Operation Baltica

Beginning of Phase II: The Baltic States

Day 8: A Pause in Narva

The tiredness hasn’t gone away. I slept six hours and got up early to catch a bus to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. We rode for two hours to the border, sat for a half hour or so at each border customs gate and now we’re at a stop in the Estonian town of Narva.

I think my writing so far has been sporadtic, brief and mainly about what we did and when we did it. I do want to remember the concrete events and details that I know will be forgotten if I don’t chronicle them. But now that I have caught up in the journal and can momentarily write in the present tense until I get to Tallinn in 3 hours, I can fill some important gaps about how I’m feeling. Other than the happiness and exhaustion that comes with speed-sightseeing with a good friend, I haven’t written much about that. The week with Bryan couldn’t have been better. We whipped the trip together out of no more than three conversations and two months’ notice. It was liberating not to tell Peace Corps when and where I would be each night.

Also, this week was like a practice of how it will be catching up with people I haven’t seen in a long time. It had been a while since I had spent any time with someone who knew me pre-Peace Corps, and I could already notice my tendency to talk on and on about KZ. In Russia with Bryan, most of the things I had to say were culturally relevant as things in Russia basically work the same as KZ, but I know that won’t be the case at home. I’ll want to take over the spotlight with my stories and experiences because, let’s face it, I like it (I’m the one posting my thoughts on the Internet, right?). Also, I don’t know what else to talk about. With my future very unclear, my recent past is all I have to talk about. 90% of my conversations with Story started with “In Kazakhstan…”

Moscow and Saint Pete also helped me ease into the luxuries I’m sure would overwhelm me at home. Things like ice and salad dressing, debit cards and customer service…it’s been a while. I’ve been getting a little bit a day, which is probably much healthier than all at once. Maybe I won’t be too overwhelmed as I gradually head to Poland. A week from today I will be home. And they still haven’t taken my horse meat.

Day 8: Estonia

I physically breathed a huge sigh of relief when I made it out of Kazakhstan and Russia with no visa issues or long conferences over the validity of my passport. I mean, not once in my two years did I pay a bribe or get punched in the face. That’s real success if you ask me.

This next week is a week of celebration, adventure and education. Firstly, I’m ready for a vacation. A vacation from work, Peace Corps and other people… a vacation for me. This will be a gulp of air before going to the welcoming party and relatives waiting for me at home. Secondly, I don’t know ANYTHING about the countries I’m visiting. I just now am able to say which cities belong to which countries in my itinerary. I’m also planning to stay with strangers. CouchSurfing.org has made it possible/easy/even safe to travel and stay in someone’s house for free. It puts the internet to use as a tool connecting people in a positive, mutually beneficial way. Both the host and the traveler get a chance to really meet and connect with a person from a different culture and background, while the traveler gets to know a real local person. I’m also looking forward to learning some of the language in each place, so let’s start with Estonian. Repeat after me: Alkoholipood. The first sign that I saw and understood what it meant, Pood means store (and it’s PO-OD, not pood like I poo-ed my pants). I chuckled regardless. Other phrases I learned were Tere (hello), Tere Hommikust (Good Morning) and Tanan (Thank you). And my host gave me plenty of reasons to say Tanan...