Letters Home #22 💌

Writing from: Helsinki, Finland

Dear Ones —

I write to you from a small hotel room where our group of five — me, Paul, our two kids and my father-in-law — are packed like sardines in the vibrant (and expensive) city of Helsinki. We’ve been on a two-day layover here after our two weeks exploring the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and before we fly home through Paris (but not without spending a few days exploring that fine city first).

Visiting three countries in two weeks has exposed us to the many ways humans live, thrive, suffer, and survive. Amongst our amazing sightseeing, hiking, beach-combing and countryside driving, I’ve encountered a refreshed understanding of the Baltic nations and an awareness that I’ve only scratched the surface.

Most notably, we’ve been exposed to stories of unimaginable struggle and suffering that spans centuries, with more recent trauma from the world wars and Soviet rule. A few highlights: We walked the bastions of the Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum in Tallinn, E…