We stood in the queue at the Embarkation area, clutching our boarding passes. Through the windows, we could see Dunbrody, a three-masted sailing vessel, moored at the quayside, its wooden sides gleaming in the sun. A woman, dressed in a dark shawl and clutching a large bag, rushed past us […]
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No Hablo Español
When I was 22 years old, I made a rather unusual promise to myself. I decided that by the age of 40, I will speak Spanish. I don’t really know why I made this promise. At that time, Spanish was absolutely irrelevant in my life. I had no exposure to […]
Read MoreFake Estonian in a Fake Village
We were sitting on the rocks by the Baltic Sea, laughing hysterically. “It was like a scene out of a sitcom!” I gasped between laughing fits, “Who does something like this in real life?” Victor buried his head in his hands, “I don’t know! I don’t know what I was […]
Read MoreSoaking in Estonia
On the fourth day in Tallinn, we were in a back seat of a taxi, chatting with our Russian-speaking driver about the intricacies of the daily life of ethnic Russians in Estonia. “I’ve never been to this one,” he said as he pulled the car over. “Enjoy!” I peeked out […]
Read MoreA Heatstroke in the Stone City
I am sitting on a stony curbside in complete darkness. The narrow, crooked street shoots up the hill and then makes a wild turn. My head hurts. Dogs bark in the distance. The sweet darkness of Albanian night is hugging me gently as I am rubbing my temples trying not […]
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