I'm waiting...

every year as my birthday approaches i get antsy. not only because i love birthdays, especially mine, but because spring is on its way! well the first day of spring has come and gone and just like every year i am disappointed. nothing has changed. it's still freezing. i know, i shouldn't be surprised but part of me always hopes that on march 20th i will wake up and magically the snow will be gone and the flowers will be blooming. the worst part is knowing that in other parts of the world it is spring. i saw the little leaves and buds in madrid and they made me so happy. and even though some people in tallinn are talking about the effects of spring, i am incapable of seeing any supporting evidence.

as you can see in this photo, that's ice and snow covering the gulf of finland. looks like winter to me. at least the days are getting longer. the sun rose at 614 today and won't set until 1842. the extra daylight is beginning to wake me from my winter lethargy. i seem to have more energy and am beginning to naturally rise before noon. with just three months left in estonia, i'm happy knowing that each day will be longer and (hopefully) warmer than the last. in fact i'll be here just long enough to experience the summer solstice. a day that will last almost nineteen hours! i can't wait.