This blog post was written by our student ambassador Ana, who is a student of the semiotics programme at the University of Tartu.
Writing blogs, creating social media content, making video reels and presenting, studying and living in Estonia, truly is an inspiring and rewarding work. But after every hard work, a break or even a vacation is just what the doctor ordered. So, the student ambassadors and the staff of "Study in Estonia" along with International student ambassadors of TalTech, have decided to take a little break from a very productive semester and travel to Pärnu; the summer capital of Estonia for two days, to have a final meeting of this academic year. In this blog, I will share the adventures and amazing activities from our trip. I hope you will enjoy this blog and get inspired to become the student ambassador of "Study in Estonia", so you can also enjoy future trips and great adventures like this one.
First day
I arrived at Pärnu around 10 o'clock, as I took the early morning bus. I spent my time walking around Pärnu's colourful streets, visiting Lydia Koidula's statue and chatting to her about Estonia in Estonian and, of course, enjoying the breeze and sunshine on the Pärnu beach.
At noon, we all gathered at hotel and had lunch while catching up. After the check-in, we had the pleasure of listening to two great lectures. The first lecture was held by Study in Estonia tema member, Kalmar, who talked about Estonia's EU membership and the importance of the EU in education. The second lecture was held by the Estonian journalist and a member of the Estonian parliament, Peeter Tali, who talked about military strategies and the security of Estonia. Both lectures were interactive, as the students had an opportunity to ask questions and make comments during the discussion.
After inspiring lectures, we went to dinner at, near the city centre and then walked to the traditional food festival in Pärnu filled with delicious food and exciting events. Students enjoyed great music, and some were even courageous enough to sing karaoke. So, it was a really memorable and fun evening for almost everyone, as I went back to the hotel earlier due to the tiredness from the 12-hour shift the day before and had to miss all the excitement. But the rest of the gang had an amazing time, which is most important.
Second day
After an activity-filled first day of the trip, the second day was more of a relaxing day for everyone. After breakfast, the students had a chance to use the refreshing and relaxing SPA in hotel. I spent my time walking on the beach and hiking to the Pärnu muul. At noon, we all hugged and said "see you at the next event" and went our separate ways. Some went to have lunch, while others prepared to go back to Tartu and Tallinn. I also said my "kohtume järgmisel korral ja elagu Eesti" (meet you next time and long live Estonia) to Lydia Koidula, walked a bit more through the old town and headed to the bus station on my way back to Tartu.
It was truly an awesome and unforgettable trip and a great way to recharge the batteries and prepare for the challenges and adventures of the next semester. We all sure enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next trip.
Find out which international degree programmes are available for you in Estonia.
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- 7 benefits of studying abroad
- Studying in Estonia: Frequently Asked Questions