On March 20th it was 6 months since I first came to Yerevan. It’s hard to believe now and even harder to try and remember everything I’ve experienced.
I started off my journey worrying that I would be considered an outsider and immediately and damningly labeled “diasporan.” I was afraid of poorly communicating, thinking differently, looking and dressing differently, and even afraid that my American stomach would not be able to handle the food and water.
Despite my misgivings, I came here with no expectations, and tried not to have any prior beliefs about what it would be like. I think I did a pretty good job. I absorbed the culture with as much of an open mind as I could; I ignored the staring men and women to whom it was obvious that I am “diasporan” and focused on the ones who wanted to teach me and who wanted to learn from me. I’ve met women who don’t wear high heels or makeup every day. Men who wear pink shirts. Men with long hair and women with short hair. People who are proud to serve in the army to protect their homeland. I’ll be fair, I’ve met many more people who DO fit every bad stereotype you’ve ever heard of, but they aren’t the ones whose actions will be driving positive change for the future of Armenia.
All of my coworkers and friends in Armenia have made my experience unforgettable. Not only have I met native Armenians, but diasporans like myself from all over the world, and even a few non-Armenians – Swedes, Danes and Austrians – who like myself, decided that they had something to offer to and something to learn from Armenia. Working at PINK I had the opportunity to attend a youth training on gender and equality, do research and write articles for publication, take part in an AIDS Day march, handing out leaflets that hopefully left some of their readers more aware, and basically just take part in daily Armenian civic activism and participation.
Mostly what I’ve learned is that Armenia is nothing like what I thought it might be like, and in many ways it’s a million times better. It’s a place of opportunity and growth. To leave at the end of June will be profoundly sad, but I know that I’ll be back with more.
Nieri Avanessian
