To be honest, I didn’t really choose Latvia on my own; my scholarship provided me with a list of countries I could afford, and among them was Latvia, an unknown country that immediately captured me with its lush nature and vivid traditions. Before the day I won the scholarship, I had never heard of it; I only knew that it was located in the Baltic States and that the capital city is Riga. Our scholarship asked us to rank the list of countries, and Latvia was at the top. Here I am!
Tell a bit about the city you lived in.
The city I live in, Rēzekne, is a fantastic town I suddenly fell in love with. It’s small, but big enough to have everything I need, and it has absolutely the best people ever! When I got the family and found out the city where I would spend my 11-month exchange, I was truly happy and had so many expectations, all of which were fully met! In Italy, even though I study in a small city, I live in an even smaller village, so I was scared I wouldn’t fit in a larger city. Luckily, Rēzekne is the city I was dreaming of!
What did surprise you the most about Latvia?
If I think about what I discovered here in Latvia, I probably have to say it is a country I would never expect to be so different from mine. Starting from the language, where I live almost everyone knows two different languages, and it’s considered respectful to speak the native one of the person you’re speaking to. The school system is based on the freedom and responsibility of the students; indeed, they have way more free time, and they see school as a place to meet friends, study, but also do some extra activities!
How would you describe Latvians?
Since the first days, I found out that Latvia enhances a lot its own culture and history, and I think it’s something important to inspire love and devotion to one’s country! In this country, I had the chance to discover a new way to live. Here, the people are quieter and more relaxed; they like to spend time with family, enjoying also the small daily things, even though that doesn’t mean that they don’t work hard! Because big goals and toughness are on the agenda!
If we speak about kindness, they always put other people before themselves; they try as hard as possible to make you feel at home! I love the way they welcome guests, with smiles, something delicious, and a hot tea that warms everyone up even in the cold winter.
I really love the effort to carry on the traditions and the seriousness and rigor in celebrating the festivities. It’s useless to mention the strong relationship with nature and the succession of the seasons, something I’ll bring with me for the rest of my life!
How do you feel in Latvia?
Being here as an exchange student permitted me to see this country firstly as a foreigner. I had a chance to discover it from zero with my host family and my friends, but after some months, I could see it with the eyes of a normal Latvian girl, and that meant a lot for me—not just being hosted in Latvia but feeling like part of it.
How was your experience with your host family?My host family has been the main character of my experience because they were always here for me, no matter if we didn’t know each other at first, we didn’t speak the same language, or had a different culture. We became instantly a family because they loved me as a daughter and sister, never as a guest.
I’m really grateful to my host family for all the moments we spent together, for all the places they showed me, all the questions they answered, and all the time they gifted me because I felt truly loved for what I am!
What is your favourite memory with the host family?
A moment I’ll never forget is one of the first nights I spent with them at the lake. We did a bonfire after a wonderful day together between swimming and board games. We just shared our emotions about the time we spent together, what this experience means for us, and how happy and grateful we were for ending up together as a family. I remember that in the end, we went to sleep with tears of joy.
What made you feel as a part of Latvian society?
What made me feel part of this big Latvian family? Probably simply speaking Latvian in a shop, traveling a lot around Latvia not as a tourist, and being part of a group like the music band or the folk dance group of the school!
What do folk dances mean for you?
TFolk dance is my biggest discovery of this country! It represents how traditions can be carried on and how important they are for Latvians. When I dance, I feel a strong connection with the music, the person I’m dancing with, and also the whole group. Dancing is a group challenge; everyone does their best to be in perfect harmony with the others, and when it happens, it’s magic. I love this feeling; it’s another way to communicate and understand other people I didn’t know before.
