Personal Stories
How Learning Estonian Helped Me Adapt to Life in a New Country
Interview: Svea Stamberg & Tetiana Khimich
Written by: Tetiana Khimich
Neringa is from Kaunas, Lithuania. And if you haven’t met her yet, you are truly in for a treat. Her jokes are sharp and witty. She doesn’t like cooking, but she loves creating beautiful things with her hands. She is artistic and brave, intelligent and thoughtful. Fair and open-mindedopen-minded, with a vibrant personality and is never boring. At times she can be blunt, but who among us is perfect?
“I’m forty-three years old. I’m from Lithuania and lived there for twenty-one years. After finishing college, life in my home country seemed dull and without prospects. When Lithuania joined the European Union, I packed my bachelor’s degree in tourism and hospitality, my good command of English, fifty pounds, and flew to England to work in a hotel.”
Imagine the courage it took. On those rain-soaked, quietly enchanting English lands, she spent eighteen unforgettable years. Not once did she feel sorrow, neither at the first dawn nor at the last twilight. Life flowed easily around her, carefree and bright. She was young, touched by a hint of recklessness, and utterly happy.
“That is where I met my husband. He is from Estonia. I worked in hotels and banks, and I truly loved life in England. In a country with such a long and rich history, it is impossible to be bored. There are so many old towns and unusual villages where history truly comes alive. I was also able to visit manors, castles, and historic houses and buildings.”
When the time came to move to London, she fell completely in love with the city.
“This city is enormous and full of energy, and living here was truly thrilling. My husband and I…”
The pace of life in London was relentless and demanding, impossible to slow down. Over time, the city’s energy became exhausting, draining far more than it gave in return. But, as if following the natural course of life, everything changed. Their family grew by one.
The birth of their daughter turned their world upside down. What had once felt familiar slowly gave way to new values and responsibilities. When their daughter turned two, the family decided to seek peace and calm. They moved to Estonia, to her father’s hometown of Haapsalu, a complete contrast to London, like a closed window shutting out the noise of the city, where life moves slower and more gently.
Then came packing, moving, and adapting. A new country, new people, a new language, new roles, and new routines.
She started taking Estonian courses. At first, it did not seem too difficult. Pliiats, laud, tool, linn, maja. Everything felt fairly simple. But once they moved on to numbers and grammar, she was shocked. She realized that a long and challenging journey lay ahead. Sometimes she mixed up similar words, saying ahju ei tööta (the oven doesn’t work), when she meant aju ei tööta (my brain doesn’t work), or kaheteistkümne aastane (twelve years old) instead of kaheksateistkümne aastane (eighteen years old), and so on.
She did not give up. Surrounded by Estonian speakers, she continued her studies, both in group classes and individual lessons. Her love of languages kept her motivated, and she genuinely enjoyed learning, laughing at her own mistakes along the way.
Language is very important to me, but I do not take it too seriously. Sometimes I get frustrated. Grammar is complex, plurals are mysterious, and verb tenses are hard to memorize. But I keep moving forward, little by little.
A crucial part of her learning was the desire to actually speak the language. She practiced at every opportunity, at work, in shops, at the doctor’s office, with her husband, and even with strangers.
At first, it was incredibly hard. She did not understand much, was unfamiliar with slang and jokes, and her vocabulary was limited. Estonians also seemed reserved, not all, but mostly. She felt isolated and alone. Still, her strong desire to integrate, communicate, and work in an Estonian-speaking environment paid off.
She changed jobs and eventually felt she had found her place. She now works as a kindergarten assistant, practices the language every day, and notices steady progress.
“Sometimes I even catch myself thinking in Estonian!”
And another achievement, I passed the B1 exam. I do not think I have ever been this proud of myself.
Neringa is a bright and energetic person, full of creative and unconventional ideas. She is happy living in a small country. According to her, Estonia is incredibly beautiful and distinctive, filled with medieval mystery in its narrow streets and wide squares. The architecture of old Tallinn is especially captivating, and I could not agree more.
And Haapsalu? She’s already fallen in love:
A small, quiet, and cozy town. Everything I value for family life is here: the sea, the forest, the castle, peace, and the old town. I feel at home here.
After the storm, a calming, almost lullaby-like quiet settled in. All that remained was to enjoy and explore the world around them.
„The nature here is unique. I do not know where else in the world you would find so many bogs. I find bog landscapes magical. And that is not all. Estonia has more than two thousand islands. I have already been to Muhu, Saaremaa, and Hiiumaa, but there is still so much left to explore. Maybe next time I will write about that.“
