Sveiki

Sveiki=Hello in Latvian
I'm in Riga, Latvia right now! Tomorrow I'm leaving for Vilnius, Lithuania and then we'll go to Talinn, Estonia, and then to Helsinki, Finland! woo! It's very cold here, but I think I brought enough clothes. I've been warm walking around. It has snowed 2 days out of 4 that we have been here. It's really beautiful here, and it's been fun couch surfing with this girl named Liene and her boyfriend Olafs. They are very much hippies who enjoy life to the fullest. She showed us pictures of their life and the fun things they do in the summer. Lots of people here like to play music on the streets for money. They have a little dog; his name is Wilkes. He's cute and fun to play with. It's a little difficult to communicate because her English isn't the best. It reminds of being in China, so it wasn't that big of a deal for me. The others have had to dumb down their English and not use idomatic phrases like "That takes the cake". We've gotten some Latvian food from Liene and from the markets in town. They eat a lot of rye bread, and Liene is a Vegetarian so we've been eating mostly vegetables. The food is very different here, but I really like it. I love learning about new cultures, and couch surfing is definitely the best way to travel because you get to learn about the culture instead of just being a tourist in a city. I can't wait to get to the next place.

I'll never again stay the night in a train station. Me and Cory decided to spend the night in the train station waiting for the girls, who arrived the next day in Brussels. It was very cold and we weren't supposed to be there. I felt like a homeless person, hiding from the security gaurds and looking for a warm place to sleep. But now I can say I've done it. haha. Next time, though, I'd much rather spend the night in an Airport where I am actually allowed to be and it's warm. But Brussels was really lovely, and we enjoyed staying with Julien who lived near the center of town. He showed us around and took us to a really nice resturant to get some belgium cuisine. It was probably my first real meal besides going to that creperie in Angers. I had some pasta with zuccini and paid 3euro for water. haha. That was fun. I didn't enjoy spending that much money, but it was ok. That's all for now. It's my last day in Riga!

p.s. CouchSurfing is network of people who love to travel and be hospitable. Basically you can host what is called a "couch" (a place where someone would sleep, be it a floor, a couch, a mattress) for someone or multiple people to sleep on. It is free and it is all about meeting new people and learning about their culture and town. You can check out different profiles of people who are hosting couches where you will be going and decide who looks most fun. You have to verified to be a couch surfer. You shoot them a message and ask if you can "surf their couch" within the dates you specify. And they'll respond with either a NO or a SURE and provide information on how to get to their house and/or their phone number. As you can tell I love it. I can't wait to return the favor and host some people in Boone.