My Birthright Armenia Experience: Why Volunteering In Vanadzor Changed My Life

My whole life I have been a part of the Armenian community. As a diasporan Armenian living in Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to be immersed in Armenian culture through eating Armenian food, speaking the Armenian language, and going to an Armenian church. I felt a constant tension between my American and Armenian identities. Often in high school and a bit in college, I was often seen as "the Armenian girl," but in Armenia, I felt more like "the American girl."

How am I going to connect with my homeland? Will I find an Armenian to marry? Am I a bad Armenian if I don't know the language perfectly? Will my host mom like me or will I make friends??

These were the questions running in my mind the moments before my flight to Armenia took off. Even before I began this journey, I prayed for peace, that I would never feel alone and that of course, my host mom would like me.

On my connecting flight from Paris to Armenia, I made a friend. She was just as anxious as I was and yet we calmed each other down, and I definitely felt more at peace.

We even had our orientation together in Yerevan!!

Soon after, I met and created the most amazing friendships with the most amazing people from Chile, France, Netherlands, England, Australia, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and of course the US. First prayer answered - that I'd never truly feel alone!

Next, the night I came to Vanadzor, my host mom, her sister-in-law, and her mother made me feel the most at home. They made me a hot meal and even set up my little room with clean sheets and warm blankets. We went on a walk around the city, and I began to feel more at ease in my new home.

Second prayer answered - my host mom did indeed like me!

At first, there was a constant emphasis on wanting to know where I was, what I was doing, and what my life in America was like.

I felt overwhelmed with all the questions.

Slowly, I began to understand the underlying curiosity that came from these questions.

I began to see a deepened desire to get to know me, what interested me, and why I was in Armenia to begin with. It brought me to consider how the normalized and pervasive ideals varied from the individualism of the US, yet it showed me how connected and dependent true Armenians were with and on one another.

As a recent college graduate, I was eager to dive into the blossoming social media marketing field. In the beginning few weeks, I took on six different job sites, creating over a hundred Instagram reels, countless Canva posts, easy-to-use websites, and more in both Armenian and English.

I even started making content for Birthright Armenia themselves, working closely with Vanadzor staff members Kara and Adana. This experience allowed me to build a strong resume and refine my skills for my future endeavors in the US.

By the end of my stay, I counted about ten job sites and over 200 hours served.

Being in Vanadzor allowed me to experience the beautiful landscapes and green nature every day. I was continually surrounded by peace and a much-needed restful space. From scenic views to wonderful areas to sit and enjoy it, Vanadzor gave me intentional sacred moments to be alone, journal deep thoughts, and sit still.

There were three relaxing cafes that I spent many hours at: The Boo Cafe, L'Avenue, and Altar Coffee Shop and Book Shop. I would go with friends or alone to work on projects, hang out, or eat wonderful pastries and drink tea or an iced caramel latte with almond milk or the most wonderful hot chocolate in the colder seasons. As the months progressed, even the staff knew me and they always greeted me with kindness.

In my last month and a half, I taught a marketing class to fifteen eager youths at the Vanadzor Technology Center in partnership with Bee Digital Marketing. Teaching in Western Armenian wasn’t easy despite it being my first language growing up. There were moments when I couldn't phrase certain concepts the way I wanted because they knew Eastern Armenian and what I said didn't really make sense to them. I took it slow, and with the help of a very patient assistant, explained in my best Armenian possible.

There was a moment when a student finally connected with a concept and shared her ideas with confidence. It was incredibly rewarding and I found a sense of deep accomplishment. The small breakthroughs throughout the class reminded me why I was there and what it meant to them to have me there. It was truly an honor to share what I knew, and learn from them in return.

After the best four and a half months spent in Vanadzor, I can confidently say that the struggle of feeling too Armenian in America or too American in Armenia never really goes away. The only thing that has changed is that I have become more at peace with it.

The one thing about the Birthright experience is that there will always be something that makes me uncomfortable, but doing it, I experienced an opportunity that shaped and molded me into the person I was meant to be.

So if something is stopping you from doing Birthright, whether it be money or you're too busy, make time, and money will always come back, but this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity won't.

To end, this experience taught me to lean in, be flexible, and embrace what life throws at you. It taught me that it's okay to be uncomfortable and go with the flow. It's okay to take naps on the bus on excursion days, and it's definitely okay to say no to anyone who tries to offer you more food when you're already full.

And as my host mom Anush would say, “You’re not Armenian if you don’t eat lots of bread.” Love you, Birthright, and thank you, Vanadzor, for all that you were.