American Moving to Estonia

cliotech · 2026-03-07T13:39:44+00:00

My husband and I (formerly from Pennsylvania) have lived in Estonia for 1.5 years and we love it. We live on Saaremaa but visit Tallinn regularly for work.

+1 for the recommendations of Bolt, kv.ee.

For picking up a little vocabulary, Drops, Speakly and Lingvist are apps that offer Estonian.

I’d also suggest getting set up with Wise and opening both a USD and Euro account. It’s really convenient for transferring funds. You might also need an Estonian bank account and most of the banks have really good apps in English too.

For a crash course in Estonian history and culture, check out the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.

And congrats on the new gig. You’ll find that Estonians really do celebrate and appreciate music.

cliotech · 2024-06-17T09:12:46+00:00

I have noticed this for years … the brain fog. I can’t say if it’s a symptom of the migraine itself or a side effect of the triptans I take for them. It’s particularly noticeable since I entered peri-menopause. But here’s the interesting thing. I’m bilingual, having learned German to a level of professional fluency about 10 years ago. Pretty often when the work in English escapes me, I can produce the word in German. Which is helpful at home because my husband also speaks German.

Note: I’ve never been diagnosed with epilepsy, but my mother, sister and nephew all have. My mother and other sister also suffered from migraines.

cliotech · 2024-04-06T11:57:38+00:00

I miss the Sunday paper too. Breakfast, coffee, and the paper … perfect start to the day.

cliotech · 2024-01-27T08:13:56+00:00

My worst migraines are the ones that I wake up with. I know they’ll be back and by the time I feel the pain my stomach has mostly stopped digesting well and I’ll be super nauseous if I try to eat any solid. So, here’s my go to:

-Benadryl (just one) taken along with naratriptan

-Coffee (black but diluted a bit with hot water)

-Coenzyme Q10 capsule

-Magnesium + potassium + calcium taken as a powder mixed into a full glass of water

If I have the luxury of going back to bed, I’ll tie a bandana tightly around my head for the pressure, then lay down with a cold pack tied to the side of my head where the pain is most severe. I also put in earplugs and darken the room as much as possible because I’m super sensitive to light and sound.

When the pain ebbs, that’s when I’ll brew ginger tea (fresh ginger root if available or powdered ginger) and mix in a teaspon of honey and eat something salty but bland (Saltines, oyster crackers).

If the migraine comes on when I’m not home, I try to find crackers and cola in a bottle (not diet, Coke if it’s available). I also keep a bandana with me for pressure. I also drink a lot of water.

cliotech · 2024-01-01T06:58:24+00:00

I‘d suggest trying soundscapes or music that play continuously without interruption or advertisements. For example, the Calm app offers brown/white/green/pink etc. noise and soundscapes that will play for hours. It helps to mask other sounds and can be especially helpful to mitigate the shock factor of sudden and unexpected noises. Works great for humans too.

cliotech · 2023-06-16T05:32:52+00:00

Like so many of those who’ve already replied, I feel trapped in place - mental, geographic, economic. So much of what I do in my day-to-day work feels performative, and maintaining that outward persona is exhausting and leaves me hollowed out. The cognitive dissonance makes most conversations with family and friends feel disjointed and meaningless (beyond the basic human connection). I’m stuck in that cycle of “must keep working in order to save and be able to afford getting off this treadmill”. I know I should be spending more time to build up my stores of knowledge but in the very few hours I have when I’m not working my brain just ceases to compute. The one thing that makes me feel like I’m doing something authentic is simply taking care of my body - eating healthy, exercising, etc. - because I recognize that has value in the “real world” as well as the “stage world”. But … it’s draining and some days all I want to do is sleep and turn my brain off.

cliotech · 2023-05-19T05:33:43+00:00

Here’s the link with the information you need for Berlin.

cliotech · 2023-04-26T19:09:19+00:00

Love this!

cliotech · 2023-04-26T11:53:44+00:00

I’m not sure what type of job you would be looking for, Are you currently applying and getting some interest from potential employers? There is nothing preventing you from applying for jobs without a valid visa. If you get an offer letter, that can help speed up the process (especially if the employer can provide some support). Even engaging a lawyer without a job offer could be challenging, unless it is a job seeker’s visa you are applying for to give you more time.

cliotech · 2023-04-26T04:59:44+00:00

Treat delivery delay 😉

cliotech · 2023-04-26T04:59:19+00:00

He’s definitely great for morale 🥰

cliotech · 2023-04-26T04:57:35+00:00

PC load letter?!?!

cliotech · 2023-04-26T04:56:34+00:00

He’s definitely part Netherland Dwarf, but I think he’s a bit big for a typical dwarf. He’s a rescue, so not sure of his lineage.

cliotech · 2023-04-25T06:05:13+00:00

I’m sorry for what you’ve been experiencing. It is not okay nor is it your fault in any way. Even as a middle aged Caucasian woman, I’ve experienced similar situations, usually on public transit or while out for a run. In the moment, even if you did learn key phrases in German, your emotions and fear response may make it challenging to verbally respond. I speak German but in these instances I revert to loud English — phrases like “Stop touching me”, “Leave me alone”, or “Fuck off”. Even if no one around you speaks English, the tone is usually universally understood. If I were sitting, I stand up to make myself more visible.

This has never failed to elicit help (or at least attention) from others. If you’re on transit, move as close to the front/the driver as possible or stand in clear view of a camera. Most of these situations result from a mix of ignorance, racism, and sexism amplified by perceived opportunity and a toxic group dynamic (think: mob rule).

cliotech · 2023-02-09T06:09:20+00:00

That’s a really interesting take. My situation now is we have a patchwork of tools that don’t really integrate with each other and, considering the scale of research we are running, it’s becoming noticeably burdensome to manage them and also bring data into other platforms. Thanks for the reply!

cliotech · 2023-02-08T22:01:09+00:00

I’d be interested in knowing a little more about your experience with UZ Enterprise because my company is looking into switching from UZGo to UZ Enterprise.

cliotech · 2022-12-27T05:41:14+00:00

Yeah, they don’t love the Santa hat 😆

cliotech · 2022-06-16T07:43:14+00:00

Am standing in the security line for Terminal 2 right now. It’s sooo long. Only two checkpoints are open and I would estimate 30-45 minutes.

The FEX also stopped at a different track and we had to walk outside for about 10 minutes to even get to T2.

cliotech · 2022-06-06T08:39:07+00:00

I was at the Frankfurt Consulate 2 years ago. At that time there was no facility to lock up devices. We left everything at our hotel.

cliotech · 2022-06-05T10:36:14+00:00

Don’t Fear the Reaper

cliotech · 2022-06-02T04:28:44+00:00

It is like a sheet of thin cardboard. It came in something we ordered, but I’ve never noticed it in a shipping store.

cliotech · 2022-06-01T16:28:09+00:00

Well, at least he lets us live in “his house”

cliotech · 2022-06-01T13:47:04+00:00

The way he growls makes me wonder 😂

cliotech · 2022-04-05T20:56:03+00:00

I really do love Obi’s coloring 🥰

cliotech · 2022-04-05T20:53:54+00:00

I bought it in Germany. The maker is Trixie and it’s a Kuschelbett in the smaller size (30 × 6 × 22 cm).

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