I was on Erasmus - I visited Latvia

As part of the Erasmus+ program, I spent the summer semester of the 2023/24 academic year in Riga as a first-year master's student. This opportunity provided a fantastic starting point for me to explore the Baltic region, get to know Latvian culture, the education system there, and build new relationships and friendships with other foreign students.

I heard about the opportunity from my fellow students, who already had the chance to try out the opportunities provided by Erasmus+ during their bachelor's degree and returned home enriched with many experiences. The idea of ​​applying came spontaneously during the winter semester. You could say that a few days before the application deadline, I decided that I wanted to try something new, a little further away from the usual environment, since this is an opportunity that will not return in my last university years.

Later, I received an e-mail from the University of Riga that I had been admitted to their educational institution, Turiba University, which is the largest business school in Latvia. Taking the opportunity, I embarked on this adventure alone, but I haven't regretted it for a minute.

During my Erasmus, I had the opportunity to participate in various programs, including the Balttour, which includes an international travel exhibition, I gained an insight into one of the most popular hotels favoured by tourists, some parts of it, and I was also able to participate in a study trip organized by the school.

I met several nationalities during the 4 months I spent there, and I also managed to make lifelong friendships. There were students from all over the world, and if I had to mention just a few nationalities, I had classmates from India, SrI Lanka, Kazakhstan and, of course, various European countries.

After my classes and on my days off, I participated in various programs organized by one of the Erasmus student organizations, who came up with better and better programs every week. During my time there, I visited several small Latvian towns, looking for new places to discover, even despite the cooler weather. Among the neighbouring countries, I spent a few days in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, and Estonia, including Tallinn, with my friends I made on Erasmus.

The greatest experience I had was connected to Finland, as I had the opportunity to visit one of my bucket list places, Lapland. In addition to the basic package, you could subscribe to various additional programs. We visited the famous Santa's village and reindeer farm, I was able to try out what it's like to sit in a sleigh pulled by husky dogs and drive it.

Thanks to Erasmus, my English language skills have improved a lot, especially in the field of communication. I gained a lot of professional experience, which I will have the opportunity to use in the future.

Overall, I would like to recommend Erasmus to those students who want to learn about new cultures, travel, make friends, and gain experiences.