Day 79: Home sweet home

I woke up at 5am this morning, two and a half hours before I was due to leave for the airport, for many reasons: 1) I hadn't actually finished packing, 2) I couldn't stop thinking (and dreaming) about how heavy my suitcases were going to be and 3) if my alarm sounded any later, I would have had an automatic lie-in and missed my flights. 5am it was then.

In the midst of packing, my boss came to the dorms to see how I was getting on. I made sure I was wearing the heaviest clothes I own (including the leather boots my mum sent to Latvia) and finished packing not long after. A bit of moral support goes a long way! I knew I was going to pack right up until the last moment. I did some spring cleaning, left the keys for the dorms manager to collect and dragged my suitcases outside, certain that they were both over the limit. The driver came and even he struggled to carry my suitcase - what hope did I have?! Before we set off, my boss remembered that I left my USB stick in her office and now had it in her apartment. I would have actually flown back to Latvia just to get it... At least I got to say goodbye to her twice!

With my USB in my pocket and my friend now in the car, we were officially Riga-bound. And what did I do? Yep, I fell asleep, still dreaming about those darned baggage fees! Two hours later, we eventually arrived at the airport. Oh and before I forget, my friend gave me two Latvian chocolate bars as presents so we shoved them in my large suitcase before joining the queue to check-in my luggage. The atmosphere seemed very different to London Gatwick, much calmer and less chaotic. Soon enough, it was time to weigh my bag and I instantly whipped out my purse. I couldn't believe my eyes. 21.5kg! I thought it was going to be at least 30kg. For some reason, I didn't have to pay any fees. I think the beads of sweat forming on my forehead must have evoked some sympathy from the airline worker.

I had at least an hour until I had to go through customs so my friend and I spoke about our dreams and goals in life. I vowed that I will visit Latvia again and she promised to come to London one day. I said my final goodbye...

A precious friendship.

I kept noticing minor differences between my journey to Latvia and back to England. Firstly, going through customs was a breeze; having to take off my boots made me chuckle. Secondly, I didn't have to run to my gate like a maniac as I had at least 45 minutes before boarding. I somehow managed to resist buying anything in duty-free. I decided that the chocolate was my Latvian souvenir and stayed strong. Thirdly, we didn't walk through a "Jetway" to get on the plane. Instead, we had to walk across the car park (or plane-park) and up the plane's steps. I feel I have a well-rounded experience of planes now. I just need to fly in business class and I'm sorted. Fourthly, I ate on the plane. Okay, not a full-blown meal - just a Twix and a packet of Pringles - but it's something! And lastly, I fell asleep for at least half of the flight. You can tell how tired I was this morning, right?

My final final goodbye - bye Latvia!

But I wasn't too tired to notice this beauty:

SAFTEY? Proofreading must be in my nature...

I was sitting near the wing and became so excited that I had to take a photo to remember the moment:

I want to sit there!

I landed in London Gatwick safe and sound. I must admit that tears began to well up as soon as the wheels touched the runway but I didn't cry like I'd expected! There was one thing I didn't expect though: the boiling heat as soon as I left the airport to meet my dad, brother and his best friend (my mum was waiting at home). A very, very bad decision to wear boots and a leather jacket during a spontaneous heatwave.

I'm already adjusting to cars driving on the other side of the road, plenty of motorway traffic and seeing signs for London 2012 everywhere I go. As I sat in McDonalds for my fix of junk food, I looked out of the window and smiled. Home sweet home.

Reunited once again.

I hope you have enjoyed following the adventures of my first time abroad. Paldies to all of you for reading. Remember, there's more to come in two weeks...

Until next time,

A Student Abroad (au revoir, hehe!)

Day 78: 1...

I have finally recorded the voiceover for the university's promotional film! Not only is that another tick on my "to-do list" but also officially the end of my film-making internship here in Latvia. The deed is done. It's definitely time for a victory dance... or six.

On another note, I have nearly finished packing! I think it might be a good idea to check my bank balance before I leave for the airport, just to see if I actually have enough to pay the baggage fees waiting to attack me.

