Finnegan’s Travels

Meet Amy… Hometown: Clear Lake, SD High School: Deuel High School ‘02 graduate SDSU: Graduation Date: Summer 2006 Political Science Major, History Minor/Honors College Area of Interest: International Relations At State, Amy has been involved in Staters for State, Model United Na- tions, the Political Science Club and Converstion Partners. Last summer she interned for the NGO (non-government organization) Committee on Disar- mament, Peace and Security at the United Nations, in New York City.

Journal Entry: Wednesday, June 7, 2006 Tere! Hope things are well back in SD. Here? Things are going great. As an intern at a small embassy, I really get to be involved in the projects that we do. I’m not just saying that as in I get to watch people work and learn from them, I actually am assigned projects that are important to what is going on in Public Affairs of Estonia. Some of my projects include, drafting the 4th of July speech for the Am- bassador, Aldona Zofia Wos. Yesterday, she even called me into her office to critique the speech she will be giving when she accepts her honorary doctorate of laws. I am also working, by myself, on projects that conern the American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia, public diplomacy, and media output. And it’s only my first week!

As for my personal life, I don’t think the people could be any nicer. They have been very welcoming. The hostel I was planning on stay- ing at turned out to be sort of, well, scary so some people from the embassy offered me their spare room and right now I’m watching Law and Order with Estonian subtitles. Law transcends language. I did have some trouble with jet-lag, since it is 10:00pm here and only 2:00pm in Brookings. I do try to do enough during that day that I am completely exhausted by about this time and can go to sleep since the sun does not set until midnight.

Check out my photos from the town hall tower looking out on Old Town and Raekoja Plots (town hall square). My Estonian is pretty shabby yet, but I’m working on it.

Nagamiste (good bye)

Journal Entry: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 I went to Narva yesterday, which is on the Russian border (saw some Russians, had my photo taken with a statue of Lenin). I was visitng an American Corner library, part of a US Embassy initiative to spread American culture.

This weekend was Victory Day, Estonia’s independence day from the Soviet Union. It was also Janipaev, the midsummer’s night festi- val which is the longest day of the year.

Continued on next page... Last Friday, I drove to Haapsalu, which is on the Eastern border with the Bay of Finland. So, in a matter of three days I drove across all of Estonia, it took 2.5 hours to get West and 1 hour to get East. The countryside resembles South Dakota, no mountains, very flat, lots of trees. I find that the towns really remind me of South Dakota, just ordinary people trying to make a living.

On the Fourth of July, I will be going to Helsinki, Finland by boat. I will be celebrating the 4th of July twice, once with the Embassy and once with the American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia. There is no lack of entertainment.

I’ve picked up a few Estonian phrases, but my accent is all wrong.

Journal Entry: Sunday, July 30, 2006 Here’s my update. Things have been kind of hectic here, so sorry I haven’t written for awhile. I’ve finished some big projects for the Public Affairs office. I think that I’m having a productive internship. I feel like I’ve done substantial work. The Public Affairs Officer and his assistant let me tag along to all the important meetings, and I get to see what really goes on.

I have also been getting along well with the Estonian intern I share an office with. Her name is Kati and she spent a year in Michigan during high school. She’s going to Tartu University and is majoring in political science.

I’ve traveled more with the Public Affairs section, we have been to Viljandi for the Folk Music Festival, Narva to the American Corner, various events in Tallinn, and we are traveling to Ruhnu- the most remote island of Estonia-later in August. Four towers that are pretty famous in Estonia. I climbed them all, so yeah! Estonia is an AMAZINGLY beautiful place and I would love to stay here, but all good things must come to an end. Hope everything is going well back home. I miss you guys!!

Journal Entry: Saturday, August 5, 2006 Well, I’m due to return to the United States in about 18 days. This summer went by FAST!!

Today, from about 9 in the morning until 1am, my American friend Bridgit, an intern from the German Embassy in Latvia, and a German intern from the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce in Estonia (both of whom I just met this morning) and I went on a whirlwind road trip of Estonia.

We started out in Tallinn, went to Palmse Manor, then to Vosu (a beautiful beach), then we ate at Altja and had typical Estonian food— saurkraut, beets, pork, and potatoes, garlic bread, cheese slices, and for dessert we had Kama, and Kohupiim (soured milk (keefir), and rye, oat, barley peasemeal flours and goat’s milk pudding respectively). After lunch we went to Sagadi Manor House (my favorite), then we drove along the northern coast of Estonia by the cliffs, and we saw the tallest waterfall in Estonia— which was tall, but there is no more than a trickle of water in the summer. Then we headed south to the Great Peipsi Lake to meet up with some interns from the German and French embassies in Estonia as well as an Estonian who is working in the French embassy.

After that, we began our over 150 km quest for food. We drove through every small town in Ida-Viru and Tartu counties—and no food anywhere. Finally, we ended up driving about 80 km North to Rakvere and found a carnival and ONE restaurant that was open, which ironically was called “Berlin.”

Continued on next page... All in all, it was a great day!! I made some new friends and got to see some more of Estonia before I leave this beautiful country.

This web-site has links to just about every sight to see in Estonia, including those I visited today! http://avia.russian.ee/travel/estonia/index.html

Hey—I forgot to mention that we were also in Laane-Viru county where all the manor houses are. Oh, manor houses look like houses in “Pride and Prejudice”—big houses from a long-time-ago era). There’s this PBS reality show called “Regency House Party” which is about manor houses. You should google it. Sagadi and Palmse, and Kolga for that matter, are all manor houses in Estonia that are popular and very cool.

This photo was taken atop the town hall tower and overlooks Old Town and Raekoja Plots (town hall square).

Note: Amy is now an alum of South Dakota State University. She lives in Sioux Falls, working full- time and applying to numerous graduate schools.

A view from my bedroom window at midnight with no flash.