Everyday was filled with fun! Estonia - From my experience at the forest lodge and student exchange
I fell in love with Estonia after participating in this study tour.
Even though I did not have strong feelings about Estonia before participating in this tour, as I visited various places and interacted with various people, my "fun" was renewed every day, and in the end, I really loved Estonia so much that I did not want to leave. In particular, the experience at the forest lodge and the student exchange were invaluable to me. In the former, we stayed at a lodge surrounded by snow and forest, where we enjoyed homemade soup and bread from the local guide, and trekked through the deep forest. It was a day when my body and soul became steeped in Estonia. Also, I could kind of get why nature is so special for Estonian which could have never felt in urban areas .In the latter case, I was able to capture a realistic picture of Estonia that is not on the Internet by discussing with MIia who is a student of Tartu University about the comparison of Estonian and Japanese sex education (including sexual minorities), politics, and culture. Even though I believed that Estonian sex education was one of the most developed countries, the reality is different. The voice from her being as a bisexual and as a one of the students experienced actual sex education was heavy that enable to capture the real Estonia not on the internet.
Photo: On the hiking course, we were surrounded by the forest covered by snow. If we listen carefully, we could hear the forest spirits.
Reflection time at the end of the day
The reflection time at the end of the day was the time when I felt the growth of myself. Although it was always a stressful time for me, as I am not good at verbalizing and organizing my stories, this forced daily time for speaking enabled me to organize my main points. This experience made me first time to confront my own weakness which I usually avoided. In addition, I felt that I did not have a good grasp of my own interests outside of my field of education, but as I sorted out my opinion for the reflection, I realized that I was also interested in racial discrimination. This leads me to find a new research topic.
Seeing various facilities and interacting with people in Estonia, I could realize the presence and the importance of flexible education but at the same time I came up with new questions and problems. To not waste this precious experience, I will make more efforts by being grateful to a miracle encounter with members and prof. Maruyama and keeping my findings and feelings in mind. Thank you very much.
P. S.
After coming back to Japan, I missed Estonia so much that I made an Estonian soup. This dish really brings out the full flavor of the ingredients. It was so delicious;)
