To-Do in Հայաստան

Participating in AYF Youth Corps has always been on my To-Do List. I’ve wanted to participate in this program ever since I was introduced to it as a Badanee. Following Youth Corps, I’ll be staying in Armenia for an additional five weeks to become a Birthright Armenia participant, as well.

Thus, in less than two weeks, I’ll be embarking on the journey of a lifetime. While I’ve been to Armenia once before, I know that this trip will be entirely different. For starters, I’ll be there for longer than two weeks, doing so much more than sightseeing and touring. I have so much to look forward to and I can’t help but be overtaken with excitement. There’s so much I want to do and experience while living and working in Armenia, and what better way to organize those aspirations than with an Armenia To-Do list  as my first Youth Corps blog. Of course, I know that the adventures that wait in Armenia are going to exceed this list, greatly.

Here we go:

1. Learn to make Sarma (called Dolma in Armenia). Maybe I’ll even be able to pick the grape leaves myself!

2. Have the kids I work with in Armenia and Artsakh teach me how to juggle a soccer ball.

3. Sing a couple of lines from my favorite Sayat Nova song on Sayat Nova St.

4. Make Ճինկալով Հաց in Artsakh.

5. Շուրջպար with my group around the «Ազատ Արցախը Ողջունում է Ձեզ» sign at the entrance of Karabakh.

6. Coordinate an Armenian dance with a group of ճահել kids.

7. Ամէն առիթ օգտագոծել Հայերէն երգելու:

8. Have a memorable experience celebrating Armenia’s second independence on September 21.

9. Dance to a live Dhol and Zurna entourage.

10. Become a family with the other Youth Corps participants.

11. Write a Youth Corps blog entirely in Armenian.

12. Make very second in Armenia matter; the smallest effort and contribution is going to make a huge impact.

13. Visit Areni winery.

14. Witness a wedding.

15. Discover, and fall in love with hidden gems of Armenia and Artsakh that often go unnoticed or unappreciated.

16. To not be a tourist.

17. Learn Artsakh’s national anthem.

18. Have an incredible experience watching the World Cup championship match.

19. Climb a tree. (I’ve never climbed a tree before.)

20. Go hiking in Artsakh.

21. Learn to skip rocks at Parvana Lij in Javakhk.

22. Contribute to Armenia’s development and prosperity through my volunteer work with AYF Youth Corps and the internship I take part in with Birthright Armenia.

23. Survive Vartivar.

24. Try to buy a jazve from Jazve Cafe.

25. Return with stories about life in Armenia and inspire more diasporans to live and experience Armenia the following summer.

26. Lorke wherever, whenever possible.

27. Be fearless, be independent, open-hearted, and open-minded.

28. See Henrikh Mkhitaryan

29. Ամէն առիթ օգտագոծել Հայերէն խօսելու:

30. Have the most remarkable, adventurous, inspirational, educational, and unforgettable, summer

Throughout my time in Armenia, I’ll be consistently writing blogs and I hope that in each one of those blogs I’ll be able to tell an incredible story about an extraordinary experience I had, on my own and with the group. In time, I’ll be gladly crossing off things from my Armenia To-Do List.

Until Հայաստան,
Carla