(a post about Latvia cannot be complete without a picture of the freedom monument!)It has been quite a while since my last post and a lot has changed since then! After leaving France (which was a much harder endeavor than imagined), I made it to Latvia for a relaxing two weeks of visiting friends and drinking too much beer. I never thought I would hear myself saying THAT, but I guess 7 months of wine drinking changes how your body takes in beer...
(eating rhubarb ice cream at the Open Air museum in Latvia)Latvia, like always, was a great time. Returning there I always feel like I'm coming home, or at least relieved that I don't have to worry about not knowing where to go, asking for directions, or looking like a tourist. I'm at ease and the city is a warm welcome. While I was there we did our fare share of hanging out at the Folk bar, going to dances and sing-a-longs. We also spent a fare share amount of time in the beer gardens... oh the luxury of not having any responsibilities! It was truly a vacation.
(Vika, Jūlija, Imanta, Ilze, Kalvis @ Kiwi Bar)I also went to visit my grandfather's family house in Vidzeme. The property is called Skābumi, found outside of Valmiera in Rencēnu parish (pagasts). I've been there a few times before, so it was nice to go back to a place where I have real family roots and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city (I guess living in the mountains for that long made me a bit of a country bumpkin!). Trees were just barely greening, as it had been quite cold the first week I was in Latvia and it had slowed down spring. Nevertheless, birds were flying around like crazy and the farmers were busy in the fields getting ready for the busy working months.
(Looking to Skābumi from the forest)A few kilometers away from Saulgodi is a Camp Hill community. Camp Hill is an organization that helps disabled people through creating a place for them to live and work in a small farm situation. Everyone does their share, but it can be as little as picking weeds or as much as milking the cows. The visit was great! The people who are there were welcoming and the farm itself was very cute.
The trip ended with rushing to figure out paperwork for the upcoming application process to the University of Latvia, where I plan to go to graduate school for Baltic Sea Region Studies. ***This program has little/nothing to do with the sciences of the sea. It is a economics/politics/socio-cultural program dealing with the countries that border the Baltic sea!*** I'm nervous, yet excited to embark on this new adventure. And if a few meetings has shown me anything, it's going to be quite the ride dealing with bureaucracy of outdated systems and forms of thinking. This will surely keep me busy for the blog! Get ready for much ranting! :)
(my favorite ladies! Inta about to leave for her 3 month Euro-trip and Jūlija, my host!)
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