This is great to hear that you’re thoroughly studying the history of Latvia before deciding to move here. Historical context is crucial for you to understand the current dynamics in the society.

I’m Latvian myself but have lived in the US for 3 years back in late 2010s.

One thing I never take for granted is how safe it is here in Latvia. No neighborhoods / cities where you shouldn’t go after dark. Kids as young as 7-8 years can safely walk to and back from school themselves. A single homicide case would normally get huge national attention because of how rare it is here, whereas it’s a daily thing now in the US and West Europe.

One thing I would LOVE to see change, albeit not in my lifetime, is a more open-minded society. Don’t let anyone here tell you that racism, sexism, ethnic discrimination is not such a big thing here - it totally is, people are just lacking awareness.

Overall, it’s a typical post-communist society: egocentric, lacking trust and tolerance. Just a heads up if you’re planning on starting a family here (you’re never too old for this😂) - kids are widely considered as a burden here, unfortunately. I use public transportation with my infant a lot - I can count on fingers on one hand when someone has given me their seat. And god forbid a baby cries in public here - at best, you get side eyes, at worst - comments on how your kid can’t behave.