Kursa is the first summer camp I have ever been to. I never had any interest in them before. But Kursa is no ordinary summer program, it is something much more than that. My time at Kursa has been full of value and emotion. In just a few days, it felt like one big family. Although I already speak Latvian fluently and am from Latvia, I learned a lot at Kursa: how to forge a new ring, dance folk dances, play chess and write poetry. Kursa is a place for anyone who wants to feel close to Latvia in America. It is a little Latvia, you can see it in the surroundings and in the people. But Kursa also has its own traditions, which I learned about later – or should I say, at night. A big part of Kursa is the “nightlife,” with pranks (good-natured) or walks. After these three wonderfully-spent weeks I can say that Kursa is a place to connect with your Latvianness and meet American Latvian young people. I really hope that I will have the opportunity to come back next year, so that I can continue to enjoy Latvian folklore and life at Kursa.
I would like to thank all those who gave me the opportunity to attend these three weeks at Kursa, especially the initiative of new director Indra Ekmane.
See you soon!
— Erlands Griezītis, 14 (Liepāja, Latvia)
LBVŠ 2016 scholarship recipient
