Ya, Ya I know I haven't wrote in a while!

Sooooo its been almost a month and a half since I wrote last... I'm sorry to all those people that check my blog every week haha which is no one.
But anyways the last month has been eventful to say the least. The month of March was full of parties and traveling. It started off by the study abroad group here taking the kids studying abroad here to a trip to the eastern parts of Latvia. We went to a town called Vidzeme, it's about 2 or 3 hours away from where I live by bus. It was a really cool trip though, it started with us visiting a huge castle that was in the next town outside of Riga. The castle was pink haha it was pretty funny because all when we got there everyone was like, "this is a castle?????" It looked more like a old mansion, but they called it a castle that a German family occupied in the early 19th century. So that was pretty cool. After that we went to the oldest church in Latvia. It was built in the 15th century I think. It was a cool church, very small but interesting non the less. I think it was a Lutheran church. The inside was pretty standard, there was a statue of god, and then a pretty big cross with jesus on it behind where the priest stands.After that wonderful church we went to a castle, a real castle, it was another town that I don't remember. The castle was huge, it was red brick and had a huge silo in the middle for a watch tower. It had to other smaller towers around it for protection I think that there was 5 of those. The whole thing was on top of the highest point of the area that it was in for advantages when it came to battles. Its crazy to think that they thought that much about where they built their castles back then... I never really thought about that kind of stuff. It was very interesting though. After that it started to get dark and we went to another castle that was the town hall of the city that we were staying in. It was more modern I would say and looked like a castle that you see in pictures, but it was cool to because we got to see the sunset of the Latvian forest. It was b-e-a-u-tiful ha.
After all the site seeing we did all day we finally arrived at our hotel, there was about 70 of us that went on the trip so we pretty much had the whole hotel to ourselves. It was awesome, so everyone started to party, and then later on we went to this club that wasn't very big. So when we go there with all of our people the place was packed. It was a good time though. The night ended around 3 or 4 and we had to be up at 9 to leave the next morning to see more sites of the day.
The next day..........
We went to ANOTHER castle haha. But luckily this one was the best out of any of them. It had towers, dungeons and a moat around it like a castle from cammelot or something. This one was built in the 14th century I think, and then the city built itself around it so its the center of the city which is cool to. After that we had lunch and then made are way to the biggest cave in Latvia... haha it was one of the smallest caves I have ever seen, so not to much to write about it, but the walls of it were really soft sand stone so people had wrote there names and things all over it. That was pretty cool, there was one that said it was from 1886. After the cave we made our 3 and a half hour bus ride home.
The Pink "Castle"


The castle on top of the hill ^^^^^^Ok..... that was only the first half of the month... the rest of the month was much better....

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
For our spring break here there was a bunch of us that wanted to travel. At first everyone wanted to go to Amsterdam, which I did, but then when it got closer some people changed there mind and went to paris. But we all flew to the same place for a day or two and that place was Brussels. The city was pretty amazing, the central square where all the parliment buildings and stuff are was the best on that I have seen yet..... the buildings were huge and covered with cold it was amazing. We also went to this place called the Atomium that's the picture with the big iron balls, it is actually the iron molecule i guess. It was huge tho and very cool. So we were only in Brussels for one night the first night, we couch surfed there. Which means that we met some guy online and stayed at his place for the night. It's really cool actually. It was free, and the guy was really cool. His name was Carlos from Venezuela, ha we drank some Venezuelan rum the first thing when we got to his place. He was a nice guy.

