This summer I took the opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally, while studying abroad in Latvia. I spent six weeks of my summer in an intensive language immersion program in Daugavpils, Latvia. Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia, is home to the largest population of native Russian speakers in a country that is both a part of the European Union and NATO. I spent a lot of my time learning critical skills to be successful in my field, as well as, learning more about the culture of Russian speakers in Latvia.

At first, it was a little nerve-wracking to be in a place so far from home and only using a secondary language to communicate with others, but as the program continued I found that being in an environment that drives you to use what skills you have broadened my understanding of the Russian language. The academic opportunities I was offered during my time abroad were outstanding and gave me unique insights I would not have gained at home.

During the program, my group went on many fascinating and informative excursions. Out of all the interesting excursions we went on, my favorite was Vilnius, Lithuania. I found Vilnius most interesting, because after weeks of being in Latvia, it was easy to see the Baltic countries as a monolith, but being in Lithuania showed how vastly different the Baltic nations are from each other. My favorite experience in Lithuania was going to Trakai Castle. It’s a medieval castle that was built in the 14th century. As someone who has never left the United States before, seeing such a historic structure was jarring. It put into perspective how significant the places I visited were.

My time in Latvia taught me many valuable lessons, but most importantly it taught me to be grateful for all the opportunities that I am able to take advantage of and to say yes to them when they arise.

Name: Chelsea Hemry
Status: Senior
Major: Russia
Hometown: Jackson, Michigan
Program: Daugavpils University in Latvia, Russian Language