To be honest, this trip has left me torn inside. Although I bleed the blood of an Armenian, I was born and raised as an American. Throughout my life, it has been difficult for me  to find a balance between the two. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one of my kind, and that God has blessed with a special gift, but cannot seem to find someone to give it to.

Fortunately, this trip has helped me "bridge the gap" inside my soul.

We have been in Hayastan for over a week and all i can say is i can't believe how fast time is flying by. With only a little over a week to go, we still have so much to see and do and it is so exciting! There are two things that have really opened my eyes while on this pilgrimage. One of them is the gratitude i have towards my parents for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip. Walking down the streets of Yerevan and seeing homeless people beg for money or food, or simply asking if we can buy pumpkin seeds to support them is very overwhelming.

When I first signed up for this trip, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know anyone going on CMYA 2008 and I was scared of leaving my family and friends for such a long period. Once we landed in Armenia I knew that the choice I made was right. Hayastan is everything I hoped for and more. Walking out of the airplane and seeing everything written in Armenian made me realize that this was truly going to be the time of my life! Everyone attending CYMA was so nice and welcoming, which made it very easy for us to become a close family in less than a week.