Final Thoughts on Narva

As I approach the end of my stay I would like to take some time to reflect on my time in Estonia, and specifically in Narva. Living in Narva has been an eye opening experience; never in my life have I been so far North nor so far to the east. I had the excellent opportunity to engage with the locals whether it was through casual conversation, working out at the MyFitness gym, or the tutors that helped me with my Russian during the program. Although I wish I had more opportunities to get more involved with the community, I can say for sure that Narva has made a great and positive impression on me. There are many things I want to say about Estonia but by far what made my experience in Estonia, and Narva, were the interactions I had with different people and my wonderful classmates that accompanied me. My time in Estonia and Narva will stay with me for as long as I live. The city’s mix of old and new architecture gave an interesting balance to the way life is conducted here. Here I learned to improve my Russian skills, found out more about Russia and the Russian speaking world, and I met some incredible people. 

One of my first interactions I had with the locals living in Narva was on my first 5 mile (8km) run with my classmates. Our route took us from Hotel Inger down to the Narva promenade which sits right next to the Estonian-Russian border. I remember that during these first couple of days the fact that I was so close to Russia was a very surreal experience to me. As someone who has been studying the Russian language, culture, and history it was incredible to be finally close enough to get a glimpse of what I’ve been studying. I remember the weather in Narva also made an impression on me as the days were consistently sunny and essentially never ending. The promenade we were running on eventually turned into a riverside neighborhood. The beach in front of this small community was made of thousands of small rocks and pebbles with occasional patches of grass and sand. On these shores stood fishermen patiently waiting for a bite. One of these men was out conducting chores with his young son. As we ran by the two stopped and watched as we ran parallel to them, I waved to them and wished them a good morning to which the father returned with his own greeting. Although this was a small reaction that can be described as insignificant, it was still my first interaction with a local one which made me feel welcomed at home. Such acts of mutual acknowledgement and recognition are often rare but special as they demonstrate the common ground we, the people of different cities, states, nations, and continent, are much more similar than on first appearance. 

Ironically, another memorable interaction for me was also during one of my morning runs. A friend of mine and I were running our route towards Narva-Joesuu and on this run an older man caught up to us and began to speak with us. I remember being surprised and caught completely off guard, he was speaking very fast Russian and I was trying to keep my running pace while also trying to understand the gentleman beside me. His clear excitement and energy only served to motivate me to engage with him. For instance, he was insistent on asking what our workout was and where we were running. After a while we had to bid our farewell to the gentleman and head back to the hotel. My mood has immediately greatened after my interaction with this man and it left me feeling very warm about the citizens of Narva. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the staff of the Narva public library and American Spaces Narva. Their warm welcoming of myself and other volunteers went above and beyond, ensuring that we felt at home in this library. Often during our sessions we discussed many topics like Russian idioms, American history, and literature all of which were pleasing and insightful conversations. One of my most memorable moments at the library was simply listening to the stories, told in Russian, by the staff about them living in Russian and where they were when Viktor Tsoi died. 

This last paragraph I would like to dedicate to the incredible individuals that have endured a rigorous eight weeks of Russian language instruction. My classmates are some of the brightest and motivated students that I have ever met. Their insight and perspectives proved immeasurably valuable as did their company. We had many hard, easy, and fun days but one constant was the unending curiosity of these individuals to gain a better understanding of the Russian speaking sphere. It is an honor and a pleasure to have had the opportunity to exchange ideas with great minds and, most of all, call you my friends.