Bridge the Gap

"To be or not to be? That is the question!" says Henry, passionately, as he so beautifully gives the first toast at the dinner table. It was one of the very few phrases he knew in English. And ironically, he would say it with more emotion than any US native I have ever heard. His white hair and wrinkles made him inherently wise. He'd raise both arms in the air when he said it, even though one was heavily injured from the war. But why was he saying this? I wasn't quite sure because the rest of his toast was a hybrid of Russian with Armenian; but I figured it was because he wanted to speak some English simply to relate with us, and also make us giggle (in which he was successful). And it wasn't until tonight, 2 weeks later, that I realized how wrong I was in thinking that.

Hello everyone!

So, this is my first time blogging, but second time in Armenia. Anyway, last year I attended this same pilgrimage yet my experiences have been very different. We have been touring most of the same churches and some new ones and it strikes me that I have both the same and different feelings when visiting. About a week ago we visited my favorite church of all, Sanahin. I remembered the ways the trees looked during twilight and the feeling I got when touching the century old stone. But a I don't remember feeling so comfortable.

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.

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.