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So with my unique accommodation setting here in Riga (Im in a shared apartment, where there is room for 5 different bedrooms and shared general rooms, kitchen and bathrooms), my company I'm interring for asked me to write an article about the experience I've had so far. And surprisingly enough, it was a super fun and easy article to write! I just wanted to avoid sounding like all those advertisements for staying in a different house than your home where they're just like super impersonal and official. I figured since most people staying in this shared apartment will be here for a while, they would want something from one person to another. So here was my finished product, pictures and all(: My roommates Cameron and Ellie(: Hi I’m Mark, and I’m a student and intern at Durbe RLS, taking a Russian course in Riga, Latvia! And honestly, I’ve never really been one for roommates. This statement is kinda weird when considering I chose to live the shared flat life her...

I know I've written about Jung Ho Pak before, but his influence continues to be felt in the lives of the Kennedys musicians, so, in the words of Mario, here we go again! Jung Ho Pak was the conductor of WYSO at Interlochen for many years.  Both Hannie and Mark played under his baton.  I won't replay too much of our memories with him, because those are recorded in posts of the past. Last night, Glo was whistling the Olympic Fanfare theme, composed by John Williams. It's the brass chorale that is played on NBC anytime they cut to, or cut away from the telecast.  It's famous.  Hearing Glo whistle that reminded me that Johannah had played the entire theme under the direction of Jung Ho.  And thinking of the Rio Olympics which will be held in just days, I realized that she must have played it four years ago, almost to the day. So, in true Larisa fashion, having learned from my G-Mother to always be thankful, I looked up Mr. Pak's email address and shot him an ...

I had one definite "to do" on my list for Riga:  seeing the city from the river via kayak.  Thankfully, Mark set up everything for it, since I couldn't find a website that had anything to do with the English language. I actually really wanted to see it by night (which is supposed to be spectacular with all the lights), but we went on a bit of a movie binge while in Riga, and had tickets to see Ghostbusters on its premier night in Riga.  We were hoping for cool movie posters (like we scored on the premiere night of Jason Bourne), but no luck.  And you know, when it comes to Ghostbusters or kayaking at night, the Kennedys will always choose the movie. Anyway, I can't imagine kayaking at night now that I've done the trip, because the last 30 minutes are on the actual river (versus the canal), and it honestly feels more like an ocean because it's so dang big.  And the current was crazy strong.  And we were told to stay away from the middle of the river beca...

As much as one doesn't really need to leave Riga at all, we wanted to see just a little bit of the country outside of the city.  Mark had wanted to visit Sigulda, so we had a destination. Sigulda is only an hour or so southeast of Riga.  An hour that is by Latvian highway.  In the States, it might be just a 30 minute drive.  However, Latvia does not seem to put much stock into people driving around the country, judging by their highways (and I use that term loosely).  It's a four lane divided highway, but the road has been repaired so many times that it's a bumpy ride, and I do believe the construction manager forgot his LEVEL on the day it was built.  I seriously had to keep my eyes on a fixed point in the distance, because my stomach thought I was riding one of those wooden roller coasters at Cedar Point...and that's NOT a good thing :-) As we were driving, I did take a moment to look out my passenger window, and I noticed once again the very dif...

We actually allowed an entire day to wander around Old Town Riga.  At first, I assumed it would be way too much to see in a day, but once I saw the map put out by the city itself, I realized that it would make a delightful day.  After all, everything I read about Riga says the top-rated activity is to just wander the streets.  Okay, we were on. Mark actually had class everyday until noon, so we started out after that.  We saw it all:  the Cat House, the Three Brothers, the House of the Blackheads, everything.  It was delightful.  Glo even got a few sketches in.  I'll let the pictures tell the story: See the cat on the top of the building?  Check out Mark's post to find out why it's there. The Swedish gate, also very cool, complete with cannons. We stopped in a Latvian knitting store so Mark could check it all out.  Turns out there are authentic Latvian wools and patterns.  We're all hoping for something for Christmas ...

When Mark was first applying to summer internships, we all assumed that he would end up in St. Petersburg, Russia.  However, when he was encouraged by the Liden-Denz Language Institute to apply to their program in Riga, Latvia, it didn't take much more than a thought to decide.  We Kennedys like new places and new adventures.  If I hadn't thoroughly researched our family lines, I would assume we have some gypsy in us somewhere. So with Ethan in Poland and Mark in Latvia, it only made sense for us to make a trip out here.  After all, there's nothing like visiting a new place with someone who knows the language and knows how to get around. However, I couldn't find many recommendations on anything to do in Riga, let alone the entire country of Latvia.  So, flying to Riga from Warsaw, we had nothing set in stone.  I figured things would just happen. I keep saying this, but Riga (and Latvia in general) are a revelation.  I don't know how this place ha...

The weirdest thing about exercise is how you can feel really terrible and really awesome at the same time. Especially running. As far as sports go too, it’s not like there’s a whole lot to running long distances. It’s more of just a mindless action, devoid of any athletic bells or whistles. If you really want to, you can literally put on some generally athletic, basic tennis shoes and you’ve got all the gear you need. There aren’t even any special maneuvers or skills or talents involved, or some specific motion you have to learn. You just run. Maybe it’s the mindless nature of the sport, or maybe it’s the weirdly good feeling that comes in tandem with the cardiovascular pain I feel right from the beginning, but running always helps me appreciate more where I live. Driving around is too impersonal. You don’t see the people, smell the smells, hear the sounds, or feel the change in neighborhoods being locked in a motorized vault(: Walking works to get the feel for sure,...