Helle Wichman (27) from Lansing, Michigan, and Keili Moore (24) from Montréal, Quebec, became friends at Jõekääru summer camp, independently decided to go live in Estonia, now work at the Estonian company Wise, and have never looked back.
Helle Wichman grew up in an American-Estonian family in Lansing, Michigan, speaking Estonian with her parents, but far away from one of the North American Estonian hubs.
What was different for both of them was that they did not see the Toronto Esto (Estonian) crowd of their own age every week or two in Toronto...
Keili Moore grew up speaking Estonian in Montréal in a Canadian-Estonian family, with less of the Estonian infrastructure around that one would find in Toronto. However, in the summer, they both attended Jõekääru Laste Suvekodu (children's summer camp) and Kotkajärve laager (camp) as hellakesed/gaidid (translated as "darlings" and "guides"). Helle also went to Seedrioru laager. Spending many summers together, they became friends. What was different for both of them was that they did not see the Toronto Esto (Estonian) crowd of their own age every week or two in Toronto, but rather, spent the six weeks in summer camps together with their Esto friends.
