Tales from the Second World Wide Travellers meeting

Equilibre Hobukooli Park, Esna, Estonia.

When one gets himself ready for a first trip, planning seems like the obvious best skill to have. You want to have everything under control and be ready for all possible outcomes. The reality is that more necessary than planning, flexibility and will to adapt pays off big dividends. This was proven right to me one more time with the happenings of World Wide Traveller‘s second annual meeting, just a couple weeks ago.

The initial idea, suggested during our first meeting, was to hold a huge event for an increasing number of members in the same location, the Hobukooli Park Equilibre in the tiny village of Esna, Estonia. However, things didn’t evolve as planned and when the date approached and our members in the vicinity were down to just two, I gave up on the anniversary and experience.

Luckily, the second member was flexible were I was only thinking of planning. Livijus, founder of World Wide Travellers, thought that more than success by numbers, the fact that a year later we would meet in the same place and share our strong joy for travel and interacting with people, was way more important. It would be a cleansing opportunity, reenergising, and let us start anew right after the summer solstice.

The main reason we chose Equilibre, the Hobukooli Park in Esna for both our meetings was what the place represents. A combination of horse therapy and nature building where Sven, his creator, instills his passion on you from the first moment.

The year before our small group of six people managed to stay one night, learnt how to build bricks from clay and plaster. We also learnt how to prepare wood logs to be later turned into fences.

Unfortunately, this time around, in such sort notice, and being only two people, Sven didn’t have room for us, yet he kindly invited us to visit him for a concert that had been arranged by the people who were staying there.

Improvised concert members
Improvised concert members

Not only people who were staying in the Hobukooli Park attended this improvised concert, also many neighbours, showing how strong can a community be in rural Estonia.

There was very little planned from the side of our hosts too. It was the birthday of one of the visitors and she had arranged some cake. The musicians, who happened to be surprisingly gifted, had planned one or two songs. But everything was mostly an ode to improvisation, free will and happiness.

Kids and adults alike were dancing to the music, those who couldn’t play an instrument or sing would be clapping to the best of their understanding, and Livijus and I, strangers as we were, melted in this pot of nationalities and personalities as grateful spectators.

It’s a pity that, just as the cake was being served, we had to make our way back to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, where we had an early morning reality call scheduled. I am sure the night, or better the no-night considering the time of the year, was a long one in the Hobukooli Park. Our hearts were definitely left there, dancing to the violin version of pop staples such as Michael Jackson.

Yes, the second annual World Wide Travellers meeting may not have been a huge success from a member stand point, but it was a magical night for the two members who attended, a reminder of how important and rewarding it can be to be flexible whilst travelling and something to look forward to as we plan the third year of WWT.

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