But, by the time the first ESTO festival was held in Toronto, in 1972, I was no longer involved with Estonian life, except for visits to my parents in Lakewood. I was creating a future for myself as an American: working on a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin and searching for a life partner. I do remember in 1976 listening to my father talk about his emotional, powerful experience of attending the ESTO in Baltimore.
The next ESTO in my memory is 1988 in Melbourne, Australia. By then I was married to an American, Jack Seitz, who was interested in Estonian culture and supportive of having me speak Estonian to our children. I became a founding member of Eestlaste Koondis Karoliinades (Estonian Association of the Carolinas). I considered going to ESTO 1988 with my family, including our children ages eight and five. But Australia seemed too far away – too expensive and too hard to do.
Our family did go to Tallinn in 1990 for the üldlaulupidu, which was my first ever visit to Estonia. I wore the Mustjala rahvariided which had belonged to my mother, who had died in 1987.
When the 1992 ESTO arrived, in New York, I was ready to participate with my family. We all sang in the Laulupidu in Carnegie Hall. I taught my husband and children the songs in Estonian. We also participated in the parade, as part of our Estonian Association of the Carolinas.
Our family also went to ESTO 1996, which began in Stockholm and moved by ship to Tallinn. My husband and I participated as singers in that ESTO Laulupidu. To me it felt very special to sing under the giant laulukaar, which I had first seen in 1990.
Merike Tamm
Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA
