TURN ON:First, music. Not just listening to it, but the physical feeling of it. I play the piano a little—mostly Chopin and my own messy compositions.
Second, the sea. You can’t grow up in Estonia without a weird connection to the Baltic Sea. I love the specific quietness of a frozen beach in January, but also the chaos of a summer storm. I go there to think, to cry, or just to sit in silence.
TURN OFF:hate small talk. The “how are you” when no one actually wants to know the answer. It feels like a waste of breath. I’d rather sit in comfortable silence with a friend than talk about the weather for ten minutes.
I also can’t stand judgmental people. Especially those who look down on Estonia or think it’s just some random post-Soviet country.
ABOUT ME:Hey! I’m Eleanor, but most people just call me Ele. I’m 18 and I’m from Tallinn, Estonia—yes, the one with the medieval old town and a lot of rain, but also really amazing summers where the sun barely sets. I just finished gymnasium, and honestly, I’m in that weird in-between phase where everyone keeps asking “So, what’s next?” while I’m trying to figure out who I am outside of school. I’ve grown up with my feet in two worlds: one is the cozy, digital side of Estonia (I’ve had my e-residency since I was 10, basically), and the other is my love for nature. My favorite place in the world is my grandma’s old summer cottage in Lahemaa National Park. It doesn’t even have running water, but it smells like pine trees and old wool blankets, and it’s the only place where my brain actually shuts up.
