My host dad, Marek Rüütli, picked me up from the airport Tuesday afternoon. After I landed, I had time to grab lunch at the cafe and sign the airport guestbook. Very cute, and very fitting for welcoming Estonia.

After a two-hour car ride to Pärnumaa, we arrived at the Rüütli home.  I immediately felt at home when Reelika hugged me in the best kind of mom hug. 

For supper, we had cottage cheese, potatoes and sour cream sauce, and salad. We ate outside on her patio and started to get to know each other.  Madleen (6) and Robert (3) selected their personal play dates for the week.  For dessert, we had kringle - an Estonian butter braid! 

On Wednesday morning, Maria and I helped Reelika relocate her office belongings across the school hallway so her office can be renovated over the summer. 

Outside of working as the 4-H coordinator at the school and organizing Estonia IFYE, Reelika and her family grows strawberries and Christmas trees. We stayed at her place near the end of the strawberry season and got to experience several pieces of it.  We picked rows of strawberry fields where I discovered muscles I didn't know I had before. Either that, or I was installing new muscles through this activity! Throughout the week and a half we were there, we helped pick strawberries, sort them, sell them, clean them and eat them.  Needless to say, I definitely will appreciate every strawberry a little more from now on.  

When you live a sneeze away from the Baltic Sea and have a river cut through the backyard, and a pool for sauna, there really is no question on how to cool down from picking strawberries and working outside.  

Another IFYE to Estonia from Switzerland, Michéle Grindat, also joined us one day for a swim in the river and pool.  

It's funny that I have fly over two coasts to get to a beach (the first in Africa two years ago), but it's so worth it!  The views here are unreal, and the water is so refreshing!

This is a national holiday in Estonia.  Actually, aside from Christmas, Janniõhtu (Midsummer's Day Eve and Jaanipäev (Midsummers Day) are considered two of the most important holidays in Estonia.

Janniõhtu comes from a tale of two lovers, Koit (dawn) and Hämarik (dusk). These two ‪‎lovers‬ see each other only once a year and exchange the briefest of kisses on the shortest night of the year.

Earth-bound lovers go into the ‪‎forest‬ looking for the flower of the fern which is said to bloom only on that night – and single people can follow instructions to see whom they are going to marry… 

This holiday, held on the longest day of the year, is commonly celebrated with BBQs and bonfires. 

And that's what we did! The Rüütli family went to a party at a friend's house to celebrate with a BBQ of all delicious foods.

I have discovered that Estonian potato salad is not only a staple party food, but it is also the best potato salad I have ever had!

When we weren't pushing the little kids on the kiik (swing), Maria, Mihkel and I played Heads Up -  one of my favorite party games (really its my favorite game ever). 

After coming home from a bonfire and picnic with my host family's friends, Maria and I picked nine different wild flowers and placed them under our pillows.

As the ‪‎story‬ goes, I was supposed to dream of my fella this night.  It may or may not have worked, but I guess we will find out in the future!

Reelika is an amazing cook and an even better baker! We were very much spoiled this week - and always on the edge of going into a food coma from the cakes and coffees and amazing meals. 

And in-between the amazing meals and snacks, she also shared some very Estonian goodies with us.  Topping the list of favorites are Kohuke bars. These are cottage cheese wrapped in chocolate that comes in all kinds of flavors - very yummy!

Any trip to the grocery store done right ends with an ice-cream snack in the car.  And considering I live just blocks away from the Dairy Store in Lincoln and have done numerous quality assessments of my own, I have to say Estonian ice cream is some of the best ice cream I have ever had. 

It's hard to capture all of the amazing experiences and memories with the Rüütlis' this first week in Estonia. They definitely welcomed us with open arms and shared a lot of their culture with us. I am very blessed to have the Rüütlis as part of my growing IFYE family! 

Before the seven US IFYEs left the country, and the incoming IFYEs from Switzerland, Finland, Korea, Taiwan, Tasmania, Norway, Luxembourg, England, India and Scotland began their adventures in the states, we all spent some time in Washington DC.

​On Friday morning, the US IFYEs had a chance to meet with several Foreign Agricultural Services officers about career opportunities in FAS and hear stories of their adventures from their work.   

On Saturday evening, we all went to the Taste of Reston Festival for supper. While there were tons of vendors, Ben and Jerry's was clearly the winning option for supper. 

On Sunday, we had the opportunity to spend some time in Washington DC, visiting the White House, several national monuments and museums in the National Mall.

After 12 miles of walking in the wonderful Washington, DC heat, my ankle started to protest, but it was worth it, of course!

One of the experiences that will really stick with me is going to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on Father's Day. 

I'm a travel addict on the road to recovery.

Just kidding.

I am on the road to the airport.

Day 1: 400+ miles on the road, Arby's roast beef sandwiches for sustenance, snuggles with Kilter, and spontaneous laughter. 

It's not too often the four of us get to take road trips together anymore, but I am so blessed that my family has been able to take me to the airport for my bright and early morning flight on June 16! Those 7 hours and 414 miles across the beautiful state of Nebraska with them was definitely a gift.  

I love the journey across Nebraska. As we were winding through the Sandhills filled with cattle on pastures and driving past fields and fields of corn, wheat, alfalfa and soybeans as we continued east, it's evident that agriculture is the driving force of Nebraska. What an incredible opportunity we have to be a living legacy in agriculture! 

I am so excited to share Nebraska agriculture with others and experience life throughout Estonia and India and other countries along the way and build meaningful relationships with people around the world! 

I am even more excited to learn about different agricultural systems throughout these countries by living and working with these farming families and experience these cultures in a more down-to-earth way.  

Here's to a six-month adventure of so many stories and so much growth!

Day 2: At 7 am, I met up with Taylor Hanon and Erica Peterson, the other Nebraska IFYEs to fly out to Washington, DC for a weekend orientation before we scatter out across Europe.

While I am in Estonia for three months, Taylor (Mead, NE) is in Luxembourg and Erica (Waverly) is in Poland. Erica will also experience India from September-December while Taylor will head to Costa Rica!

In our connection at Atlanta, we met up with Kelley Dickman Grace Garza from Ohio.