Rita Manoukian's blog

As I sit in the airport waiting for my plane

1,000 thoughts and emotions formulate in my brain.

These past two weeks impacted my life so deep

The utter thought of leaving just makes me weep.

How do I thank this country that stole my heart?

I have so much to say that I don't know where to start.

How can I let you into my soul?

Make you feel what I feel about not letting go?

Words are merely not the way...

to portray to you how I live my life from day to day

Because there no longer is a Here and Thereafter

My fingers shake as I play the System of a Down CD for the fiftieth time today...a constant reminder of 2005 when I first landed my feet in Armenia. It has been two years since then...and I have been counting down the days till my next arrival. My plane leaves in about 6 hours and words cannot express what is going through my mind. I haven't been able to sleep for a week and because of that I got sick. When I went to work on Monday my boss asked me to go get lunch and I completely got every single order WRONG. My boss yelled at me, "Rita!!!!

What do I say when there's nothing left but a memory? A memory of the best expierence of my life. Where everytime I sleep, let alone close my eyes, all I can see is this beautiful country. A country which is a part of me and my past and of my history.

Poem by: Rita Manoukian

Don't tell me we have no where left to go
Don't say that this land has nothing more to show

Don't forget about the kids with the big brown eyes
Don't forget about the old lady selling seeds who just cries and cries

Just remember this land, so beautiful, so great
With a passionate love, but a history with hate

Stories and stories of battles lost but wars won
Don't forget that this land is Armenia, the only one

RITA HERE: So basically its Saturday, and we have been in Armenia for 5 days. These five days have probably been the best experience in my lifetime, and there is still 3 weeks left to go!! Everyone is so friendly here, and everything is so cheap! yes. Today we went to Vernisage (open market). MAJOR SHOPPING. Besides the cheap necklaces that have been purchased, very cheap dinners have too. Not only is the food cheap, its probably the best food ive ever had- and the apricots, wow amazingggggg...seriously i cant describe how amazingly awesome everything has been.