Reflections by Jack Dedekian

When my father first offered to send me to Armenia, I was extremely exited. He always stressed to me that I needed to be proud of being Armenian but I never quite knew why. I had a lot of ideas about what it would be like to be in my home country. Once I got here I quickly realized that I underestimated everything. The first thing I noticed was the smell. The air is so clean in this country, I felt like I can breathe for the first time. When we arrived at our house and was able to really sit down and get to know the people we were on this pilgrimage with I was surprised. Everyone was more or less here for the same reason I was. I came here for a new perspective like everyone else but we all got something more I think. In my time here I have found new faith, family, friends, and perspective. My experiences here cannot compare to anything I’ve ever experienced my entire life. The people here have a sense of community that you cannot find or match anywhere else in the world. The food here is almost indescribable. The service projects gave me a sense of fulfillment and pride in my people and country that I did not know I could have.