Estonia. To be honest, my first exposure to this former Soviet state was 1992’s movie “Encino Man” and Brendan Fraser’s Linkovich "Link" Chomovsky. (Those who recognize “no weeezing the juuuuuice”, take a moment here). Sure, I knew the high level story of the downfall of the Soviet Union, but not the nitty gritty. Nor do I profess to know everything now. But I do know a lot more about a tiny, resilient country that has been through more shit in the last 100 years than most of our countries can relate to in their entirety. First impressions of Tallinn, the capital, are probably pretty standard. Its Old Town is so authentically medieval that the cobblestone streets, ubiquitous castle turrets, and never-ending enveloping, protective walls can’t help but feel fake. It’s like the Renaissance Festival on steroids. ... read more

Actually, if anyone tells you that, they are either a) a cyborg, b) on drugs, or c) a liar. It’s not advisable. We tried. Twice. Saint Petersburg’s “White Nights” are legendary; at least in Russia. And, definitely, for a good reason. Our first night here we roamed through the streets of the city centre until at 11:00, we realized we hadn’t even had dinner yet. The sun sets around 11:15 this time of year, but its rays never really go away. The city retains a light blue glow in west just long enough for the same to appear in east as the sun makes its next appearance. The result is a fantasyland where daytime never ends. Most of the people here are Russian with a few Europeans and virtually no Americans (we even had a woman ... read more

So, I’m actually writing this first entry aboard the high speed train that connects Moscow to Saint Petersburg, the SAPSAN. Although about 40 hours prior found me in a very different state of mind; unsure of whether this would even be possible, how to resolve next steps, and generally wondering how much my mistake would end up costing when all was said and done. But before looking forward, I’ll provide an overview of the week that was. Jenn and I had planned a two week vacation to Europe this summer, and while preparing, it came about that I would need to be in Moscow the week before for work. As she already had the summer off from work, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce her to such an intriguing country and one that thoroughly ... read more