First, music. Not just listening to it, but the physical feeling of it. I play the piano a little—mostly Chopin and my own messy compositions. I also love discovering tiny Estonian bands that sing in our language. There’s something so raw and emotional about it that gets lost in translation. Second, the sea. You can’t grow up in Estonia without a weird connection to the Baltic Sea. I love the specific quietness of a frozen beach in January, but also the chaos of a summer storm. Third, thrift shopping and vintage fashion. I hate looking like everyone else. I love finding an old leather jacket or a 90’s sweater that has a story. For me, clothes are a way to express my mood without having to talk about it. It’s like wearing my armor.

My biggest dream is to study sound design or film scoring abroad, maybe in Copenhagen or Berlin. I want to learn how to take the feelings that are stuck in my chest—the sound of wind through the Estonian forest, the silence of snow—and turn them into music for movies. I want to create soundtracks that make people feel something they can’t put into words. Short-term? I want to travel solo this summer. Just a backpack, a train ticket, and no plan. I want to prove to myself that I can handle being alone in the world and that I can rely on my own instincts. My long-term goal is to build a tiny, sustainable home somewhere in the Estonian countryside. A place with a big garden where I can grow my own potatoes and have a studio with a grand piano. I want a life that feels quiet on the outside but rich and creative on the inside. I don’t need to be famous. I just need to feel free.

Hey! I’m Eleanor, but most people just call me Ele. I’m 18 and I’m from Tallinn, Estonia—yes, the one with the medieval old town and a lot of rain, but also really amazing summers where the sun barely sets. I just finished gymnasium, and honestly, I’m in that weird in-between phase where everyone keeps asking “So, what’s next?” while I’m trying to figure out who I am outside of school. I’ve grown up with my feet in two worlds: one is the cozy, digital side of Estonia (I’ve had my e-residency since I was 10, basically), and the other is my love for nature. My favorite place in the world is my grandma’s old summer cottage in Lahemaa National Park. It doesn’t even have running water, but it smells like pine trees and old wool blankets, and it’s the only place where my brain actually shuts up.

I really, really hate small talk. The “how are you” when no one actually wants to know the answer. It feels like a waste of breath. I’d rather sit in comfortable silence with a friend than talk about the weather for ten minutes. I also can’t stand judgmental people. Especially those who look down on Estonia or think it’s just some random post-Soviet country. We have our own culture, our own struggles, and we’re doing our best. Don’t underestimate us. And honestly? I dislike the pressure to have everything figured out. Everyone expects you to know exactly which university to go to and what career to pick at 18. It feels like being given a map but the map is blank, and people are yelling at you to start driving anyway. It’s exhausting.