The First Couple Months in Latvia

On plane to Frankfort

Starbucks at Frankfort airport

In Boston getting ready to leave U.S.

In Frankfort on our layover

We have now been in Latvia for about 6 weeks.  The learning curve is steep and there is so much to learn.  This is a country that is trying very hard to rebuild after all the past devastation.  We have only been in the two cities of Riga and Jurmala but plan to explore.  The people are show little emotion.  We have learned to use all types of public transportation (train, bus, trams and vans)  Although now it seems easy to walk around and find our way without a map in the city the first many weeks were not like that.  Things we have learning:  how the money works, that at the beach any type of swimwear can go on any type of person or lack of swimwear, bounce houses are everywhere, many people will help but not the transportation people,  that grocery shopping is not easy, clothing and shoes are very important here, that customs and culture needs to be learned, the history here is rich. 

At dinner in Old Town "The Wine Cellar"

We spent our first couple of weeks we spent exploring like we were still on vacation.  The evenings out to dinner sitting out side were fantastic.  The beach was hot and warm.  We discovered that it is going to take time to settle in and learn the Latvian ways so flexibilty and patience has been being learned in a whole new way.  We begain school on August 18th and we are all adjusting to that although it still feels like we are on a constant vacation.  Probably because we are waiting to get into permanent housing on Sept. 10th.  The kids love school and their small classes.  They especially are enjoying French after the shock that they are full on immersion classes.  Mark and I are both adjusting to teaching and working as well.  The staff have been amazing....very educated, professional, helpful , fun with great attitudes.  The students are very enjoyable as well and for the most part very inqusitive.  Attached are random pictures of our first 6 weeks here as well as the plane trip here.