CONFERENCE
At first, the trip took us to the picturesque capital of Estonia – Tallinn. Having a tour guide from the local ESN Tallinn we managed to have a rather quick city tour and some lunch. Then we had time for action as we went to the laser game – team against team shootout. What sounds a bit harsh at first is in reality a fun time and a great team building activity. In the evening and on the next morning we had time for party and leisure accordingly, but after lunch we would embark on the ferry “Baltic Queen” and head to Stockholm. The first night on the ferry was rather calm as not all of the cabins were filled with students; some regular passengers were also aboard. The party took place in several parts of the ferry – karaoke bar, concert hall and later on – on the dance floor. Of course people were chatting and socializing a lot also inside the cabins and corridors.
The arrival to Stockholm was rather unspectacular; in opposite to Tallinn the weather was dull and a bit rainy. Still, most people managed to wake up after the long party and went to Stockholm old town to stroll around the biggest metropolis of the Baltic Sea Region. Time was limited, but long enough to look around, take some photos and buy a few souvenirs. When going back to the ferry everybody could feel a huge difference: the terminal was full of students from Sweden waiting for getting aboard, the ferry was more crowded than before if compared with the first night. Moreover, the ferry had extra security guards and also some cheerful salsa lessons. The party lasted until early morning and upon arriving to Tallinn everybody was really tired. As a result, almost everybody had a nap in the bus back to Riga.
To conclude, it seems that this year we experience a lot of activities from the exchange student side and we are happy about their willingness to meet other cultures. The trip to our Nordic neighbors has brought new experience to ESN Riga team and allowed to join forces with other ESN units from the Northern Europe. Thanks to everybody who organized and participated!
