The Traveler is Back

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything and there is a very simple reason for that: I have lived in such lack of money that there has not been much opportunity to visit any places or see new things that would be worth mentioning in the blog. Winter can be very hard and expensive in Estonia because living costs, especially the heating bill, are incredibly high here. Thankfully this winter has been quite “warm”, but the couple cold weeks ensured that the heating has been on full blast for months now. Considering that the wages in this country do not meet the daily living costs at all, I do not want to think how difficult it must be for a family of four to make ends meet if I, as a single woman with a rather high salary, can’t cope.

But Spring is here! And while the weather is getting warmer and the heating is turned down in our building (because obviously we can’t influence the heating in our flats ourselves at all) I am left with more money and it’s about time too! The traveler in me has been slowly dying, so I need to get moving. And as much as I would love to go and see St. Petersburgh, Latvia is closer and an easier (read: cheaper) option at this stage. I think I am the only person among my relatives and friends in Finland who has never been to Riga, the capital of Latvia. But now I shall remedy it! A bus from Tallinn to Riga is approximately 4 hours one way and since my travel companion is as much on a tight budget as I am, we opted for a day trip. The bus back and forth cost each of us only 10€.

I can’t wait! I am so ready to see a new country and a new city! I bought a brand new backpack and haven’t taken it out from the closet yet because it’s so pretty it should only be used in special occasions. And I think a trip to Latvia is a special enough occasion for this backpack to be brought out into public. I also purchased a new pair of jeans. OK, I didn’t buy them for the sole reason of wanting to look great when going to explore a new city but it never hurts to have new and good looking clothes.

Shoes are a problem… As per usual. We will have about 7 hours in Riga and most of it will be spent on our feet, walking. So the shoes must be comfy. Flat shoes are not a very good option for me, I need a bit of heel. But my new wellies would be perfect in case it rains (which is very probable), because then I wouldn’t have to look where I step. I also have a version of the “combat boots” with platform sole and a heel, of course. They are very comfy but quite heavy. I will probably go for the wellies, just because they are so light, but I know already that the next day my feet will be in so much pain.

Nonetheless I am about to burst with happiness because I am finally going on a trip again! It’s been quite a challenge here because on one side I’m surrounded by the Baltic Sea and on the other side Russia, so if you want to travel from this country, you need to be able to afford a boat ticket. Because even the airport here is quite useless, unless  you only wish to travel to Amsterdam or London. For anything else you need to get to Helsinki airport or Riga airport…