After saying my final goodbyes, seeing clothes that I didn't even know I had packed and eating far too much jam, reality has just hit. I'm leaving Latvia tomorrow (not next week, or next month, but tomorrow!), my place of stay for the past 3 months. I have created some of the best summer memories of my 19 years of living and none of this would have been possible without my family, my home university, the Latvian university (my second university as I like to say) and my new fabulous international friends. That's my future Oscars speech prepared!

Unlike Vegas, what happens in Latvia... goes straight on my blog.

Well, most things anyway.

 Wouldn't it be great if I saw the black man at the airport?

"Our lives and existence are supported by others in seen and unseen ways, be it by parents, mentors or society at large. To be aware of these connections, to feel appreciation for them, and to strive to give something back to society in a spirit of gratitude is the proper way for human beings to live" - Daisaku Ikeda

Day 77: 2...

After throwing myself into the air at what was probably 100mph yesterday, I feel as if I have achieved everything I possibly can here in Valmiera. I'll look at that video in 50 years time and either laugh until I can laugh no more or wonder what the hell was going through my mind to make me want to do that to myself. It's more than likely to be both.

Happy birthday to me!

2 days and counting... I've managed to whittle down my "to-do" list as much as possible:

• Meet with my friends, say goodbye to each of them - started...
• Give things back to my friends that I have borrowed - tomorrow!
• Record a voiceover for the previous promotional film - tomorrow!
• Add any finishing touches to the summer school film - started...
• Go on the bungee jumping trampoline! - done.
• Fill in any necessary paperwork - done.
• Confirm transport to the airport - done.
• PACK! (try not to procrastinate, go shopping or keep unnecessary items) - haven't even made an attempt to yet

I've been working on the voiceover script for the university's promotional film. It's pretty good, even if I do say so myself! Well, it's easy when you're the one who will be recording it. If an English accent doesn't entice you to come to Latvia, I don't know what will!

Tomorrow will be a very busy day for me. I plan to:

• Check-in online
• Print my boarding pass at the university (there's no harm in being organised)
• Say some goodbyes there
• Record the voiceover in my friend's studio
• Pack *wipes tears of frustration*
• Give back people's belongings!
• Say some more goodbyes in the evening

Time to crack on with some of this packing then... Can't say I'm looking forward to it. I do have some good news though - my friend can come with me to the airport! I feel a bit more at ease now.

All the birthday presents waiting to be packed.

Scrolling through Facebook, I couldn't help but be reminded that A-Level results were released today. I find it crazy to think that just this time last year, I was in the same position as all these students. A few letters on a piece of paper felt like the most important thing in the world to me, what my future was balancing on.

My, oh my - so much can change in a year!

My food is slowly disappearing. Luckily I'm a student and can create the strangest concoctions of food as long as it involves some remnants of pasta or rice.

"Everything passes. Both soaring joys and crushing sorrows fade away like a dream. However, the knowledge of having lived one’s life to the fullest never disappears" - Daisaku Ikeda

Day 76: 3...

I didn't eat all day... A very clever subconscious decision to have made considering what I was about to do in the evening: a jump on the Katapulta as a birthday gift from BISS. I had no idea what to expect. My good friend, her boyfriend and I drove into the holiday complex and the first thing I saw was a small green bungee jumping frame. "Ha! Is that it?", I asked myself, almost laughing at the size of it.

Easy!

We parked the car and met with another friend (a volunteer from BISS). I went to take a better look at the frame and realised that there were actually two and the big one was mine. My heart sunk to my stomach.

I spent a while watching the BMX riders practising - where Olympic gold medallist Maris Strombergs trains - trying to stall walking to my death for as long as possible.

Can't I just BMX instead?

Finally, it was time to face reality. We slowly walked over, my heart beating more and more frequently with every step. But then one vital question came to mind - can the guy operating the thing actually speak English?!

As he was strapping me in, I managed to strike some light-hearted conversation with him (well, me freaking out basically) just to check he understood. He did *phew*. I remember him asking if this was my first time.  "Yes, my first and last" was my response.

My "please don't let me die" face.

He told me to hold the cords very tight, put my legs back and...

Before I knew it, I was flying, flipping and screaming a very bad "f" word. Oh, you want proof? Here you go:

There's nothing like a bit of junk food and duck-feeding to calm the nerves after thrown being 20 metres high into the air, hovering in zero gravity and doing a free back fall. I bought the biggest burger I could get.

