Recently on an overnight ferry from Sweden to Latvia, I realized that we were about to enter a country that, politically at least, did not exist when we first started to travel many years ago. While there are certainly more candles on my birthday cake than I care to admit, it was slightly stunning to realize that I was now older than an entire country. Then I got even more depressed … and it wasn’t just the lack of a decent Merlot on the ferry. During our travels over the years, I realized that we have been to several countries that did not yet exist when I was born.

Germany

On our very first international trip, we may have arrived in one country … but when we left two weeks later, it was radically different. On the day that we arrived in 1990, the result of a series of dramatic events was culminating in the birth of a unified Germany … no more East and West Germany. This was a truly historic period of time to be in Germany. It was our first international experience so we didn’t know any better. A few days after arriving, we found ourselves wandering the old town square of Nuremburg for an evening stroll. A stage and a series of barricades were being constructed. Curious, we stopped in a local bar for a couple of bratwurst and beers. After all, when you are from Wisconsin, there are rules that must be obeyed. After a couple of hours, a large crowd formed. We began to understand that this was not your average ‘oompah band’ contest when a series of black Mercedes pulled up and the chancellor of the newly unified Germany popped out right in front of us. Helmut Kohl took the stage and without regard for our enjoyment, spoke in German for some time. It was a dark night and the amplified echo of German resonated off the buildings. It was quite a strange spectacle to be in the center of a city that had been totally decimated by bombs from our own country … now listening to the new chancellor of a unified Germany. The next morning we purchased a Sunday paper which proved to be the cheapest and most memorable souvenir. You must admit … a pretty spectacular introduction to the world of international travel and intrigue.

Russia

When I was growing up, I always had a fascination with Russia. I don’t know why. Perhaps it was the strange relationship that Russia had with my Finnish heritage, the scary similarities that Northern Minnesota must have had with Siberia, or it was just the mysterious, dark, yet somewhat fascinating aura that surrounded Russia when I was growing up. In my college apartment, a large poster of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg hung next to one of Albert Einstein and another of Marilyn Monroe. I couldn’t find a poster of bratwurst. Of course, then, and for much of my life, it was the Soviet Union. In 2012, we realized that the relationship between the United States and Russia had improved such that a trip was feasible. Despite the thawed relations of a pre-Putin Russia … obtaining the necessary visa proved to be about as complicated as the paperwork needed to get a mortgage post-crash. However, for me experiencing a lifelong ambition and crossing the border into Russia on a train from Helsinki made the effort worth it. Perhaps it was the two small individual bottles of Champagne and a shared can of pringles as we crossed the border that made it so special. That is just how we roll. Our week in St Petersburg was a chance to learn a tremendous amount about the people, history, and culture of Russia. It was sobering to visit the museum and monument dedicated to the siege of Leningrad that lasted for 872 days. Hmmm … I see another post coming about cities that have changed names as well.

Czech Republic

When I grew up, the Czech Republic was known as Czechoslovakia and about the only exposure to it was every four years when they would compete at the winter Olympics. With the fall of the Soviet Union, a whole group of countries emerged as potential travel destinations for us, including the Czech Republic. Prague is one of those ‘must see’ cities in the world and we did so during the holidays. The old town square was decked out with an amazing Christmas market. During our stay, we experienced two tours that provided a glimpse into Czech life under Soviet rule. During one of the best food tours we have been on, we learned that during the Soviet era all restaurants were often required to serve the same menu and recipes, nearly wiping out much of the traditional Czech cuisine. On another tour, we visited several sites related to the Czech struggle for independence and finished at a de-commissioned nuclear bunker. Going deep underground, it was depressing to see what ‘they’ thought ‘we’ would do to ‘them’ and what ‘they’ needed to do to protect themselves.

Estonia

For everything there is an equal and opposite force. For Prague this must be Tallinn. Once free from Soviet occupation, Estonia has blossomed into an amazingly progressive country. This growth is probably equally proportional to the amount of shit that the Soviet system dumped on the country and its people. Estonia and the other Baltic states (someone else can explain the difference between these and the Balkans to Trump) are small pieces of real-estate that have the misfortune of being located directly between two political powerhouses that over the centuries have not played well together. The result has been a history of occupation, oppression, and devastation. The Occupation Museum in Tallinn was our first chance for a ‘hands-on’ understanding of this unfortunate history. It is a must see in Tallinn … but that might be it. The circumstances and timing of Tallinn’s growth as a tourist destination has had some unfortunate results. My assessment of Tallinn is two-fold. First, it is a destination for hordes of Finn’s coming over on ferries for quick trips to enjoy relatively cheap alcohol. Evidence suggests that they really enjoy it. Second, it is clear that there has been a coordinated effort to turn Tallinn into some sort of commercialized version of an out of control Renaissance Fair. There are absolutely very lovely parts of Tallinn, but these are overshadowed in our memories by costumed waitresses and medieval shops.

Latvia

Unlike Tallinn, Riga has managed to maintain a charm that makes it an, as of yet, slightly ‘off the beaten path’ travel destination. While there are similar ferries of tourists arriving to Latvia from Scandanavia and loads of cut-rate airlines arriving from the UK … the town has not yet succumbed to this new occupation. If interested … go soon. It is only a matter of time before Riga begins to look more like Tallinn. Touring the old KGB headquarters provided another “slap in the face” reality check of what both Nazi and Soviet oppression was like for those trying to survive. Brutal. It is clear to me now that everything that I envisioned of Russia (aka the Soviet Union) when I was growing up which made it so intriguing was real and, in part, still exists. What is also clear is that while I was aware and knew of all of the bad things about the Soviet system, I had no idea just how oppressed their citizens were and how lucky we are to live in a free system. Even as bizarre and dysfunctional as our current political climate suggests.

Vietnam

As a child growing up in the Midwest in the 60’s and 70’s, Vietnam was an event … not a country … and we never heard anything positive about it. There was North Vietnam and South Vietnam. My only first-hand experience was in interactions with people that had fled their country. Their stories were sad and it only made the country seem even more ambiguous. We recently visited Hoi An. It is wonderful, and everything about it now makes it a fantastic destination. The people are amazingly friendly, the food is spectacular (I’ve already lamented about the Bahn Mi in a previous post), and the scenery is stunning. As in many of these other new nations, there is still ample evidence of the conflict and devastation experienced by people on the opposite side of our guns and bombs. A massive bomb crater right next to the Hindu temples of the My Son sanctuary is a reminder of the horrible turmoil that these people have had to overcome.

Looking back, it is amazing to see the amount of transformation that people in so many countries have experienced during my lifetime. In each of these countries, an ideology based on nationalism forced people to endure occupation, fear, and war. Seeing the result of these ideologies first hand is important. Perhaps instead of re-establishing mandatory military service, we should require a period of mandatory international travel for every citizen. Unfortunately, I imagine Trump would come up with a medical exemption for that as well.

I wonder what country I will go to next that doesn’t yet exist?