Building a Career and a Life Outside Latvia
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1991, residents of Latvia were once again able to travel freely and settle abroad. Emigration increased particularly after Latvia joined the European Union in 2004 and during the economic crisis that followed. Some of those who left later returned to Latvia, while others chose to build their lives elsewhere in the world.
Starting a new life in another country can be challenging. Limited language skills, as well as difficulties in having qualifications or professional experience gained in Latvia recognised abroad, may initially leave people with few options other than physically demanding work or jobs below their level of qualification. Over time, however, many learn the local language, develop new skills and build professional networks, allowing them to establish successful careers and adapt to life in their new country.
Living abroad for an extended period can also shape a person’s language, habits and way of life. At the same time, many continue to maintain close ties with Latvia through diaspora organisations, visits to Latvia and an ongoing interest in events and developments in the country.
These scissors and shirt belonged to Iveta Saksone-Amrone (born in Riga in 1965), who used them while working as a floral designer in the United States. She purchased the scissors around 2007 and kept them in her pocket while working, as they were particularly well suited to delicate, precise tasks.
In Latvia, Iveta worked as a professional dancer in Laima Vaikule’s dance company and as a competitive ballroom dance instructor. In 1995, after winning the US Green Card Lottery, she moved to the United States and joined dancer friends who were already living in Los Angeles. Through them, she became part of a new social circle: “I found myself among celebrities… I suppose they liked the fact that I was a young, naïve and attractive artist… They said I was like an alien from another planet!”
Iveta later moved to New York, where she continued teaching competitive ballroom dancing. Encouraged by her partner, she began studying floral design at the New York Botanical Garden and later further developed her skills in London and Paris. Over the next nearly twenty years, she created floral arrangements for weddings and for the interiors of luxury hotels in New York and Florida, including the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and The Breakers.
Iveta has since retired from floral design and now divides her time between the United States and Latvia with her husband, Alan.