Another goodbye done.

Day 75: 4...

I think we've already established that I am absolutely terrible when it comes to packing. You would think that simply packing up one bedroom of belongings is easy, right? Wrong. Not when you've constantly collected things for three months and suddenly realise the amount of "stuff" you have piled up when you have to leave. Oh my gosh - I'm a holiday hoarder! I'm ashamed. I can just see the whole town with pitchforks and fire torches chanting "holiday hoarder, holiday hoarder" outside of the dorms now...

I've got into a bad habit of collecting leaflets and random pieces of paper from events I've been to. It's fine to do that at home, but not when you have to transport it all overseas. Like the programme from the jazz festival - do I need that? And the menu from the hotel I visited in my first week - do I really need that?

The little devil sitting on my shoulder tries to convince me that I need these pointless things:

"C'mon Gabrielle, Gabby, Gab! You never know, you'll be talking someone about Latvia one day and might need to remember the starter you had at that hotel - it's a keeper!"

"Ah, Gabrielle, it doesn't matter if it's all written in Latvian and you don't understand a word of it - that's what makes it special! Definitely a keeper!"

I know how you feel, Homer.

The mind is a very powerful force, too powerful sometimes. The little angel sitting on the opposite shoulder tries to talk some sense into me:

"Gabby, surely the memories are enough to take back to England with you - throw it!"

*slaps Gabrielle* "Snap out of it, girl! Think of the baggage fees"

Never trust a devil donut!

I've decided to look through each item and weigh up if I really need it or not. This will be fun... Talking of weight, I went to collect another birthday parcel from my best friend in England! I'm having to accept that my luggage will be way over the limit - and I am prepared to take the consequences.

This evening I met my boss for dinner at the jazz restaurant I've mentioned many a time - the first of my goodbyes. The night went on to see roars of laughter, delicious food and nostalgic reflections of my time in Latvia. She then presented me with the perfect gift from the university: a tea pot and cup with the university's logo on it. They know me so well!

Now every time I drink my favourite English tea, I'll think of Latvia - how very ironic indeed!

"The seed of happiness only blooms when one stays strong and never gives up" - Daisaku Ikeda

Day 74: 5...

The first day of my last week (and my first day of relaxing since the Baltic International Summer School ended) has officially begun.

After attending couple of meetings in the morning (okay, I had some work to do), I couldn't help but read my "memory book" signed by all the BISS participants. Flipping through the pages, I started to get vivid flashbacks of the past two weeks - good times indeed! You know when someone is reading a letter in a film and you can hear the voice of the person who wrote it? That's exactly what I experienced when reading each message. A Greek voice is something you can never quite forget!

The best farmers in the world.

There has been some progress with my "to-do list":

• I've started nibbling on all of my food (including a full jar of jam I have to finish by Saturday)
• I will have dinner with my boss tomorrow
• Final editing of our second film will be completed by Wednesday (and then I'll write the voiceover script)
• The voiceover will be recorded on Thursday 
• Some items (bike, blankets, maps, frying pans etc.) will be collected by my boss's boss on Friday

Just chillin'...

I've also been informed that I will be picked up from the dorms on Saturday at 7.30am by the university's driver. Thoughts of becoming clueless in the airport slowly crept up on me again so I texted my very good friend (the one I went sunbathing with) and asked if she would like to come with me to the airport. She said yes! I just need to get confirmation that the driver is willing to wait a while to take her back to Valmiera.I'm glad the early start hasn't put her off the idea! I'm sure it will be a very special last memory for both of us.

"The more happiness we bring to others, the happier we ourselves become" - Daisaku Ikeda

Day 73: My last days in Latvia

It felt quite strange waking up to hearing no noise in the dorms once again. No singing Portuguese or fast-talking Greeks... To help me adjust, the lecturer from the UK (Tim) and his wife (Marilu) invited me to have lunch with them today and, of course, I accepted.

