NSLI-Y 2023 Latvia – Week 1
Greetings from Riga!
This is Peter and Karen, and we are the Resident Directors of this year’s NSLI-Y program in Latvia. We will be posting photos from the program each week to give you an idea of how the students are spending their summer and all the fascinating things they are doing.
Orientation in Washington D.C. was a delight. We were able to finally meet all the participating students and start to introduce them to all the exciting things that were awaiting them in Latvia, such as the food, culture, classes, and, of course, homestay families. Below is a picture of our group finally all together in person.
While we wish we could report that our travel to Latvia went smoothly, we had some bumps along the way. We missed our connecting flight in Frankfurt (not our fault, we promise!) and were forced to spend the evening in Germany. The following day, airlines forced us to divide into two groups, with the first group flying off to Riga in the morning and the second group flying in the evening. Group 2 was lucky and got to spend the day in Frankfurt, but Group 1 made it first!
Group 1 arrives in Latvia.
Group 2 in Frankfurt.
By Sunday evening (a little on the late side), we had all touched down and met our host families and could begin our summer in Latvia.
Students began their program with a visit to the U.S. Embassy. At the Embassy, we received a safety briefing, learned more about careers in the State Department, and discussed the state of American-Latvian relations.
The students have been settling into their schedule at school. They have language classes throughout the morning, then eat lunch together at a nearby café. Depending on the week, after lunch, students listen to guest speakers, participate in Peer Language Partner activities, or spend time with their host families. This week, we had a tour of Old Riga. We learned about the Freedom Monument, the beautiful architecture and the “Swedish Gate”, one of the last remaining archways that were part of the original city wall.
Unfortunately, we also learned about the unpredictability of weather in Riga. It can rain or become sunny very suddenly and we have all learned that it is wise to always carry an umbrella or rain jacket while out and about in the city. Wish we had known that before the rain started on our tour!
Students ended their week meeting their Peer Language Partners. Every week, they will meet these fellow students and test out all the language skills that they have acquired during classes.
Adjusting to a new language, culture, time zone, host family, and so on can be exhausting, so everyone will get some rest this weekend. But the excitement will continue. Please join us again next week for the latest entry in the NSLI-Y program in Latvia’s blog!
До скорого!