[Aer]

After graduating from college and working a very lucrative summer job, I finally have the option of travelling wherever I would like. Coming to the realization that I need a purpose to travel/a set itinerary, I came to the conclusion that learning Russian would be the best resume builder/experience attainer.

Since obtaining a Russian visa is quite difficult, I decided that Liden and Denz in Riga would be a good idea. I've seen a few good reviews of it, and I would like to know if Riga would be a good city for a 22 year old. Based on pricing, I feel like their prices for apartments (220 Euro a week) is a bit steep, so I'll probably self-book my accomodations.

Does anyone have any information on this course/cheap accomodations in Riga? I love Eastern Europe, so this is a great opportunity for me. Hopefully, I can come back and contribute to more information about this beautiful Baltic city.

Also, I plan on taking the course in late September/early October- early November, so it's offseason.

[matthewshannon9]

Where did you come up with the idea that getting a Russian visa is complicated or difficult? Any language school will do all the work for you for an extra couple hundred dollars. Russia is far better than Latvia but that's my personal experience. Look at Liden and Denz in St. Petersburg, I have many friends who studied Russian there.

[Aer]

(08-14-2014 10:17 AM)matthewshannon9 Wrote:  

Where did you come up with the idea that getting a Russian visa is complicated or difficult? Any language school will do all the work for you for an extra couple hundred dollars. Russia is far better than Latvia but that's my personal experience. Look at Liden and Denz in St. Petersburg, I have many friends who studied Russian there.

I should have explained in more detail; it's impossible because L&D requires about 8 weeks in order for me to do that. I'm planning on going in mid-October. So Riga it has to be.

[Gopnik]

I'm currently doing a russian course in Minsk, I also did some research on courses in Latvia but they were more expensive. Here it costs 350$ for one month of lessons (3:30 hours a day, Mon-Fri) and it's 50$ (a month!) for the accommodation, its a very good dormitory for Belarusian standards, although it sucks in terms of logistics.

[Orson]

Well, that's a useful thought, Aer. Consider studying in an even cheaper country! The "Russian zone" is far and wide and often less expensive than one can imagine.

Aer writes: "Coming to the realization that I need a purpose to travel/a set itinerary, I came to the conclusion..." that I would learn new language abroad. A resume builder to boot.

I connect with you sense of going abroad with a mission besides travel and gaming. I'm too much of a 'worker bee' not to need some sort of framing purpose when I travel for more than short periods.

Perhaps that will change for me, in time. But for now, learning or business is the best sort of framework for travel, for me.