I do not use the word "love" very often, but in this case I can say that I loved my experience in Armenia. I arrived in September hoping that the 3 months that I'll be spending here will be unforgettable; and indeed they were. I chose to come in fall on purpose because I was told that it's the most beautiful season in Armenia.

One of the reasons why I'm describing my experience as an unforgettable one is due to the excursions. Besides the wonderful moments shared with the group and the staff during these excursions, I also had the privilege of experiencing deep feelings regarding my Armenianness. Discovering our cultural heritage is extremely important to have a good idea about what being an Armenian means. I think that without the excursions, my knowledge about Armenian history and culture would've been much more limited. Most of our excursions involved visits to monasteries in various regions of Armenia. Being to various regions also has advantages, because you get to learn about the history of that region. For example, in Lori they will tell you that that the region was disputed between Armenia and Georgia in 1919, whereas in Zangezur, you will learn that without Njdeh the region would be part of Azerbaijan today.

Both trips to Artsakh were rewarding in a way that they both were very different and unique. The first trip, which took place in early October, consisted in exploring Shushi, Stepanakert and the northern part of Artsakh. When we arrived to Gantsasar monastery, we had the chance to not only admire its beauty, but also to meet with the priest, Der Hovhannes. We were told that during the war of Artsakh he protected the church against the Azeris. Our homestay in Shushi couldn't be better. Four of us spent their nights in Saro's house, which is located in the lower part of the city. It was very interesting to meet with Saro, as he gave us a good historical background of the city. Saro's dogs were also interesting, in the sense that they didn't look like any other dogs. Plus, they used to stare at us for hours, as if we were aliens. Once I said to my friend: "Nayir shunere inchbes mezi guh tiden", and he would start laughing. vOur second trip, as I said was very different, because it also included visits to Kapan and Meghri, two cities located in the very south of Armenia. In Kapan we visited Garegin Njdeh's graveyard, which is located on the slopes of the Khustoup Mountain. The next morning we left Kapan to go to Meghri, and as the weather conditions were not optimal, we did a huge detour, which made us spend the entire day in the van. Nevertheless, because of that detour we got to see the Arax River, which marks the Armenian-Iranian border. I will never forget our homestay in Meghri. A short time after this unusual breakfast, we went to visit Tavit Peg's three hundred year old fortress. That same day, we left Meghri and headed to Artsakh. I can say that driving through Fizuli and Zangelan was what impressed me the most during my entire stay in Armenia. These two cities reminded me of what Dresden (Germany) looked like in 1945. Perhaps it is exaggerated, but what I mean is that they are completely destroyed. For the first time, at least for me, we could see an entire city wiped out. Of course, the city of Shushi also was heavily damaged during the war, but not comparable to those two.

So far I have talked only about two excursions, the ones to Artsakh. I put the emphasis on these two because they were special, not only to me but to most volunteers who went there. Both times when I went there I couldn't stop thinking about the soldiers who fought for it, and then thinking about what I have done to deserve being there. The least that every Armenian can do is visit it at least once in their lifetime.

Armen Khatchadourian (Canada)
AVC volunteer and Birthright Armenia participant