Relationships with the host family
From the very beginning of the experience, I had very good relations with the host family. I feel very lucky to have found such an open, enthusiastic and warm family. The relationship in these months has become even more solidified: I have become very attached to each and every member of the family and I get along very well. In December I also met the part of the family living in Sweden, namely my host sister. I was, once again, amazed by the welcome and warmth. It seems unbelievable to me that total strangers, because this is what they were in the beginning after all, made me part of the family so easily. My host mom supports me in every situation and I feel safe with her. She treats me as if I were her own daughter, takes me around Latvia to visit, plans lots of fun activities, and most of all is there to listen to my outbursts and problems. If there is something wrong, I know that I can go to her without any problem. On this aspect, I have only positive things to say and I want to thank my host family for everything they have done for me.
Relationships with the host community and friends
This is a somewhat complex topic for me. I’ve always gotten along great and I really thought there were no problems, but in the last month I feel like the majority of the relationships that I’ve been working to create have crumbled. To make a long story short, because I could stay talking about this until tomorrow, I chose the wrong friends and I have been
suffered myself. I am very sad about that, because I felt really good, integrated in the community and accepted above all, but things happened that made me doubt that. I tried not to close myself off and I hope very much that I succeeded.
My school performance, both from the point of view of profit and with regard to interpersonal relationships (with classmates and teachers)
The school performance is good from all points of view. It is true that the subjects have doubled this semester, and the topics have become more complex, but so far I have always managed to get good results. The classes are completely different from those in Italy, both in terms of the topics covered and how they are covered, but by now I have learned to, let’s say, navigate. With the class I get along all in all well. My class has its flaws, but I have learned to live with them, because in the end there is no such thing as a perfect class. In these months, I have established a very good relationship with the professors, especially with my coordinator. The professors do everything to make me feel comfortable. Communicating with them is still difficult, because even though I understand Latvian, I still struggle to speak it and maintain a complex conversation. I am grateful for my coordinator, another person with whom I feel safe to express my problems and frustrations. She is kind of like my second host mom now that I think about it.
My free time
Most of my free time is on weekends, because here I stay in school until late afternoon, so there is not much to do after school, other than maybe a walk around the village and by the sea. On weekdays I mostly like to draw and crochet in my free time, because it relaxes me. I also like to meet my friends, but it is hard to find a day that everyone has free and some live far away from me, so it is almost impossible to see them often. On weekends, however, I really enjoy going around Latvia. I have already seen so many beautiful places and my host mom has planned more outings, so I am excited. I’m glad that my host mom also likes to go around, because there is not much to do in my country, so one of the few entertainment options is to visit other places.
The things that particularly struck me in this country (both positive and negative)
I was struck, first of all, by the winter. I may have underestimated the amount of snow the sky can produce. The first snowfall was in late November, and the last one (I hope) was around mid-April, I think. So I had enough snow for the rest of my life. In general, I have also been impressed by the extreme weather. I’ve seen things that I didn’t think existed, such as everything, and I mean everything, frozen. Also, I had not even considered the “ice” factor, but here it turned out to be dangerous numerous times. I was also struck by the school, from how classes are taught, how teachers treat their students, and the student-teacher relationship. Here, I found autonomy is very important, even in lessons. The relationship between pupils and teachers I would describe as informal. It is not as rigid as that in Italy, and I had a hard time getting used to it (I still do honestly). In addition, the whole thing is much more relaxed than in Italy, you don’t feel as much pressure. My classmates complain about being too stressed, but as someone who comes from a completely different school system, I must admit that it was much easier here. Grades are much higher, you can’t put in more than one test a day, homework is almost nonexistent. It amazed me how students perceive school. I’m going into technical here, but I was struck by the health care system. It is totally different from the Italian one. For example, there is no emergency room, or if there is there is only in Riga. If I have to admit, the health care system is very uncomfortable, because it forces you to go around between different doctors, spend a lot, and the doctors, to make it simple, sometimes don’t believe you. Finally, I was impressed by the landscape and the nature. There are places here that look like something out of some movie. Latvia is truly a beautiful country in this respect.
3 words that describe my experience so far (explain why you chose them)
If I had to choose three words to describe this experience, they would be challenge, family, and unexpected. Challenge because I finally realized that it is a challenge. You find yourself miles away from your home and you have to create a new life for yourself, even if only for a year. You are catapulted into this new unknown world, alone, so it is a challenge. In addition, there
will be “easy” moments and “hard” moments, and the hard ones will be a challenge. Family because I think that is a big part of this year. My host family has had a huge positive impact on me. Some of my best memories are with my family and they will forever have a special place in my heart. Unexpected because, as I have learned, anything can happen. Nothing is certain and you don’t know what might happen tomorrow. You can find yourself unexpected at any time. This “unexpected” can be both positive and negative.
Anecdotes/Open Commentary
Many people ask me if I regretted leaving. I have thought about it a lot actually, but each time I come to the conclusion that I would do it again, even with all the difficulties. Sure, it was difficult, but I learned more about myself this year than in my whole life. I have learned things about life, met wonderful people who I will remember forever. I really feel that I have changed, and I am proud of myself for all that I have done, I do not regret the decision I made to leave and I am infinitely grateful for having had this opportunity.
