When I first arrived in Armenia just over three years ago, I wasn’t familiar with the Armenian genocide. To be honest, I’m not sure I had ever even heard those words together. I was enamored with my Western Civilization class in high school but we got so far behind that we probably covered all of […]
Remembering the Armenian Genocide Read More »
When an earthquake strikes, it can garner a lot of attention in the days and weeks that follow. I can clearly remember being glued to my television set watching the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan a couple years ago and the tsunami that followed. But what happens in the years that follow the earthquake?
Gyumri: Two Decades After the Earthquake Read More »
On a Saturday afternoon in mid-October, I nervously sat down on a black leather chair in a hair salon on the outskirts of Moscow and held my breath. I had been on the road for nearly two months and I was feeling like an ugly duckling in the fashion conscious capital of Russia. When my
The Great Haircut Smackdown: USA vs. the World Read More »
My first impression of travel in the Caucasus region was a good one, arriving in sunny Batumi, Georgia to a warm welcome from the immigration officers. One night later, I was on an overnight train, sharing a couple of bottles of cognac with three new Georgian friends. It was just a taste of what was
Travel in the Caucasus: Comparing Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan Read More »
Ah, Armenia. So many ups. So many downs. So many great memories and a few bittersweet ones as well. I have said before that my time in Armenia wasn’t so much about the country itself as it was about the people I met and the lessons I learned. Nonetheless, certain things definitely stand out to
Five Favorite Things in Armenia Read More »
There is something incredibly comfortable about returning to a place for a second (or third or fourth) time. You know how to get around, you know where to go, and you know how things work. Things are so easy compared to arriving in a strange city for the first time. This was certainly
Envoy Hostel is the oldest and most well-known hostel in Yerevan, Armenia. With such a reputation, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would actually live up to the hype. I’m happy to report it did – and then some. Envoy was probably the best hostel I have stayed at during my travels through
Yerevan’s Envoy Hostel: Living Up to the Hype Read More »
“The movement, migration or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland; people settled far from their ancestral homelands.” This is one of the definitions of the word “diaspora” – a word which I was not very familiar before arriving in Armenia in early March to volunteer with the Armenian Volunteer Corps
Birthright Armenia: More Than Just a Volunteer Experience Read More »
Tears welled in my eyes as I walked across the bridge leading to Georgia, an exit stamp from Armenia fresh in my passport. For the first time in over seven months on the road, I felt truly sad to leave a place. It is hard to describe my time in Armenia because, in the
Life Lessons in Armenia Read More »
(Note: This is Part 2 of 2 about my weekend excursion to the southern part of Armenia with my fellow AVC/Birthright Armenia volunteers. Check out Part 1: Exploring Southern Armenia: Tatev & Tandzatap) We awoke with the sun the next morning and after a breakfast of eggs and tea, Allegra and I went for a
Exploring Southern Armenia: Vorotan Gorge and Goris Read More »
