“I have never regretted leaving. But now I know – I was never meant to stay there.”
These words best capture the story of Valmiera native Inguna Kutila. After spending 12 years in the United Kingdom, she made the decision to return to Latvia. Although she had built a stable life in England – earning an education, developing a successful career, and gaining valuable experience at the global e-commerce company Amazon – the thought of home never left her.
Inguna was born and raised in Valmiera. At the age of 14, she moved to the United Kingdom with her sister to join their mother, who was already living there. She completed her schooling in England, studied Business Management at college, and later spent several years working for the world’s largest e-commerce company, Amazon.
Yet alongside her career and everyday life, there was something even more important – her connection to Latvia.
For more than ten years, Inguna played an active role in the Latvian diaspora community, particularly within the organisation Bērzes Strazdi, helping to organise the annual Bērzes Strazdi Midsummer Festival at Straumēni in the United Kingdom. The festival became an anchor for her Latvian identity.
“The festival helped me preserve my Latvian culture and the feeling that I belonged to Latvia. Every year I looked forward to it with great excitement. It was there that I realised how many Latvians live abroad and how important it is to meet, speak Latvian, and simply be together.”
It was this sense of togetherness that kept alive the thought that one day she wanted to return home.
Still, the road back was filled with doubts.
“The idea was always somewhere in the back of my mind – I wanted to live in Latvia. But at the same time, I was very afraid. I had no idea what it would be like to live in Latvia as an adult. I had never worked here, paid bills, or built my own everyday life.”
A major turning point came when her sister decided to move back to Latvia with her family. Seeing that such a step was possible encouraged Inguna to think more seriously about her own return.
The decisive moment, however, came during last summer’s Bērzes Strazdi Midsummer Festival. While visiting the Latvia House at the festival, Inguna met Inga Madžule, the remigration coordinator for the Vidzeme Planning Region. What began as a simple conversation about life abroad, returning to Latvia, and the fear of the unknown became a life-changing moment. By sharing her concerns and receiving encouragement, Inguna realised that the dream she had carried for so many years was finally ready to become reality.
That conversation became the turning point.
Just a few months later, Inguna made the courageous decision to leave her job in England, pack twelve years of her life into ten boxes, and return home.
“I flew home at the end of December. It was exciting, but at the same time it felt absolutely right. I knew I was finally doing what I had always wanted to do.”
Returning turned out to be much easier than she had imagined. Her family, friends, and people who had recently gone through the same experience offered invaluable support.
Her sister Sandija, who had returned to Latvia earlier and established her own photography studio in Vidzeme, was a particularly important source of inspiration.
“Seeing everything my sister had achieved in just two years gave me even greater confidence that I could do it too.”
Today, Inguna says that leaving Latvia was an important chapter in her life, but returning home was just as meaningful.
“I don't regret anything. I was meant to leave. Those years taught me so much. Living in another culture broadened my perspective, helped me grow, and shaped me into the person I am today. I am grateful for that experience. But now I believe even more strongly that I was never meant to stay there.”
She believes that the greatest obstacle is often not practical challenges, but fear of the unknown.
“Don't be afraid of what you don't know yet. Everything can be learned, and everything can be figured out. There are so many people and resources ready to help. If you feel that you want to return, don't let fear make the decision for you.”
Inguna’s story once again highlights the importance of the Latvian diaspora community. For many Latvians living abroad, meeting fellow Latvians, celebrating traditions together, and having honest conversations become the bridge that leads them back to Latvia.
Sometimes, all it takes is a single conversation to realise that home has been there all along.