After Brussels we went to AMSTERDAM!!!
We left Brussels in the morning and took a bus to Amsterdam. The bus was about 4 hours and it wasn't bad because I met a guy from Texas, he was traveling the world in 90 weeks. So I talked to him for a while about that and then we just talked about life. It was nice to talk some "normal" enlish with someone. I swear my english is getting worse here because I never really speak with anyone that is good at english. Only my parents but thats only every so often. Anyways, we arrived in Amsterdam and the first street that we walked down was so crowded with people it was insane. I didn't think it was going to be that touristy, but it was. It was okay tho, because the place we stayed, another couch from a guy from there. And he lived a little outside of center so we got a way from it at least in the night. The guy that we stayed with was a funny dude, he had just got a tattoo on his arm of XXX because it is the flag of Amsterdam and he was born and raised there. The first night we went out with him to some over priced club and got our dance on. It really wasn't that bad, but the girls were definatley not as pretty as the girls from Riga :) haha. Anyways after that night we didn't really go out to much at night. In the days we would go to the museums and see the sights. Amsterdam is a really pretty city, there is canals all over and the roads are all brick and its cool. Ha but the weed is legal there so around every corner you turn there is shops that sell dope, its crazy "i guess" you just go in the back and you have a variety to choose from... its crazy. And the shops are everywhere.
Also they have the red light district, which is crazyyyyyyy... just prostitutes in windows offering themsevles to the people that walk buy... it makes you sad when you walk past them, because like something like 75% of them are human trafficed in from like eastern europe, where I live now. Ha thats how beautiful the women are where i am, that people have to transport them other places for people to see... haha. But anyways at night almost every window is full of a girl from around the world. ITs crazy.
But the museums that we went to were cool tooo haha, the Vincent Van Gogh musuem that was pretty cool seeing such a famous painter's paintings. But my favorite museum was the Heineken one haha. I got a bottle with my name on it that I'm pretty stoked about. And the museum in general was just interesting. Anyways thats all we did in Amsterdam. We were there for 4 days so it was plenty of time.
Then we went back to Brussles to catch our flight back to Riga. We got back to Brussels about 4 in the afternoon and our flight for Riga didn't leave till 6 the next morning. So we had to spend the night in the Airport, which sucked but it wasn't too bad I only slep like an hour and then when I got on the plan to Riga, I was out for the 2 hour trip.

This is the Heiniken museum This is the flag of Amsterdam

I am Amsterdam
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The Red Light District!!
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So now, I am sick of writing. But this weekend continues, we are going to the capital of Estonia, the city is called Talinn. Then we get a cruise boat and go to Sweden, Stolckholm. Its gonna be awesome there is supposed to be 2000 students on the boat so its gonna be a partyy!!! I'll let you know how it goes though... And I'll try to write more because all I really do is travel an have fun here in Europe I should be able to update this thing....

Much love, and PEACE
From RIGA

Livin' the Life of Riga

Hello again,

So it has been almost one month since I have been in Riga. The people and places I have been are amazing, and there is so much that I have done. Sadly if I were to write all of these adventures down it would take up probably 10 pages. So I will give you the highlights and some photos.
My roommate arrived in the last month and is from Germany. His name is Tim and he is very cool, and that is pretty much who I hang out with. There is also these 2 guys that live next to us and one from Montenegro(I had never heard of this country before either ha) and the other from Serbia. The one from Montenegro is about 6'5 300 pounds and is a really funny guy, the one from Serbia is about 27 years old and also very cool. They call me the American boy ha. Those 3 are the main people I go out with, hang out, etc..
So lets see school started here at the start of February, and is very easy!! It is nice, I am taking I think about 6 classes but one doesn't start till the first of March and is only till the end of April. I will tell you the other classes and a little about them. The first one is Latvian Language for beginners and is very fun. The teacher is really nice and she seems to like me a lot ha, I am the only person in the program here of I think 114 people. In our class tho there is only about 8 people and she always uses me as example and stuff, and the words here are very hard to prenounce so she always laughs at me and picks on me for the hard ones ha like ugunsdzesju dienest, which means fire station ha ha... and I cant say it for the life of me. But the class overall I think is going to be easy, I don't really take it to serious, because I wont recieve any credit for it from USU. So it basically just for fun. Oh ya this class is only Monday and Wednesdays at 1030 so its nice.
I am also taking Economic Anthropology with a teacher I think from Britain maybe, he is nice, but I think this class will probably be my hardest. He reads over the powerpoints that are full of words and maybe leaves them up for 2 minutes, and changes the slide. And for me it is really hard to right that fast, and to understand what he is talking about... I have no idea what it must be like for the people who don't speak english very well.... its gotta be rough. But in that class all we have to do is take and exam and right some papers by the end of the semester so I think it will be good.
Ha the next class I have is the History of the Baltic.... WOW this class is a joke. The teacher is bald and probably has the bushyiest eyebrows i have ever seen in my life. He talks really crappy english and always calls us friend. For example when he has a point that he wants us to know is he says "friends, now here is a really nice point that you should take not of." it is really quite funny and his English is probably about 5th grade level, with big vocabulary words ha... but its an hour and a half long and only on fridays at 230 so its not to bad. Except for the fact that we go out here on Thursday nights and getting to that class is a little rough ha. Also all we have to do for this class is write a paper that is like 10 pgs long... Ha and he said that we could do it on anything that compares our countries country to the one here in Latvia. On kid in prior class wrote about how the alchohol is different in this country compared to his. Ha so I think I am going to write about how the Eastern European women are different from American women:) ha it should be a good on. Oh ya I don't think i have mentioned that yet either, but the women here are probably the prettiest women I have ever seen. Dark hair and blues eyes.... whoooooo ha
Ha I forgot where I was.. all that talk about the girls here ha... ohhh ya the next class i have is Marketing Basics which seems good, also. I have only met with the professor once but it seems to be pretty easy also.
So that is my school schedule..... not to bad. So other than parties and night life here, we have went to a small sea side town called Jurmala and its nice. I would love to see it in the summer, ha because the whole day we were walking in about mid shin high snow so that wasn't very fun. And the ocean looked almost the same.... straight snow and ice as far as i could see, so I will make another trip there in the summer. Here are some pictures... I donno how to add them yet, so I hope this works...
Ha ha I wish.... the next on is the real one










































