I Must Be the Luckiest Person on Earth

It's over. It seems so surreal that all this has come to an end. My internship at Embassy Tallinn has been one heck of a ride - from video making and blog post writing to regional outreach and school speeches, I've had the most interesting, fun, and varied internship experience that I am grateful for everyday. I could tell you so much about what has happened over the past eleven weeks, however I feel as though this blog post marking the end of my internship should instead be dedicated to the person who made it all happen. Of course, I am talking about my boss - Ali.

I'm not one to boast or brag, and I'm certainly not one to suck up, especially since I have it so good already. But I am one to share my experiences so that maybe one day you and I can reciprocate all the good we have encountered through each other to everyone we meet.

I have been fortunate enough to not have had to work under terrible people. My previous employers have been absolutely wonderful and supportive of me, so here’s a quick shout out to them as well. Before I came to Tallinn, I wondered what it would be like. Would I be working with fantastic people or some people who were just “eh.” I didn’t know if diplomats were snobby or if they were the kindest people out there. What was Public Affairs? Was this internship going to be boring? Was I going to have to do lame, boring intern work like shredding papers (wait, I did do some of that) or getting my boss coffee (I didn't do that but we did occasionally exchange tea)? I hope I didn't show it, but I was incredibly nervous and I’ll admit, I was a little afraid – I had only had two jobs, both at the same time and both for longer than two years. I don’t mind change, but I’d be completely on my own in a new country where I don’t know anyone and I don’t speak their language. But – I love new experiences and adventures, and this has been one of a lifetime.

Ali was so bubbly and excited and got me to work immediately, never was there a dull moment. Wanna know our first bonding moment? The moment I found out that she, too, was from the great state of Ohio. It was only uphill from there. She welcomed the jet lagged, extremely tired, slap happy me with all my luggage into her office less than an hour after I got off the plane in Tallinn. I have to tell you, I barely remember any of it - it is all such a blur. I met Filipp that day as well, and I've already told him that I barely even remember meeting him, even though it was he who helped me drag my suitcases up two flights of stairs. I think he might have been a little offended... Just kidding, he just laughed.

Here are a couple reasons why Ali is the best boss you never had (although, her boss - Michelle - can give her a run for her money, she's pretty impressive herself). You're going to hear me boast and brag because I want you to take a leaf out of her book when you yourself are an employer/boss/whatever, as I hope to do the same. She and the office threw me a “Welcome to Embassy Tallinn, Ayesha!” party. I think Jordan was jealous... I knew right then that I was in the right place, with the right people. At every opportunity she tried to get me into trips and events with the Ambassador, with Michelle, with other departments to help me get a taste for work in every part of the Embassy. She was excited when she was able to get me a spot on a trip Saaremaa, but was bummed at the fact that it cost me a trip to Rapla with her.

Ali was honest and frank with me - if she didn't like something or felt something could be better, she told me upfront. Constructive criticism at it's finest - she's very, very good at it. I'm very happy and proud to say that she enjoyed the work I did - making a map of the Ambassador's travels, creating a video, writing blog posts, becoming the Embassy's expert on Trace Effects (wonder what will happen to poor Trace when I leave...). But honestly, I wouldn't have been able to do any of that without her.

Ali is the kindest soul in the world. She's encouraged me to explore all the opportunities out there. When asked for an assignment, a couple times she told me to look into the Peace Corps, knowing I had interest in it. She even told me to take time to write my personal statement for fellowships and scholarships I am applying for (she also helped me brainstorm it - thank you!). Ali provided me with the ability to expand my knowledge of not only the world of the Foreign Service, but also employment in general by allowing me to help her pick the Summer '14 interns and going through the hiring process with the candidates. Everything Ali has asked me to do has only made me more experienced, competitive, and ambitious - ready to take on what's coming in the future.

So, it is with a heavy heart I say good-bye to her. Not for good, I do hope. I must also say good-bye to Michelle, an incredibly confident woman who has oftentimes left me in awe at how resilient, persistent, intelligent, and straight-forward she is - and who has helped me become more confident and knowledgeable as well. I also must bid farewell to Filipp, Tiiu, Jane, Mairis, Evelin, and Aita - the rest of the Public Affairs team. I was incredibly fortunate to have them as co-workers, they truly are incredibly good at what they do and are super kind, friendly, and welcoming that I know I will be hard pressed to find another team quite as awesome. Finally, good-bye to the rest of the Embassy - Ambassador Levine who I had the pleasure of working with on many occasions, all the other American staff who welcomed me so warmly and showed me great hospitality, the kind-hearted Estonian staff, and the Marines who protect our Embassy, serve our country, and who I bonded with immediately. Thank you all for the most incredible three months of my life.

Winter is in the Air!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I don't celebrate Christmas, but it's hard not to smile and be filled with warmth and joy walking through the streets of the Old Town with snow falling on your face and a skinny Santa driving a van blasting Christmas music through the streets. The Christmas Market in the town square looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale - lights everywhere, a humongous Christmas tree, and the smell of Glögg and warm food spreading like wildfire between the stalls.

Christmas Market in Tallinn. Now tell me that isn't magical.

When it snows, Estonia becomes a literal winter wonderland, straight out of fairytales and Disney movies. Although it has unfortunately not snowed much, I have gotten a glimpse of that world here in Tallinn and on the road. I went to Viljandi on Thursday. Viljandi is well known in Estonia as the cultural capital of Estonia. It snowed a bit the night before, and the road to Viljandi was filled with trees covered in a fresh coat of white snow. Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the road however I've begun to realize how little justice photos do to the beauty of nature. I urge you to use your imagination, to imagine tall, skinny white trees bearing the weight of fresh snow produced by the heavens above.

While on the topic of Viljandi, my boss Ali and I each gave presentations at a high school there. I wondered the entire time we were in the school why schools in the U.S. don't take a leaf out of their book (Ali tells me it's because the U.S. is not a small Scandinavian country). Here's why: the school was so open! Windows covered the entire length of the vast area I want to call a hallway but really isn't a hallway. The only doors I saw were those for classrooms and bathrooms. The cafeteria gave way to a pyramid where students could take breaks on beanbags between classes and that pyramid gave way to a library. It was a giant, airy, open space. There was so much light from the windows. Everything about the school screamed modern - from the innovative tables to smart boards in every classroom to no bells indicating the beginning or end of class, promoting the idea that students should take responsibility for their education at a young age. The new building I just described connects to the old building, which was built in the 1920's and has been renovated and such. I wish I went to a high school like that.

I'm giving a presentation on the Trace Effects video game. Get over my attractive face.

I have to hand it to the Estonians - for such a small country they sure are innovative. Against all odds, this tiny country of 1.3 million has maintained its national language through centuries of occupation, created what is perhaps the greatest model of e-governance in the world, ranks third in the world in press freedom, and is constantly supporting and creating new ways to improve in every aspect of society, be it technology, education, or anywhere else in between or beyond. God, I love Estonia - I'm not ready to leave.