Five years ago, I took off on a weekend trip to Riga, Latvia. I didn’t think that weekend would change my whole life, but somewhere along the line, it did.

I’d decided on a whim (aka the cheapest flights out of East Midlands Airport) to go to a country I’d barely ever heard of, for my first solo trip outside of the UK when I was living and studying abroad in Nottingham. Five years ago, Latvia was still using the Latvian lats for their currency (they’d switch to the Euro a month after I left). Riga was relatively undiscovered and there were very few other tourists around. It was a very affordable destination for someone with dollars/pounds.

Riga has changed now, and to be honest, it’s not entirely for the better. With budget airline Air Baltic’s base in Riga Airport, and the proliferation of cheap flights with other budget airlines like Ryanair, Riga has become a very popular destination (particularly for Europeans). The city plays host to rowdy bachelor parties and boys drinking weekends, and the Baltics in general have seen a huge influx of tourists traveling between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Riga is no longer cheap—in fact, it’s actually pretty expensive compared to other destinations in Central/Eastern Europe. It’s hard to get a beer for less than 5€ anywhere in the Old Town. Taking the elevator to the top of St. Peter’s Church will now cost you 11€. So much of the city has changed.

But I still love it. Because to me, Riga means everything.

It was in Riga where I gained the confidence to travel solo. It was in Riga where I first made real friends in a hostel (I even went to stay with them in the Netherlands later that year!). It was in Riga where I struggled across a language barrier and learned how to communicate with a word or two and hand gestures.

In Riga, I discovered just how much I was capable of. I realized the true capacity of my independence, and that I can do anything—even things that were scary. In Riga, I learned that traveling was always worth it—that the fear of the unknown should never stop you from doing something.

In Riga, I fell in love with a charming European Old Town, and became enamored with taking photos of the most beautiful old buildings. In Riga, I discovered the complexities of Baltic politics, and how multifaceted the mixing of different languages and ethnicities can be.

I drank black balsam, the local spirit (it kind of tastes like cough syrup—the blackcurrant flavor is much better). I wandered through Christmas markets. I stuffed my face in LIDO with some weird Latvian food. I admired the Art Nouveau architecture. I successfully got from the airport to my hostel late at night. And I did all of it on my own.

I discovered how much I love traveling solo. Every solo trip I’ve ever taken, I was able to do it because of Riga. Once I realized how much fun I had traveling on my own (doing whatever you want! Eating however much you want with no one to judge you! Taking everything at your own pace!), I never looked back. I took so many other solo trips that year. And had I have not made it through Riga and had a good time, I’m not sure if I would have realized just how fun solo travel is.

Traveling solo isn’t for everyone. I think everyone should try it once in their life, but I know full well that it’s not for everyone. But traveling solo is certainly for me. I loved finding out who I was as a person—finding myself full stop—in Riga. I found my wings in Latvia. And once I found them, I was rarely ever on the ground.

Riga was the perfect city for all of this. The perfect setting. There is plenty to do to keep you busy. The Old Town is stunning and was (when I went in winter five years ago) essentially empty. The city has lots of fun bars that (at that time) were wonderfully affordable to a budget traveler. It was off the beaten path enough to force me out of my comfort zone, and to try a bit harder.

I don’t want to spend too much time talking about what you should do in Riga. I’ve already written that post!

I’ve been back to Riga twice now since my first trip five years ago. As I said, the city has changed. It’s different, there’s way more tourists, it’s no longer a secret but a well-known destination that attracts all different types of travelers. It’s not a budget traveler haven—I’d head to Vilnius if I wanted cheap Baltic prices. But it is still one of my favorite cities. The Old Town is still beautiful. The Art Nouveau buildings are still gorgeous. The black balsam is still strong.

When I was coming back to Riga on my trip to the Baltics earlier this year, all I could think was, “I’m coming home!” With the exception of my actual home(s) (York and Minneapolis), I only feel that way about a few other cities: London, Dublin, and maybe St. Petersburg. But returning to Riga felt like a homecoming. I knew where to go. I knew what to do. I was back in one of my favorite cities.

My trip to Riga changed everything. It helped shape me and form me into the confident, independent, solo traveler that I am today. The trip was real proof that I could do it (travel, life, etc.)—and I could do it alone. It was only a weekend, but it made a real and lasting mark on me—as a person, and as a traveler.

It’s hard to look back on your life when you’ve changed a lot, and point to the moment it all changed. To pinpoint that exact point in time where you changed, where things shifted, where nothing was the same afterword. My weekend in Riga is that point for me. It was the most influential weekend trip I could have ever asked for when I was searching for cheap flights to go somewhere different.

I still feel guilty that after three trips, I have yet to see much else of Latvia besides Riga. On my next trip, I know that’s what I’ll want to do—see more of the country, as opposed to just the capital city. But I know the city will always be there for me, ready and waiting, for when I can return. Riga will welcome me back with open arms, like it always has done.

And when I do go back, I know I’ll walk the streets and still remember my first trip. I’ll still remember those feelings of jubilation and excitement, to be somewhere so different from where I was used to, and somewhere so wonderful.

I went to Riga on a leap of faith. And I’m so incredibly glad I did. My trip to Riga changed it all. So thank you Riga, for being perfect, for being you, and for making that weekend in winter of 2013 one of the best.

Paldies, Riga. 🙂

Is there a city that you love, that you keep returning to?!

You might be interested in my other posts:

24 Hours In Riga, Latvia

Hostel Review: Naughty Squirrel Backpackers Hostel, Riga

8 Fantastic Destinations For A European City Break

How Much Does It Cost To Travel The Baltics For 5 Days?

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