a day in the life of a latvian mom

Yesterday I spent the day at our regular two-day work event — something we do every couple of months to reconnect, since we all work remotely. I only planned to attend the first day, and now I’m back at home, working in my quiet little corner.

The event took place at Anna’s Hotel — a beautifully restored manor with roots reaching back to the 18th century. The first nobleman’s house was built there in the mid-1700s, and later, in 1793, Garlībs Merķelis — a writer who passionately defended the interests of the Latvian people — lived and wrote Latvians there while working as a tutor. His words now serve as the hotel’s motto:
“Only in the lap of peace and freedom does the human spirit develop into its most beautiful flowers — the arts.”

Being there felt like stepping into a quieter time, where creativity and thought could breathe. I love places like this — full of history, soul, and stories. Maybe that’s why our own house, which we’re slowly rebuilding, means so much to me. It was built in 1880 and has that same feeling of holding onto the past while gently creating something new.

So today, while the work continues from home, I carry with me a little of that stillness, that inspiration — both from the manor and from the house we call our own.

Ilze