By Kiki Timmusk and Katariina JaenesThis August, we had the opportunity to participate in the program called Back to our Roots and visit our home country of Estonia. The program is targeted towards Estonian youths ages 18-30 who are interested in exploring their culture and homeland.
Our journey started in Pärnu, the summer capital, at a restaurant where our big group took up the whole patio. We introduced ourselves to almost thirty other participants - a couple new faces and a couple familiar ones. There were Estonians from all over the world, from Argentina, Chile, Poland, Australia, U.S. and so many more countries. After our meal we all got in a bus and headed to our first campsite and got settled in with our new roommates. The first two days were focused on getting to know each other, playing name games, sharing some international snacks, and jumping in the cold river together. The last day in Pärnu we learned some traditional folk dances in the morning and ventured into the city. We were able to go visit a quaint coworking space and learn a little bit about the work culture in Pärnu. While known for its beaches, we unfortunately explored the city on a very windy and rainy day, making it hard for us to stay too long. After we got to explore Pärnu and everything the city offered, we had to pack and head off to the next location!
We arrived at Kihnu, a small island where women have had a historically large role in society, although its status as a matriarchal society was a topic of debate for the locals. As we arrived at the camp, a small truck came, and we all piled into the back to get a tour of the island. We got to learn about how the culture differs from the mainland as it's quite isolated and their population is slowly decreasing. When we arrived at the museum, we got a small history lesson and learned more about the local traditions. We also got to make some traditional Kihnu bracelets, and so at the end we all had matching bracelets! We were separated by language speaking ability and spent the next morning learning Estonian in small groups. Afterwards, we had some free time and decided to walk around the island and stumbled upon a small sign advertising handmade wine. We were invited into a local woman’s shed for a tasting, and obviously had to buy a couple bottles, which were amazing. In the evening we had the chance to use the sauna and we all jumped into the sea to cool down, our favourite part! As the morning came, we had to pack up and head off to the next island…
Saaremaa was the next destination! We went on a small hike through a bog and enjoyed some tasty berries and burritos in the gorgeous wilderness before arriving at our next camp site (the berries were foraged, the burritos were not). When we made it to the campsite there was a bit of a rush to get the best beds, and some people ended up having to get quite familiar with each other. The following days at Saaremaa were focused on creating presentations about Estonian life to present at the foreign ministry. It wasn't all just work though, we had some fun exploring the island, going to the sauna, watching a meteor storm, making more friendship bracelets, and celebrating a birthday (it was Kiki’s birthday). We also started a little game that we called "Salasõber" or secret friend. We all got a secret friend and we had to get them a small gift according to daily ‘prompts’ and by the end of our trip try to guess who our secret friend was. Many very creative gifts were given - from flower crowns and drawings to hand painted rocks and poems! The last day in Saaremaa we got to tour around the Kuressaare castle and visit the Kaali crater. We then got on the ferry and made it to our last destination…
Our last stop was in the capital, Tallinn! We had a busy schedule as we were introduced to various opportunities and visited many tech workspaces such as Bolt and Transferwise. We also got to visit the parliament at Toompea castle as well as the president's palace in Kadriorg. In between our busy schedule we were able to explore Tallinn and buy some souvenirs as well as explore the cafes and bars around the city. The last day we had the chance to give our presentations to the foreign ministry. In our groups we covered different aspects of living in Estonia - some created an app, some a PowerPoint presentation and others made some funny Tiktoks (@motherestonia1). We were also able to discuss some concerns about living in Estonia and how to make it more appealing for Estonians living abroad to come back. As the last day came to an end, we were all saddened to say goodbye as we had grown very close to everyone during our short stay together.
Overall, we had a pleasant experience meeting and befriending Estonians from around the world. It feels like we met all kinds of different people and have made some amazing lifelong friends. And now we have a place to stay if we ever decide to visit their countries - and they always have a place to stay in Toronto!