The SRAS winter program in Latvia was the perfect crash course in Russian-speaking culture and Latvian life. I arrived in Riga with a shaky understanding of grammatical case and how to hold a conversation, and the morning I left, I had a full conversation with my host mother about their school system. All of the activities immersed us in Latvian history and daily life, and we had so many opportunities to talk to locals in Russian and hear their stories. The instructors at Liden & Denz create a low-pressure environment, where I felt encouraged to push myself and my speaking abilities.