Vilis Sīmanis was born and raised in Chicago, but Latvia has never been just a distant place on the other side of the ocean for his family. The Latvian language, culture and regular trips to Latvia have been part of Vilis’s life since childhood. Now, at the age of 26, he has taken the next step – moving from the United States to Cēsis, where he is expanding his professional experience at KEST restaurant. His initial plan was to come to Latvia for an internship, but after just a few weeks, Vilis is already considering the possibility of staying longer.
“I came to Cēsis to learn more about cooking – initially for an internship, but it looks like I’ll be staying a little longer and working full-time. I think KEST is one of the best restaurants in Latvia. I’m ready for a new challenge, and I want to gain experience in Latvia,” says Vilis.
Latvia Has Always Been Important to His Family
Although Vilis was born in Chicago, his family has maintained a strong connection with Latvia across several generations. His father was also born in Chicago and his mother in Minneapolis, while his grandparents’ roots are in Latvia. Vilis remembers that preserving the Latvian language and culture was always important in his family.
“Latvian culture has remained very important to us. We tried to speak Latvian at home and travel to Latvia as often as we could. Latvia is a very important and sacred place for us,” he says.
Interestingly, Vilis’s parents once went through a similar chapter in their lives. At approximately the same age Vilis is now, they came to Latvia, worked here for a while and later returned to the United States. Now their son is following his own path, experiencing everyday life in Latvia for himself.
A Latvian environment was also an important part of Vilis’s life in the United States. On Saturdays, he attended Latvian school in Chicago, took part in the local Latvian community, and participated in singing and dancing. His experiences at the Garezers Summer High School and 3x3 gatherings were also significant. As a result, the Latvian language and a sense of belonging to Latvia have remained familiar to him despite growing up in the United States.
From International Relations to the Restaurant Kitchen
At university in Chicago, Vilis studied international relations, but cooking gradually began to play an increasingly important role in his life.
Vilis believes that learning never truly ends in the culinary profession. Even when working in a professional kitchen, there is something new to learn every day. It was precisely this desire to learn and gain new experience that eventually brought him to Cēsis.
The opportunity to work at KEST came about naturally through professional connections. KEST’s head chef, Māris Jansons, maintains contacts with people in the industry in the United States, and Vilis knew that the restaurant was looking for additional staff. A conversation and mutual professional contacts eventually developed into an opportunity that convinced him to move across the ocean.
Cēsis – An Opportunity to Discover Latvia Beyond the Familiar
During previous family trips to Latvia, Vilis had mostly stayed in Riga and Jūrmala, where some of his relatives also live. Cēsis was much less familiar to him. That became another reason to embrace the new challenge.
“I was particularly interested in working and living somewhere outside Riga,” says Vilis.
He arrived in Cēsis knowing few people, so alongside gaining professional experience, this period is also about discovering a new city and getting to know the local community. At the time of the interview, Vilis had spent around a month in Latvia, including several weeks in Cēsis. Naturally, there are moments when he misses home and his familiar life in the United States, but he sees this as a normal part of moving to another country.
His first full Latvian winter is still ahead. Vilis is not particularly worried about it – he laughs that winters in Chicago may actually be even harsher. At the same time, living in Cēsis offers him an opportunity to experience a very different side of Latvia, with nature, walking and, in winter, skiing.
“You’ll Feel Like a Real and Whole Person”
Moving to another country, even one with which your family has such a close connection, also involves practical matters – documents, formalities and establishing a new everyday routine. Vilis admits that these small things can seem challenging at first, but so far he has not encountered any major difficulties. What matters, he says, is not being afraid to ask questions and accepting help from others.
Thinking about other Latvians living abroad who are considering spending some time in Latvia, Vilis encourages them not to be afraid to give it a try.
“It’s great – it’s not that bad,” he says with a smile. “It will be a challenge – all those little things, the documents, getting everything sorted out. But once it’s all done, you’ll feel like a real and whole person.”
Whether Cēsis and Latvia will become Vilis’s long-term home is something he is not yet ready to decide. Initially, the move was about professional development, learning and gaining new experience, but Vilis is now already considering the possibility of staying in Latvia permanently.
For now, the most important thing is to make the most of the opportunity – to work, learn, discover Cēsis and experience Latvia from a different perspective than during his previous family visits. And perhaps this is exactly how a journey towards building a life in Latvia begins – not with one major decision to relocate, but simply with the willingness to give it a try.