him online. This time, Toh has opted for the classic square format, so be sure to click on the individual photos to view them properly.

Once again, a set from a new member has caught our attention and deserves an ovation. A first glance at the images from designer Katerina Krasikova’s set shows that we are dealing with a colorfully conceived week of life that reveals a tremendous amount of information about the author, notably the fact that she likes to search for interesting moments through the viewfinder of her camera and is able to capture them in a unique fashion. While documenting these seven days of life, Katerina was certainly not bored and neither will you be as you browse through her set.