Ask me in a few years what being in Armenia did for me. I have a feeling that even in that amount of time, I will still have not fully understood how this summer affected me. It’s the kind of smile that starts at one corner of your mouth and spreads slowly to the other side. It’s the uncertainty of which story to tell. The excuses I now have to go to Montreal, New York, Detroit, Moscow, London, Buenos Aires, simply because I know someone there.
Imagine being systematically pulled apart and inspected. All of the pieces of you dutifully and individually pushed to their limits. At home, it feels like different parts of me are being challenged at the same time. In Armenia, it was different. Like each day was the day a different part of me was going to be put to the test. And I did feel tested, because at the end of the day I would have a good nights sleep. Strange how those nights only come after a tough day. I can’t tell you if I passed the test or not.
At this point however, my cup overflows with stories and memories and connections. When I was in high school, my world was limited to my city. When I got college, my world became the state. I travelled more and felt a new sense of freedom. After only two years in college, and a trip to Armenia, my world now has no limits. I am discovering its waterfronts and its mountain tops. Remote is now just a plane ride and a hike away. Familiar places aren’t just city streets of Fresno, California. Someone has taken a crowbar to open the eyes of my mind and what was inside is a hunger. It is this insatiable thing that will never be satisfied. I am ok with that, in fact, it excites me.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Armenia has given much to me. I can only wait for the day, I am able to give back, with interest.
