Something is Beating and It is not my Heart: Discovering Armenia

Three years ago I started to get involved in the Armenian Community of my hometown in Córdoba, Argentina. The more I immersed myself in Armenian-related activities, the more one question kept going through my mind: what really is Armenia? How is it possible that this tiny country, before I was even born, tells a story and provides an identity?

It was on a May morning, in front of my neighborhood square, when Ignacio Jan Analián described to me his experience with Birthright Armenia and what the program entailed. Then something clicked. There was no doubt in my mind: this was my opportunity to connect with the country my great-grandparents were from, the country that gives me a distinct and unique surname, and leads me to reflect on my heritage every day.

The arrival: continuing to meet your family

After traveling over 14,000 kilometers and witnessing the first scenes with my own eyes, I began to realize several things. For starters, I would soon be sharing daily life with a completely new family, and I wondered what the dynamic between us would be like. Naturally, fears about possible differences came. However, from the moment I arrived, Bella, my "host mother" and her entire family welcomed me warmly, preparing food for me and guiding me through my first steps in the city (e.g. teaching me how to use the subway). With a translator in hand, I was encouraged to have my first conversations and we started to get to know each other better. To this day, I enjoy coming home and sharing the day's experiences, as well as exploring stories about music, food, festivities, and any questions that may arise. For example, when talking about fruits, I mentioned that in Argentina pomegranates are not very common. At the next dinner, my hostess had procured one for us to try together. This constant interaction and the curiosity generated daily are the keys to opening the doors of this country and discovering its depth.

Volunteering: the opportunity to do new and different things

I enjoy having a dynamic routine which explains why I have four workplaces. In Rerooted, an NGO that works to preserve the Armenian memory and identity, I collaborate by developing strategies and content for social media, as well as doing transcriptions and interviews in Spanish that contribute to enlarge the important archive they have.

In Birthright Armenia, with the marketing team, we work together in finding innovative ways to create content and strategies in order to reach younger people of the diaspora and motivate them to participate in this incredible program.

Meanwhile, in HIKEArmenia I came up with a plan to disseminate the organization’s application, in addition to collaborating on trails’ maintenance. I must confess that here the desire to learn and discover the immensity of nature -and life- that this incredible country has to offer is extraordinary.

Finally, I started working in the kitchen of Hagop&Café because I am eager to learn how to cook the typical Armenian dishes we enjoy with my family and friends back in Argentina.

All these are part of the answers that brought me here: to learn and to contribute to Armenia.

To live in Armenia, to live with a commitment

I encourage all Diaspora Armenians to take full advantage of what the Birthright program offers. They take it upon themselves to accompany us on this journey of "self-discovery" as their slogan states.

In just two months, we explored various corners of the country, visited monasteries hidden in the mountains, listened to leading experts, met companies and NGOs sharing their successes and challenges, learned traditional dances and songs, and I personally immersed myself in the lively and cultural nightlife. Don't concern yourself with the language barrier: the program offers free Armenian classes and, like everything in life, you get better as time goes by, and before you realize, you're on your way.

It doesn’t matter how close or far away you feel from your roots, or if you have time constraints, there are many ways to participate in the program. Just keep in mind that being in Armenia is the only way to be able to answer the "where do we come from" question, and thus be able to draw more clearly the "where are we going" question. We all have something to share. We all need to take revenge for the tragic past that marks our heritage as a Diaspora.

A real stick, you see: after all, the only way to produce real change is by being here, in Armenia. Todo un palo, ya lo ves. 

Phrase from song “Todo un palo - Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota”.