Meanwhile, in Riga…

There’s something about coming back to a familiar city that flips a quiet switch in my brain — a concoction of curiosity, calm, and perhaps a bit too much trolley coffee. Travel, for me, has never been about box-ticking, but about absorbing a vibe and seeking the soul of a destination.

Some places I visit once and feel done with. Others, like Riga, keep calling me back. Maybe because I have a few drops of Baltic blood in me, on my paternal grandfather Bill’s side of the family.

I’ve printed over a dozen of my books here in Latvia, so the capital has long been woven into my creative process.

The streets, the cafés, the mix of Art Nouveau facades and Soviet leftovers — Riga has plenty of interesting layers. The past lingers here, but never smothers the present.

These days, with the world spinning off-axis — wars in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe — you’d think travel choices would feel limited. But that’s the paradox. Sometimes, the most eye-opening experiences are next door. From Sweden, cities like Riga offer a refreshing shift in perspective without the trepidation of long-haul journeys.

So here I am again — walking these streets, camera in hand — reminded that I don’t need to wander a great distance to feel like I’m far away.