ya that is the real one ha. And behind us the the Gulf of Riga... that you can't see because it is swallowed by snow.
Oh ya also here through the program I am in they set up adventures or trips for us... The one that I am really excited for is the one that is called the Sea Battle, we go from Talinn Estonia, from Tallinn we get on a big fairy with room, 2 clubs and such, and go to Stockholm Sweden. It is 1 night there and 1 night back. It is pretty much like a party i heard... the spots of 50 filled up in about 7 hours here... so it must be good ha.. there are 2000 students from all over Europe who go on this boat. So it should be fun. That one is at the first of April. The next one which is this next weekend. March 6 and 7 we go around Latvia by bus and look at the sights that this place has to offer. We stay in a guest house somewhere and have a good time then see sights. So that should be a good time also.
Oh ya, my parents bought there plane tickets to Amsterdam the other day, so they are coming to visit in the middle of May. We are going to Poland and they come to Riga, and then back to Amsterdam. It should be really fun!
Well tonight we are having a party at our dorm, I need to go buy some food and stuff, so I will write again, soon or maybe in another month :)
Also here are some other pictures.

This is my room in the Dorms. Nice huh ha


View out of our window... say hello to mother Russia ha












A little party we had... the theme was Carnival.. Which means to the girls from Spain that the men dress like women and girls dress like guys... don't ask me why..

Might as well be on another planet!

