We were graciously home hosted in Daugmala, the countryside of Riga by Laima and Richard Pleipe. Each morning, with Laima we stepped outside to pick fruits and vegetables from their yard that were then served for breakfast. Fresh eggs were obtained from the farm down the road. It took us a few days to discover that our hosts had given us their bedroom suite. They were sleeping in the room that had been their son’s !

On the last night of our stay, at midnight we were escorted to the roof of their home “for a surprise.” All of us lit lanterns and released them into the pitch black night sky. We were told to make a wish as we released the lantern/ kites. We were told that their wish was to reunite with us.

That wish came true many times; their (personal) visit to our home, our return visit to theirs for a few nights post-Manchester FF World Conference, their visit to us while we were in Croatia.

We have formed life-long bonds with them and their family.

— Sheila and Ivan Ziegler