My Armenian Family

My Birthright Armenia experience from the beginning has been about family. I was introduced to the program through my older brother who happened upon information about the program online. The two of us were fortunate enough to have our trips overlap for 3 months this past fall. We are both a quarter Armenian thanks to my Dad’s father who was born in Chicago, grew up speaking Armenian, but never set foot on Armenian soil.

During my time in Armenia I live in Vanadzor, Shushi, and Yerevan. I lived with a number of amazing host families and volunteered at 9 job placement sites including, Women’s Resource Center, Women’s Support Center and PINK Armenia. My thoughts of Armenia were a blank slate before arriving and these families and organizations helped me to paint a picture of Armenia more dynamic and beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

Upon returning from my nearly 8 months in Armenia the first thing my Grandpa said to me was “Inch pes es?” A simple how are you, that I never would have understood had I not taken the time to learn the language. He was tickled to hear my reply “Shat lav.” My Grandpa and I sat over lunch that day while we talked back and forth in a mix of Armenian and English. He told me stories about my Great Grandmother that I had never heard before. He asked many questions about the foods I had eaten and how the culture varied from what he knew to be Armenian. It had been so long since he had spoken Armenian that he repeatedly asked me if he was saying certain words correctly. I never would have imagined in a 1,000 years my Armenian Grandpa would be asking me how to say a word in Armenian and I would be able to reply with certainty that yes, this is how you say it.

My Grandpa passed away this Tuesday. I am eternally grateful to Birthright Armenia for providing me not only with the opportunity to have these conversations but to become closer to a community and to a land I otherwise never would have known. I know that from now on in my life, I do not just have my immediate Armenian family I also have connections to all of the wonderful people I met along the way who have become my extended family all around the world.