Looking Up

Today we were in Javakhk. Javakhk has the types of majestic mountains I always fantasize about when I think of my dream place. It felt like a calm environment where the stresses back in LA felt far away-almost forgettable- and there were no deadlines to abide by. This is the type of place I would lay down and look up to the sky-its cathartic feeling as I am part of the earth.

While driving by Parvana Lake, our van felt like it was going to tilt into the lake. The guys had no problem scaring us by shaking the van towards the water- a scary, but hilarious experience. Our van eventually did get stuck in the lake and we had to do an emergency evacuation through the window. Simple moments like this left me with valuable and hilarious memories.

At our Jampar in Gyumri, as I was pouring juice to serve to the kids during lunch, I realized how far I have come away from my usual mundane, dull tasks. If you had asked me several months ago what I would be doing during summer, I probably would have thought of school, work, travel with family, or my usual hang out spots. I knew I was interested in Youth Corps and its purpose, but for some reason I didn’t think of the types of interactions I would have with the kids.

Later, that feeling hit me again when I was standing in front of my entire group instructing them during song practice in class. I knew that I would be instructing a class, but I never really imagined the setting. At times when all ears were on me, I felt responsible over the kids and their success. I have no desire to become a teacher, but I do have a passion to one day be a reliable leader my peers and future generations can look up to.

From Gyumri,
Angela Kechukyan