Estonia and Coming Home

Estonia

            As we returned to Helsinki from Russia, we made our way to the other ferry port in the city to get to our final stop, Estonia. We stopped for some food at the market on the way before we boarded a tram towards the port. On the tram we saw a familiar face, Debora. Debora was a student from Mexico that also studied with us in Northern Ireland. Somehow, by chance, we met without any prior arrangements on this random tram in Helsinki. She was travelling alone so Miles and I asked if she would like to come to Estonia. She agreed.

The ferry ride to Tallinn was two hours long. We arrived and promptly checked into our hostel to go see the city. At our hostel we not only ran into a man that we met in our hostel in Copenhagen from Mississippi, but we also met two other men from Derry, Northern Ireland. They both had studied at the University of Ulster Coleraine and we were excited to exchange our stories from the University.

The city of Tallinn was small and featured many old structures such as medieval walls and towers. The streets were pedestrian friendly and there were many shops and restaurants just begging for tourists to visit. We enjoyed our time there and even took a day to visit the smaller town of Tartu. There, many locals stayed up all night long as even in Estonia, the sun was barely down for three hours.

After three days in Estonia, it was time for me to make my journey home. Reflecting on my time in Estonia—I truly believe that the world is much smaller than we may think. Well, at least that’s how I felt after meeting Debora, and the other friends that we made in Estonia from Northern Ireland. It was hard to leave Miles, he quickly became one of my best friends this last semester. However, life must go on, and friends come and go—but those we truly care about we will never forget. I know that we will keep in touch.

London, Once Again

            English! English everywhere! Signs, announcements, and conversations—all English! Arriving in London, I became very aware of how much I really did miss English. It had been two months since I had been in a predominantly English-speaking country! I landed in London after a two-hour flight from Tallinn and headed straight for my hostel to see if my bag was there.

I had sent my bag to a student-storage service for the two months that I was backpacking and I had given the service the hostel’s address to send to in order for me to retrieve it, but I never really received any confirmation that it actually arrived. Nevertheless, it was there and it was safe! I once again had all of my possessions that I brought-to and acquired-in Northern Ireland. Relieved, I spent the night going through my bag and my backpack, throwing out what I no longer needed, and consolidating everything else into one checked bag and a carry-on for my final flight home.

The following day, I woke up early and got ready to check out of the hostel. I went downstairs to eat breakfast and place my things in luggage storage only to find out that it was even earlier than I had thought. I set my alarm for 8AM, but the clock on my phone never changed from the Estonian Time-Zone. So, I was actually up at 6AM. I was annoyed, but decided to have an after-breakfast nap before going out into the city.

I arrived in time to visit Buckingham Palace to see the “changing of the guards” ceremony. (I had missed it the first time through London.) Afterwards, I had a quick lunch and visited St. Paul’s Cathedral. I was just in time for the afternoon Eucharist, and thus was able to get in to see the cathedral without purchasing a ticket. The palace and cathedral were both stunning and I was grateful to be able to see them before leaving.

It was strange—I was by myself once again in London. Yet, this time around I was much more content. I was comfortable being alone and seeing some sights before my flight back. I thought back to my first time in London—how it was cold and rainy, how I was alone and nervous. I was about to begin my semester in Northern Ireland and I didn’t know what to expect at all. I didn’t know that I would learn so much about the history of Ireland, that I would love my classes, that I would meet some unforgettable people who would change my life. All I knew was that I was alone and that I was destined for this new place called Coleraine.

Yet there I was again, in London—filled with these new, positive memories and experiences. I was a different person. I had so much more knowledge about the world and myself. I was able to focus on the present in London and to soak up the remainder of my time in Europe. I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, got my bags, and boarded the Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 scheduled for JFK International Airport. I was coming home.

Home

            How strange it was to meet my brother and his fiancé in the airport in New York, finally seeing them in person for the first time in over 5 months! And so weird to drive through Wilkes-Barre, to visit King’s, and to eventually get home to my parents. I couldn’t believe that I was back! It almost didn’t feel real. Now looking back at my program and my journey afterwards—they almost don’t feel real. I still think back to everything that I had experienced and find it so hard to believe that I was granted the opportunity to do and see so much.

I found myself for the first few days in a sort of “adjustment phase.” I actually had to adjust myself (besides just my body clock) to get back to my normal life here in the states! For example, when I was going to eat a yogurt from my fridge at home, I checked the expiration date, which was 07/04/11, and I almost threw it out! Yet, I opened it and it seemed fine. I realized that I had read the expiration date as April 7^th, 2011, because in Europe, dates are written with the date first instead of the month first.

Different things like that happened for the first few days, but I was back into the normal swing of things in no time. I also found that life around here hasn’t changed as much as I thought that it would. I’m not complaining though. I guess I was worried that life at home would change and that my friends at home would forget about me—but that was all just in my head. Everyone has been just as happy to see me as I them. And all in all, it is nice to be able to relax and to reflect on what I have learned over the last 5 months. What an adventure it has been!

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