They collected me from the dorms and we began walking to a restaurant they had in mind. Guess which one it was. The one where I saw the black man sitting outside and promised myself to visit before I left Latvia! The atmosphere was lovely: a warm breeze, soft music and great conversation. The time came to order the food. My initial choice was chicken, but then I was kindly reminded that we BISS students have eaten chicken every day (sometimes twice a day) for the past week or so. They ordered steak so I said I'd have the same - it was the easiest choice. The waitress asked me how I would like my steak. I've never actually had steak before so again I went along with what my companions had chosen - medium. I had no idea what that meant, but I knew exactly what an ice-cream cocktail was!

We were talking as if we'd known each other for years. As we ate our creme brulee, Tim, Marilu and I decided that "UK team" would have a small reunion at their house in Manchester in January when I'm back from France: the two of them, my Welsh friend, another lecturer who taught in BISS, her partner and me.

My surrogate grandparents.

When I mentioned that I couldn't believe Marilu and I had the same birthday, she told me that I had reminded her of something. She picked up her handbag and pulled out a small gift bag: my belated birthday present. Inside was a beautiful fan from China, their holiday destination before Latvia. These surprises make me so emotional but luckily, this time, I didn't cry.

I've started to plan my last week here, just so that I make the most of it and do everything I've promised myself to do. As I'm leaving before the other intern, it would be great to complete our films before Saturday, just to give him the opportunity to enjoy his last few weeks. Here's my list so far:

• Meet with my friends, say goodbye to each of them
• Give things back to my friends that I have borrowed
• Record a voiceover for the previous promotional film 
• Add any finishing touches to the summer school film 
• Go on the bungee jumping trampoline!
• Fill in any necessary paperwork
• Confirm transport to the airport
• PACK! (try not to procrastinate, go shopping or keep unnecessary items)

In the meantime, I will use every single egg, baked bean, porridge oat, spot of jam, tea bag, drop of lemonade, piece of pasta I own so as to not create any waste: sustainable tourism everyone! It is also the best excuse to eat all my biscuits too (naughty me!).

Oh and remember that presentation I made for the university? They love it!

Here's to the best last week in Latvia! *raises glass of leftover lemonade*

Day 72: Goodbye (for now)

Today, the last day of 2012's Baltic International Summer School, was a very emotional day indeed. There was relief, laughter, excitement, exhaustion, pride and nostalgia. Some even shed a few tears. But before I get on to that, I want to quickly mention something rather remarkable. As you may or may not know, Latvian Olympian Maris Strombergs won the gold medal in men's BMX riding. And what's more, he's from Valmiera!

Strombergs leading the pack!

Soon after I heard the great news, this fantastic news report was sent to me: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19218980 

72-year-old Latvian Leontis Romanovskis decided to cycle to London, claiming to have cycled across most of Europe. I suppose that's one way of celebrating an Olympic gold for your country. Perhaps I could cycle to England as well - it will only take me, ah I dunno, a few hundred days... I'd have to lose some baggage though.

Staying true to his nation's talent.

So back to today! The day began with the students presenting their final assignments to be assessed and graded. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to watch - I blame my bed - but I was there in spirit! I arrived at the university just as they had finished and it was great to see beaming smiles on all of their faces, definitely smiles of relief.

We were given group numbers to each create a sketch to summarise our experience of BISS and present it at the closing ceremony later on. After lunch, we had a couple of hours to prepare - but it literally took us 10 minutes. I think my group members just wanted to go home and sleep and, to be honest, I don't blame 'em! We just had to trust that everything was going be be okay and if we did make a fool of ourselves (which was very likely to happen) at least it would make people laugh.

Time crept up on us and it was time to walk/get a taxi to the local hotel where the closing ceremony was being held. When we arrived, I could already see some people's eyes welling up. The closing ceremony commenced... The speeches started, the certificate-giving was underway and the wine was slowly disappearing. Not expecting to receive anything myself as a "special" participant, suddenly my name was called to go up and I received my own certificate and goody bag. That put a big smile on my face!

The sketches were hilarious. Thank goodness most groups were underprepared too! My group, Group 6, wanted to create a short role play combining each of our best memories of BISS.

The best birthday surprise ever!

And, of course, the night life.

We went from laughing at the hilarious sketches to borderline crying when the lights were dimmed and one of the students from Greece beautifully performed Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". That one always gets to me!

