Hereandthereandhereand.. - Siinjasealjasiinja..

.........so now a day later (don't mind the time stamps, like I mentioned - this takes time), I feel I'd like to go off more on the expat topic.

I had forgotten. It sounds quite romantic and mysterious, though the truth is - I did. Part of this was planned, of course. I feel that I never really was an expat until about eight month ago (give or take). The method in which I wanted to dive into eesti keel required this status to be waived .. at least my realization of the status. After I moved here, I refused more and more often to speak in any language other than eesti keel or русский язык. Not the easiest way to make friends, contacts or rapid progress in linguistic proficiency, but effective nonetheless. Essential.

Along with comfort at how proficiency was progressing came an easing of aversion to anything English. Mind you, a lot of this is internal now (and welcome!); however I at least allowed myself to associate more with fellow expats.. even though it took a while for the 'fellow' identity to set in! I read a fantastic article written by another US-born nomad upon being back on that side of the ocean (albeit temporarily -- I still remember the first times I experienced those blips of life between plane tickets!).

One of the comments on the blog post contained an amazing quote, along with a similarly insightful reply from the author herself:

"Forever lost no matter our location" - I feel like I've

retained "otherness" even in coming home.

This is for good, for real, deep down, on like prawn. Embracing your instilled expat identity dispels all boundaries. Minneapolis I love, yet there is a constant yearning to be here when I am there.. all the same, when I am here I pine for Minneapolis, and Suomi, and Sverige, and Ísland and........ it is fantastic. Intoxicating and uplifting. Not merely a lifestyle, or a life, but a complex and indescribable identity in itself. I am not detached from any of the places, nor am I so deeply rooted that I can not survive - can not feel them and still enjoy and revel from afar.

If that all does not call for a beer, then.. well. It does.

Edasi, вперёд..