But this IS your home

Բայց սա քո տունն է

“But this IS your home”

In my interview, Sevan asked why I wanted to join Birthright…

If history had unravelled differently, I might have been born and raised in Armenia. And I wanted a taste of that.


Instead, I grew up in Sydney, Australia.

“I love it there—it’s home. I don’t see myself ever leaving”

“You wouldn’t want to live outside of Australia?” He repeated.

“No”

But I knew what he was really asking is… What about Armenia?

Locals often smiled when I said I’d be returning home in four weeks.


“Բայց սա քո տունն է,” they’d reply. “But this IS your home”.

And, they were right.

During my time in Armenia, I immersed myself in the rhythm of everyday life.

Learning the language more intimately, dancing to familiar beats that felt ancient and alive, tasting food that carried memory, and surrounding myself with Armenians from all walks of life.

Together we explored Armenia, shared meals, had great conversations, and fell in love with the country.

I had the privilege of learning alongside radiologists and technicians in the medical imaging department at AAWC.

I’ll never forget exchanging languages; they taught me anatomical terms in Armenian in exchange for Aussie slang.

But more than skills, they showed me how Armenians care for Armenians, with tenderness, pride, and soul.

The most powerful part? Working alongside those displaced from Artsakh. They reminded me that in hardship, there is healing.

Some of my favourite memories in Armenia include dancing in Yerevan’s outdoor gatherings- simple nights filled with music and strangers.

Volunteering at Fund for Armenia Relief was also unforgettable; the kids were full of energy and spoke much better Armenian than me.

And waking up in Tandzatap, a village of fewer than 40 people, where I was reminded that kindness doesn’t need translation.

Everything I experienced in Armenia made me feel homesick for a place I wasn’t even raised in.

I reconnected with my culture in a way that went beyond dancing at weddings and eating traditional meals.

And I did it all with a group of strangers who soon felt like family.

Now, if Sevan were to ask me that same question, my answer wouldn’t be so certain.

Because Armenia didn’t just welcome me.


It reminded me who I am.

It brought me home.