Hello, I guess is the first thing that you say on these things.. I don't really know how to use these blog deals, so bear with me for a little bit as I get used to my BLOG. Ha. Well, I'm sitting here in Riga Latvia, in my dorm, and my momma told me that I should make a blog, so I did. My first week has passed and sad to say, but it was pretty uneventful, I guess as events go. I didn't do much sat in my room and caught up on the STATS internet class that I am taking from back home, because I didn't pass it last semester. Its ok though because this class seems much easier than the last one I took, and I feel like I have already learned more because I don't have someone to go to for help. If I have any questions, I have to do it the old fashion way and go to the text book ha.
But, as for my arrival here in Latvia, the trip over here wasn't very bad. On the first flight from SLC to Chicago I sat next to some girl that read her book the whole time, so we didn't do much talking. Once I got to Chicago, I had about an 2 hour layover, so coming into I thought I would have plenty of time to get some food, relax maybe do a little texting or you know just nothing. Well.... the plane from SLC was about an hour delayed, because the crew had just arrived and needed rest before they could fly again I guess. And the terminal in Chicago that I needed to go to was seriously I think a mile away from the gate that I had arrived at. And before getting to Chicago I had no idea that was the case. SO I got of the plane and started to walk down the concourse looking for a sign that said the terminal that I needed to go to... it was no where to be found. So I called my dad, and asked him where I go, and he looked on the internet and said it isn't that far, just look for the signs and take the terminal to terminal tram or train thing. Well I looked around for a while for that sign that said anything about traveling form terminal to terminal and saw nothing. I finally decided to ask someone, yes my man hood broke down and I ASKED SOMEONE. I walked around looking for someone to ask and I couldn't find anyone to ask, so eventually I asked this very big black lady that was sitting in an empty gate watching TV, she had what looked like an airport uniform, she must have been on her brake or something. Ha well me asking here was a mistake, because I couldn't understand here, nor could I take her serious because she was sweating(from watching TV)???? ha ha so I called my dad back and told him what I got out of this wonderful lady and I's conversation, and he said she didn't know what she was talking about ask someone else. He said that he didn't have any clue as to where I should go, so I took the only information I had and that was to follow what that lady said. So I started to walk in the directions that she had pointed with here very bulumtious arms. On the journey in her directions i noticed that the signs above me said that i was going to baggage pick-up, so out of security, and started to get nervous. Then I asked the next person I saw, a man on a golf cart thing pulling those luggage cart carriers behind him, I know I pick the best and the brightest people to ask for directions. This man started to speak, and he looked like he was in his late 40's and no front teeth, and a golden loop earring in his ear. He told me roughly the same thing that the other lady told me, so I guess i had to take his advice. I exited security, saw all the people waiting with signs, and smiles on there faces as the awaited that special person. I saw a sign that said tram to international terminal went in that direction and boarded a tram that went 100 miles an hour for about 5 minutes and finally the intercom said "International Terminal", I sighed and exited the tram. Then had to go through security again, and walked to my gate. It was 915 at night by this time and my plane boarded at 920. I was very hungry by this time, because the only thing that I had to eat was a ham sandwich and some chips in the car on the way to SLC airport. Luckily the only shop that was in my terminal was closed until 10 o'clock. I think they were changing shifts. So I was S.O.L. until airplane food. I boarded my plane and sat down next to the window. And waited see who my seat mate was. Eventually he arrived, a mid 30's bald man. He didn't say much either so I pulled out my Dan Brown book and waited for our take off. The plane had TV's with movies and games and such, but of course for some reason mine and the guy sitting sitting next to me didn't work right. So the plan took off I ate food ( that was actually pretty good) and then popped an ambien and fell asleep for most of the trip. Arrived in Copenhagen and went to my gate, that was easy to find, and just sat and waited for my next flight. The next plane ride that only had about 25 people on the plane and was like a propeller plane was pretty standard for an airplane ride. Only about 2 hours also. So I just read my book and listened to music.
Arriving in RIGA.
I got off the little plane took a bus to the baggage claim and got my bags. As I started to walk to leave the airport, I noticed there was not costumes or anyone checking my passport, which was very weird for me. So I walked passed some lady with a drug sniffing dog and went on my way. Walked out into all of those people with signs and smiles on their faces once again and saw my NAME. There was my "buddy" waiting for my arrival. A 5'5 girl with blonde hair and a nice smile, and her name is Gunta. She was my "buddy." Let me explain buddy really quick. The program I am in arranges for someone to show you around the first couple of days in your country abroad, and they call them buddies here. As Gunta and I walked outside the automatic doors opened blowing probably the coldest air into my face that I have ever felt. It is extremely cold here. We got in a taxi and went across town to my dorm.
The next day after my arrive Gunta and I went into the city center to do some shopping, for the necessities that I needed to survive here. One thing that I had told Gunta I needed was a heater, because it's -20 outside and the heater in my room sucks. So our journey started, we went to probably about 10 different shops within about a 5 mile radius of each other looking for a heater. Everywhere we went they were all sold out. So about 3 hours later and 5 miles traveled we finally went to a store that had one. It was $40 US dollars. But we had come this far and I wasn't going home empty handed, so I bought it. It is a LIFE SAVER.
Then the next couple of days here I didn't do anything just sit in my room, read, sleep and eat.
Until last night, it was a Saturday so Gunta and her friends wanted to take me out. We started off at my dorm, and then around 11 45 we went out. We started at one club then went to probably 3 moree before the night had ended. It was really fun time. I didn't make it home until about 430 am. It was a blast! and needless to say my "buddy" and her friends had a very good time, partaking in the Spirits and such at the clubs. Ha by the end of the night lets just say they weren't walking to straight ha! but it was still very fun.
But that is my excursion up till now..... I will keep you posted on what happens in the next week or so, or when I get time.

PeAcE!
from, Latvia DD