On the first day of the NATO Field School, I was ready to go home. 

My second flight had been cancelled, I had a long layover before my rescheduled one, and I didn't get to my hotel in Rome until around 1:00AM (with a 9:00AM start the next day). Safe to say, I had a rough start. 

However, the fact that I was in Rome really put things into perspective. Here was a city rich in history with exceptional food and a vibrant culture. Not to mention, it was bustling with tourists. No matter what my feelings were, I was in Rome. 

We have been in Riga for about a week now and I can definitely say that I'm glad I stuck it out. Not only is Riga beautiful, the city is peaceful and rich in history that differs from that of Rome. Here, everything is fresh. Instead of romanticizing history, we are thinking of the wars of the future and our preparedness for them. Tensions are high here in the Baltics, but Latvia is resilient nonetheless.

It's officially the halfway point of the field school and I'm excited for everything that we have left. Camp Adazi, NATO HQ, and Ramstein Air Base are next - excited for what's to come!