This is not the end of Birthright, it is the beginning of a new journey

After four months spent in Armenia, I can truly say that I feel more attached to the country of my roots.

I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to spend my time here, being a volunteer for Birthright and not just a tourist.

I have learnt a lot during these past months from my volunteering jobsite, excursions, forums and havaks.

It was always such a pleasure to meet other Armenians from the diaspora and also local Armenians, it made me realise that Armenians are undoubtedly everywhere in the world, we left our mark on every continent.

One of the best souvenirs I will keep from Armenia are the traditional dances. I always loved Armenian folk music and I enjoyed watching Armenian traditional dances on TV during New Year’s Eve, however I have never danced them myself, except one variation of kochari during weddings. Taking the dance classes with Larisa, dancing during excursions and in Cascade were genuinely incredible for me. We were all connected without really knowing each other, no words were needed at those seconds, we were just dancing and enjoying the moments.

What I also loved about being a Birthright participant, was meeting other Armenians instantly. I somehow felt immediately connected to the people and there was no need to explain what and where is Armenia, as we would do in our countries. I noticed that we all shared the same stories, we had identical opinions and we went through similar situations even if we lived in different countries.

Therefore I would like to thank all the Birthright team and its participants for making possible for us to reconnect with Armenia and live amazing moments. The organisation and the communication were always clear, the Birthright team always in a good mood, with smiles and "jans" at the end of every sentence.