Finding Family in Armenia

On my journey to Birthright Armenia, during a layover in Paris, I decided to call my dad to give him an update on my travels. In typical dad fashion, he gave me an important piece of information at nearly the last minute: I have family members to visit in Armenia.

This was news to me, as I thought my whole family was just part of the Armenian Diaspora. Both of my parents were born and raised in Lebanon, and the only family members that I have ever met or heard of are either in Lebanon, Canada, or the United States. I know that my parents both studied in Armenia, but I thought that was the extent of our family’s relationship with our homeland.

I was surprised to learn that my grandfather’s brother moved his family from Lebanon back to Armenia in the 1940s. Along with the opportunity to rebuild Armenia, the promise of a better life - with free housing/land and abundant jobs was a strong motivator for an estimated 100,000 Armenians from the Diaspora to emigrate back to the motherland. Unfortunately, life in the Soviet Union proved to be more difficult than expected, and times were not always so great. Nonetheless, like we always do, Armenians found not only to survive, but to thrive.

Joining Birthright Armenia

Fast-forward about 80 years. The opportunity to contribute to Armenia’s growth and the promise of making new friends, exploring the country, and being more than just a tourist motivated me to join Birthright Armenia. Luckily, our country is independent now, and, as far as I’ve experienced, life here as a volunteer is just as great as I expected.

After meeting my host family, starting career-relevant work at my jobsite, and meeting diasporans from all over the world, I received a call from my cousin Narine. She invited me to spend the day with her family in Kanakeravan. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a warm welcome of hugs, kisses, and way more food than I could possibly consume in one sitting. Throughout the day, I met about 20 blood-related family members whose existence I was unaware of a month prior. Narine showed me pictures of my parents from the 80s, when my brother was a newborn as well as of our grandfathers from the 40s. My cousins gave me advice on where to shop, eat, and which gyms to sign up at.

At the end of the day, I learned that along with the built-in circle of friends and support that Birthright offers, I have a ton of new relatives that will now be part of my life forever. More importantly, I learned that the decision to move to Armenia, even before I arrived, is full of surprises.