We continued the rest of our night with food (a lot of it!), more laughter and emotional goodbyes. I'm sure we will see each other someday somehow but we have plenty of amazing memories to keep us going until then. Talking of memories, we were each given a "memory book" where other participants could sign and write a farewell message and all about the good times. I managed to get every single participant to sign mine and, although I've read them all, I will read them again when I'm on the plane to go back home on Saturday and try not to cry.

We had to let the night go out with a bang and experience Valmiera's nightlife once more! Well, the ones that didn't have to wake up at 6am to go to the airport.

Two weeks we will never forget.

I feel so fortunate to have been able to join the summer school, meet such amazing people, expand my knowledge of tourism with lecturers from around the world, share my culture and embrace others and create even more international friendships. My list of countries to next visit is just getting longer and longer... I think I feel a BISS 2012 reunion coming on!

Photos courtesy of BISS

Day 71: It's all coming to an end

Today was the last lecture of the summer school and I'd say about 50% of all the participants turned up - including me. Let's just say yesterday's karaoke was just the beginning of a long night for some! The 3 hour lecture about corporate sustainability reporting also consisted of group presentations, which I took part it in. I sounded like I knew what I was talking about...

Just smile sweetly and hope that
no-one is listening to a word you are saying.

Everywhere I go I can hear the students talking about their flights to back home. It's just making me more and more excited about next week. In regards to transport to the airport, sitting on a bus (and probably alone) at 7am for 2 and a half hours does not tickle my fancy at all. The university are in the process of arranging for the "university driver" to give me a lift. Now my mind is past getting to the airport, I'm now worrying about actually being in the airport. It will be the first time I've checked-in and waited in an airport by myself! I really don't want to get lost or fall asleep somewhere and miss my flight... Positive thinking, Gabrielle.

I'll try to avoid this.

On my way to the lecture this morning I was handed a parcel slip by the receptionist: there was another parcel waiting for me in the post office. After going to collect it, I walked home with it under my arm. I wonder what the people walking past me thought was inside. I opened it as soon as I got home. It's from a very special family friend, the first person (after than my mum and dad) to hold me when I was born. The contents were perfect - Scottish shortbread, dark chocolate ginger biscuits, a beautiful notebook and, best of all, tea bags! If ever I was stranded on a desert island, these are the only items I would need to survive. Biscuits, tea and writing material.

My departure date is just around the corner. I've already started planning what to do in the two weeks I am back, sleep being number one on my list. I know I will have to adjust back into British society - I don't mean to sound like a prisoner. Like remembering what side of the road the cars are driving on, for example. I will also read some Shakespeare or something to that extreme to boost my English language skills again. Old English is better than broken English. 

I might actually start packing now. Knowing me it will take me until next Saturday morning to actually finish. Oh gosh! Some shortbread is definitely needed to calm me down... 

Biscuits: my equivalent to acorns.

"Everything begins with the resolve to take the first step. From that action, wisdom arises and change begins. Without action, nothing changes" - Daisaku Ikeda

Day 70: Hangover tea and karaoke!

As the morning lecture was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, another activity was arranged in its place - a short trip to Valmiera's medicinal herbal garden.

A beautiful arrangement.

Located in the old part of the town, the main house which the garden belongs to is the third oldest house still standing in Valmiera, dating back to the 18th century. The house and its garden were used as a location to introduce released prisoners back into society but then it became state-owned and had to be stopped. After great war damage, the house was rebuilt in 2011 and became owned by the local museum. The herbs and medicines that existed at the nearby pharmacy house were subsequently moved here.

I love the balcony.

We were given a detailed tour of the herb garden. Whilst being highly encouraged to smell and touch the plants, I managed to make some mental notes of the effects when the herbs and plants are properly consumed:

Flu and cough relief.

Dill: Good for the heart and digestion.

Echinacea: flu and cold relief. 

Put in wine for a lethargic effect.

Oregano: Effective weight loss.

Calendula: Deters head lice.

Reduces body odour.

A type of cannabis (really!), but
you'd have to consume a lot to feel any effect.

Reduces blood sugar levels.

Cure for hangovers.

