FIVE FRIENDS ON STABU STREET
There is an apartment on Stabu Street that is every student's dream, a group of friends live here, proving that family can be found outside of one's home country.
Moving to another country to study is a very difficult process that every foreign student faces. It's not just about being in a completely different environment or not knowing the local language, but also about the feeling of loneliness that comes with leaving friends and family behind. Every year, young people from abroad come to Latvia, ready to study or work, just like these five friends, who have made an apartment on Stabu Street their home. Everyone has their own reason for being here, everyone has their own goals, but they all would probably agree on one thing: if someone asked them to move out of their apartment before they've graduated, they would not want to leave. Partly because their apartment is every student's dream and because saying goodbye to friends who have become a second family is not easy.
STABU STREET APARTMENT
It is impossible to say exactly how many students have lived in this place, but it has been a student apartment since at least 2014. This is very noticeable when you enter the space, as there are various jokes and personal mementos left as letters to future residents. Whether it is a basketball in the closet, an old prize from a football tournament, colorful paintings or calendars with a half-naked man, these small elements create the impression that the apartment has always been inhabited by students.
The apartment itself is every student's dream, as it is located five minutes from the tram and bus stops. Nearby are shops such as Maxima, Rimi and Lidl, as well as several gyms. There are also countless cafes and bars in the area. The apartment itself is equipped with Wi-Fi, heating, two toilets and a kitchen where at least three people can cook at the same time. Despite all the amenities provided and the location, the rent is not too high. When talking to the residents of the apartment, it was mentioned that they do not want to let the apartment be sold, because it is perfect for student life.
In this apartment, music is often played as background noise (usually it is metal, rock or pop) or the TV is on, showing all kinds of animations, documentary videos or movies.
PAST MEMORIES
The most notable element in the apartment is the artwork that adorns the walls of the living room and hallway. The paintings and drawings are impressive, some in the cubist style, others a bit abstract. They were left by Rebecca, a resident, that lived there a while back.
There are also various other interesting items left by the previous residents: pictures of students, two calendars with half-naked men, countless magnets and stickers on the refrigerator, most of which have no specific meaning, a note board with all sorts of expressions and words, as well as a picture of a professor placed into a flower pot.
THE RESIDENTS
Some may think that living with four strangers in one apartment is difficult, because everyone has different needs, routines, and values. It's easy to start an argument about unwashed dishes or laundry, an untidy living room, and other things. Perhaps there's a lack of common interests to talk about, or someone prefers to be alone, so conversations rarely happen. Whatever the reason might be, that makes living with others difficult, these five friends are not affected by it. But how did this group of friends come together and how did each resident end up here?
It could be said that it all started with a friendship between Joseph from northern Italy and Robin from Canada. Both are studying dentistry at Riga Stradins University, and met in their first semester, where they sat next to each other by chance during a lecture and eventually became very good friends.
At that point in time, Robin was living alone, but Joseph was already in the main location of this story - the apartment on Stabu Street. There he moved in with his sister and her friends, who were in their last year of university. And despite the fact that his sister and the others were studying hard for exams day and night, Joseph and Robin began to spend a lot of time in the apartment, sharing a drink or doing other activities. Robin often stayed overnight on one of the couches, and the two friends would sometimes drive to the university or visit the gym together.
Then, a year later, at the beginning of the third semester, when most of the previous tenants moved out, Robin moved into one of the vacant rooms.
The next to move into the apartment were Amanda and Amalur from Spain. Amanda chose Latvia as her study location because she wanted to study medicine and, after evaluating the study options, realized that studying in Latvia would be the cheapest and safest option. She ended up in the apartment thanks to her mother.
Joseph remembers that it seemed strange that Amanda's mother was the one writing to him, and not Amanda herself. He had a slightly negative impression of her, but when Amanda arrived in Latvia and moved in with them, they quickly became friends, because as Joseph put it, "Well, Amanda is Amanda" (said in the most positive way).
As for Amalur, she moved in not too long after Amanda, because they were friends, both were studying medicine, and another room became available in the apartment.
The fifth resident of the apartment is Marilena from Germany. Unlike the other residents, Marilena did not come here to study. She ended up in Latvia because she is participating in a volunteer program for a year. She applied for the volunteer program as a teacher because it was the only profession she could do after graduating, and, because she wanted to work with children.
Initially, Marilena was hoping for a job in the South of America or Greece, but to her surprise, she was assigned to Latvia. Of course, it was a little confusing because Latvia has a completely different vibe than South of America or Greece, but Marilena still took the job to challenge herself and get out of her comfort zone.
However, speaking of the apartment and the dynamics in the group, Marilena is grateful that she ended up in this apartment and not in a different one that she had considered in the beginning, because people in this apartment are friendly, calm and communicative.
What makes this group so interesting is how close they are, despite being from different countries and having different, varying interests. When observing their conversations and shared activities, it is clear that they consider this place and, perhaps most importantly, each other, home. From the outside, their dynamic seems familial and warm. There are jokes, stories, and a lot of friendly banter, teasing between them which shows comfort. They prove that family and a sense of home can be found in friends, even outside one's home country.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
A special "Thank you" to Robin, Amanda, Amalur, Joseph and Marilena!
Authors: Emīlija Žanete Lukjanova, Nikola Rēriha, Ņikita Pavlenko, Ksenija Osokina