Hello! My name is Linda Liis, I am 29 years old and from Estonia. More precisely I am from a small town called Rakvere which has just about 15 000 people. Rakvere is known for its medieval castle dating back to the 5th or 6th century and its huge bull statue right next to the castle.
I have wanted to visit Ireland for many years and now I finally have done so and planning to be here for a whole year. Ireland is the third foreign country I can call home and I am excited to do so. The first was Turkey a few years back and the second was Finland just before I came to Ireland. They were both related to studies at my universities – my latest studies are Master’s studies at the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu and my major is Nature Tourism.
My studies in Nature Tourism is the exact reason I wanted to come to GEAI in Ireland. The studies involve a lot about sustainability, social and ecological capacity and climate change. I have also been studying specifically about rural sustainability, therefore I feel like GEAI in Ballinaglera is the perfect spot for me to do my volunteer service in.
Being from a small country and from a language family with many small-numbered indigenous peoples (the Finno-Ugric people), I think I can relate to the Irish people and the Gaelic spirit and language. There are only about a million Estonians in the world and we consider keeping the Estonian language and culture alive of utmost importance, therefore I think keeping the Gaelic language and culture alive is crucial as well. I will do my best to try to learn the language myself and get immersed in the culture. While I am in Ireland, I am looking forward to contributing to the work of GEAI and to the local community.
Therefore, feel free to say hi to me when you see me around Leitrim!