We went to sit down inside a smaller house and we told to grab a cup and saucer, ready to be served different types of herbal tea. The "hangover tea" was definitely a big hit among the students. I tried field horsetail, common nettle, celery, calendula and lemon balm (my favourite of them all). The amount of times I've been ill this year, I may as well start growing my own herb garden - medicinal, of course!

I know my tea etiquette.

We were also given the opportunity to explore both houses. I went upstairs and the first thing I saw was an antique wooden chest. I had to open it!

The excitement went a little too far.

After opening a few doors and wooden chests we probably shouldn't have (oops!), we walked back to the university to continue our day. I needed to do a bit of admin for leaving Latvia next weekend - i.e. how I'm getting to the airport in Riga - and then some preparations for the international food party and karaoke taking place later in the evening.

I love my labels.

With all the food laid out on the table, a representative from each country stood up to give a brief explanation of each delicacy - the Dutch waffles and Latvian fudge caught my eye. I could actually hear the scones calling my name to eat them... The UK lecturer's wife (who has the same birthday as me) made them fresh today.

UK: Scotch Whisky, Baileys Irish Cream,
English homemade scones and biscuits, Welsh cake and "Bara Brith" - yum!

I took one of everything, even if I couldn't remember what it was. The crazy karaoke that followed definitely helped to work off the calories... Time for some of those German pretzels I stuffed into my bag for a midnight snack!

Day 69: Welcome to mosquito heaven

"Our third and final field trip of the summer school is to Kemeri National Park. Please bring your raincoats and wear comfortable clothing. Oh, and the park inhabits the largest population of mosquitoes in the whole of Latvia"

What would your reaction be to hearing that? I looked around as we were being "informed" and literally saw the jaws of all the BISS students drop and hit the dinner table. You could see a range of emotions in the eyes of the students - shock, anxiety but fear being the main one. Rather than forcing all the participants and lecturers to be eaten alive by mozzies, the organiser allowed us to choose whether to go or not - ah, the joy of free will. With our hearts beating fast and minds thinking quick, we each walked up to the piece of paper stuck on the wall to write down our final decision, given only a couple of minutes to make up our minds. I made the rather rash decision to go and this is how I justified it:

• It's the last field trip
• It must be quite an amazing place if they really want us to go
• I'm already covered in mosquito bites and the subsequent scars - surely one more won't hurt
• It's better than staying in bed all day (did I just say that?!)

I woke up this morning with one thing on my mind: I will spray the whole can of mosquito repellent on me -  skin, clothes, even my hair - and I did. I'd say three quarters of the group decided to go along today, so it was quite a good turnout considering the warning. We were also warned that it was going to take 3 hours to get to the national park (near the coast) by bus. Time to sleep - great! Every time I opened my eyes, all I could see was grass, trees and the occasional railway. 

After a quick toilet break (and look around the shops) in a shopping centre in Sigulda, we were quite off schedule. The journey took us around 4 hours in total, which meant our trip had to be shortened and we had to leave earlier to get back to the university for dinner. 

When we arrived at Kemeri tourist information centre and met with an employee of the national park, we watched a short film to give us an overview of what the park has to offer. 

But before we were able to see any of the wonderful nature and beautiful animals shown to us in the film, we had to do this:

Raking!

The field had to be prepared for a local festival happening on the weekend. I suppose raking a massive field of grass was meant to make us feel like the local community...? It definitely made us feel knackered, that's for sure.

The next stop was Kemeri's renowned sulfur springs - the only one in Europe that is so near to the sea. We knew we were close as soon as we sniffed the air. 

The well.

The spring.

Made in 1863!

People used to come to bathe in this water for its medically proven healing abilities, but now it's only done with the supervision of a doctor. 

On the way to the next destination: birdwatching over Lake Kanieris, a shallow coastal lagoon lake. Almost 200 species of birds have been observed here, most of them nesting.

Blue-ish lagoon.

Only 10 people were allowed on the birdwatching tower at a time. With our binoculars, we managed to see a few species of birds.

Snap, snap, snap.

I've never spent so long on a bus before, but we did get to see coastal villages of over 5000 years old! I would love to come back to the national park to see more of it... Is anyone willing to drive for 8 hours? No? I thought not.

By the way, the wind kept all the mosquitoes away! We made the right choice guys!