Never did I think I would find so much here in Armenia. As a Birthright Armenia volunteer, I have had a tremendously rich and rewarding experience thus far. This is attributed to the exceptional program Birthright Armenia has created along with my homestay experience.

I thought the most honest way to describe my homestay experience is to recount my journal entries. I began with Day 0, the day before my arrival in Armenia. By the way, this is my first visit.

Day 0 - So this time tomorrow I'll be in Armenia for the first time! It's crazy that tonight will be my last night in my bed for the next 2+ months. It's even crazier to think I don't know whose bed I'll actually be sleeping in during that time. I called my host family today for the first time and Anahit, the oldest of 3 sisters answered. I was a little worried about language barriers but she seems to speak English well. I told her I'll be arriving at 2:00am tomorrow and wanted to know if I'd be an inconvenience because my flight was getting in so late. She expressed it was no problem at all; they were eagerly anticipating my arrival.

Because I've never been to Armenia before I have no idea what expect. As an Armenian-American brought up in the US much of the Armenian culture and traditions have been diluted. For this reason, I'm hoping living with the Kozmelyan family will introduce me to new traditions and reinforce those I am already familiar with. I also cannot wait to eat traditional Armenian meals! Most importantly, I hope living with them will enable me to strengthen my language skills.

Day 1 - It's currently 3:30am and I've arrived at my new home! This experience feels so surreal. Arous, the middle sister [20 years old], was the first family member I met. She was so welcoming, immediately grabbing as much as she could to lighten my full load. I was then introduced to my mother who was equally as convivial. They had a big table with food "in case I was hungry" - at 3:00AM! I'm learning Armenian hospitality is unlike any other in the world. I attempted to converse using as much Armenian as possible and with Arous' help I've already been introduced to few new Armenia vocabulary words!

Day 2 - While my whole family was out at school and work, I got the chance to get settled in. I found a great radio station, so I found myself dancing in my new room. Arpinneh, 17, the youngest of my 3 sisters, came home after class to meet me and have lunch. It was really cool getting to hang out with her because she reminds me of one of my best friends from home. When Arous got home from work she took me on a tour of Yerevan - it is SO beautiful here. Afterwards I finally got to meet the last member of my new family, Anahit! They all have very different personalities but are equally as warm and welcoming. I don't feel at all uncomfortable here despite my initial uncertainty.

I have my own room and there is something so charming about it. One of my walls consists of large panel windows facing Vardanants [street]; my other walls are festooned with art work. My bed is extremely comfortable, I have a full sized sofa and there's a bookshelf filled with books. And, I have an awesome view.

Day 3 - My homestay family is amazing! Today is my 23rd birthday and I was welcomed at the door with a gorgeous cake when I got home today. As if the cake wasn't enough, Arous had a gift for me. She said in the limited time we had spent together, it was the only thing she was sure I would like - adorable elfin clay cups filled with salt and pepper, accompanied by tiny spoons. She had remembered my comment the night before that the US sets were so dull compared to these!

Day 5 - Got home from work and had an awesome meal my homestay mom cooked: warm soup, dolma, yogurt, fresh bread, and an awesome mushroom and corn salad. We also had sliced tomatoes - some of the sweetest I've ever tasted. And we had birthday cake for dessert! After dinner I spoke to my family about my work, friends, and new life in Armenia. They were so attentive and supportive of my ideas, attitude and thoughts.

Day 15 - Arous and Arpinneh came out with the volunteers and me tonight. We went to see a dance performance at the Opera Theater. They got along so well with everyone and it was really cool to see them outside of home, especially considering I'm getting to see them less with my increasingly busy schedule recently.

Day 19 - Birthright has put together so much for us: Armenian language classes twice a week, forums, and weekend excursions. I've also been getting more involved at work so recently I haven't spent as much time with my host family. Even though we share the same home I'm finding I miss them.

Day 23 - After a busy weekend, we decided to have a relaxing evening to unwind. A friend was having people over for movies so Anahit and I joined in. Upon returning home, the batteries in the flashlight I use to get up the staircase to our apartment died. Anahit commented we'd have no trouble getting up the stairs with no light; getting around in the dark became so habitual the years after the Soviet collapse. Things like getting up the dark staircase just became routine. Once we got inside I sat with Anahit and our mother for hours, listening to them tell stories about their life in Armenia after the Soviet collapse. They educated me on the living conditions in Yerevan at the time; they only had running water and electricity for 2 hours a day and when the lights came on you heard people rejoicing throughout the neighborhoods. I remember hearing such stories about Armenia from my parents but when told by my home-stay family, I was really listening. The stories told tonight carried a lot of weight. It is remarkable that I'm learning the history of our people directly from the people that wrote it. I'm so thankful for this experience because these are the stories I can pass on to my children that I otherwise would have.

Day 30 - While having tea tonight with my family the lights went out. The girls immediately knew where to go to find candles and within 2 minutes we were sitting around a candlelit coffee table. Arpinneh, Arous, and Anahit got up and danced for my mother and me - it was so awesome! They started out doing traditional Armenian line dances; however, within a few minutes, they were all dancing to their own songs. Arpinneh was twirling around while singing, Arous began doing Can-cans, while Anahit stuck to more traditional Armenian steps. All-in-all it was an extremely entertaining and fun night.

Day 33 - After all the dancing the girls did the other night, I was inspired to learn some traditional Armenian dances for myself so Arous brought me along to her dance practice. In addition to the dances, I was introduced to many Armenian songs and chants.

Day 43 - So this next month I'll be back home. Before I came to Armenia, 2 months seemed like an overwhelming amount of time to be away from home. Now having a month left before I return to the US, I can't help but wish I committed to a much longer stay here. Initially it was crazy to think I'd be sleeping in someone else's bed. The irony now is that my bed at home, which I've had for years, seems more foreign to me then this bed I've had in Armenia for just a few weeks.

Before coming to Armenia I knew I was about to embark on a life changing experience, nonetheless the experiences I am having in Armenia far surpass anything I could have ever imagined. Birthright Armenia and AVC have organized a phenomenal program, establishing the groundwork for my current and future opportunities as a Diasporan in Armenia.

Moreover, I am so thankful Birthright encourages and makes it possible for volunteer to do homestays here. Without the enthusiasm of the Birthright advocating their homestay program, I don't know that I would opt the homestay option. As a homestay participant now, I know my experience in Armenia wouldn't be as rich and rewarding without it.

All my hopes and expectations, learning more about the traditional culture in Armenia, revisiting the culture I've already been introduced to, food and the Armenian language, are just a few ways in which I've benefited from my homestay. The most gratifying component of my homestay experience was one I didn't anticipate though: the lifelong friendships I've made. With the members of my homestay family, I have connected on levels that are new to me.

This experience has been so beneficial and I will be forever grateful to the Kozmelyan family for opening up their home and their hearts, enabling me to learn about myself, my people and my culture. I am also so thankful to Birth Right for making this experience possible at all.

Serli Hacikoglu (USA)
AVC volunteer and Birthright Armenia participant