So why are we so excited about Estonia this year?

When we first got the news about this year's special conventions, I told Stacy that I would go anywhere.  Little did I know then that we would be on our way to a part of the world I knew very little about - talk about an adventure!  Paris and St. Petersburg are obvious highlights, but Estonia has an amazing history.  Here are some of the fun facts I've learned:  

• Estonia is situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the north-eastern corner of Europe. It shares land borders with Latvia and Russia and sea borders with Finland and Sweden.
There are 4,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Estonia.
• Estonia has a population of just above 1.3 million but with an area of 45,227 sq km (17,462 sq mi), it is larger than Denmark or the Netherlands or a little smaller than New Hampshire and Massachusetts combined. It makes Estonia one of the most scarcely populated countries in Europe, with just 30 Estonians per square kilometre.
• The capital of Estonia is Tallinn with 400,000 inhabitants. Its well-preserved medieval architecture has made it very popular with tourists. Other larger cities are Tartu, Narva, Kohtla-Järve and Pärnu.
• The official language, Estonian, resembles most to Finnish, but is completely different from Russian, Latvian, German, Swedish or any other Indo-European language.
• Estonia is a green land, about 50% of its territory is covered in forest. It has over 1,500 islands and more than 1,400 lakes.
• Most of the country is flat and lies less than 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level. The landscape becomes more hilly in the southeast. The highest point in Estonia is 318 metres (1043 ft).
• Estonia belongs to the Schengen area and has open borders with the rest of Europe.
The largest ethnic groups are Estonians (69%) and Russians (26%).
• The official currency in Estonia is euro.
• The German, Swedish, Russian and Danish occupations have all left their mark on Estonian cuisine and culture. Their influences are evident also in the architecture of cathedrals, cobbled streets, manor houses and palaces.
• When it comes to the Internet access, Estonia is one of the most connected countries in the world.  So there should be no excuse for not keeping this blog going for my friends!