If Estonia Was a She

Have you ever heared them say ‘go big or go home’? Well this time I decided to go home.  And for those living abroad, going home can be a pretty BIG thing as well.

No matter how fast or easily I acclimatise to other countries in the world, I get a sweet but anxious feeling when I can smell the closeness of my birthplace. Surely, it is because of the cognition that I can see my beloved ones again: my friends, my family, and her..  gorgeous Miss Estonia.

ESTONIA

She is not famous and not many people will ever find out about the wonders that she hides. Most of the ones that read or hear her name from unknown sources approach to her with wrong expectations and presume that within three days they have seen everything that she has to offer.

Quite frankly, Estonia will not serve you her treasures on a silver tray. It lets you decide which sides of her you are willing to meet.

Estonia knows her worth and does hence not need to run after the world to sell her soul and prove how great things are within her. She wears no delusive mask, no fake smile, not even makeup! She is a natural beauty that does not seem to get bothered of the people that carelessly run by and do no notice it. She will not rush after them, begging to stay and give her a second chance.

No, Estonia is free and expects everyone else to have the right to do as they please, too.

Her character must not be mistaken for rudeness. She is simply more of an introvert that does not effusively seek for conversation but, at the same time, does not mind having people around either. Humans are spread across her skin with only 30 of them on the same square kilometer. Clearly, she just rejoices in her freedom.

Estonia has needed to work hard on catching the bird of freedom and happiness. However, she knows that every storm will simply shake out another, probably even better side of her. Because of her long past full of pain and suffering, she prefers to take it slow and be cautious for everything that can happen in life. Hence she seems to especially enjoy the company of the people that are willing to take time to dive into her peace.

There are not any valuable pearls nor corals under the waters of Estonia. But her bogs and swamps offer something even more rare in this world: peace&silence. With no dangerous animals or deadly bugs, no earthquakes or any other natural disaster, Estonia is a safe place to find a spot, lay down, breathe and smell her foresty perfume. 

But do not think she is dull and does not know how to be moody. Estonia can lose her temper and freeze you with April snow. Those white flakes can, meanwhile, create the most magical feeling that one is looking for from a tiny snow globe.

Estonia is full of uncovered magic. She exposes it with the knowledge of nearly a 100-year-old lady. Everything about her- the way she speaks, behaves, and just is- is so enchanting and charismatic. Her relatively new interest in design and habit to meet up with her friends in one of the many theatres, art museums or hipster-style restaurants make her and interesting companion for a culture lover.

It is unlikely that Estonia will start a conversation about her religious beliefs. She does not belong to any of the major ‘ism’s and can hardly describe the one she created on her own. That is why she often satisfies with a simple status ‘non-religious’, ignoring her late night prayers to the Universe.

There is more. Estonia is a good cook, using fresh vegetables from her own garden with a country house, mushrooms that she picked herself from a landscape with 50% of forest, and berries that she stores in freezer over winter.

Her characteristics leave it unclear if she is a well-mannered lady, a peaceful hippy fairy, a snob or a loving mother. I guess one can be all of that in one body. But such diversity is hard to capture on a picture. I will rather leave it up to you to go meet her and create your own vision.

…I think I am in love with her.