A Correspondent's Journey: From witnessing Russia's tumultuous perestroika era to observing its evolving political landscape and global relations. Jim Heintz reflects on 24 years of change and challenge in his role as an AP correspondent.
At the Ivangorod-Narva border crossing, the last glimpse of Russia is of a sprawling fortress and the first sight of Estonia is another fortress on the other bank of a slender river. Estonia largely fulfilled the wish of its former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves to become “just another boring Northern European country.” With low-key determination, Estonia remade itself into a model of order and ease, enticing to startup companies and “digital nomads.”