I decided to start my year long travel from Armenia my fatherland. The main reason for my visit this time was the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide. I arrived in Armenia April 21,2015. My experience was a great one. The country has grown so much since my last visit five years ago.

I met with two of my first cousins whom I had not seen for 18 years. I also met some friends whom I had not seen for over 20 years. This trip was very eye opening for me. It is amazing how we can conclude on how others think about us purely based on our own imagination. The atmosphere was welcoming yet very familiar one. Although I hadn’t seen many of my friends for years it felt like we were never apart.

Although I have never lived in Armenia in my entire life it feels like home for me. One other interesting emotional discovery for me was that I relate places with memories of people.

I stayed in Yerevan for the duration of my visit. Yerevan is the capital of Armenia. It is one of the oldest cities of the world. In fact it is the only city that is older than Rome. Yerevan is a combination of new and old, traditional and modern. It is a great place to visit. People are so laid back and relaxed. It seems like stress has forgotten to visit this side of the world. There are many historic places to visit. Sidewalk cafes are always filled with tourists and locals. The city center is not very big. It is very pleasant to walk around and see the city. If you travel to other cities or villages you can still see the effects of communism. It takes such a long time for a society to forget the old habits and get on with the new. I noticed the same behavior in Georgia too.

People in Armenia are very friendly. The respect and honor their guests like no other that I have seen. They also love children and they show their affection everywhere even in the streets.

Woman care about their appearance a lot in Armenia, specially the new generation. I can honestly say I haven’t seen a woman in casual attire. In the last few years woman have been contributing to the society much more than before. Children in Armenia are always clean, well groomed and well dressed no matter how poor the family is they make sure that their children have the best care possible.

I stayed in Armenia for about a week. I attended every ceremony dedicated to the Genocide. I can honestly say I enjoyed every single one of them. This trip was a great opportunity for me to reconnect with my past, my family and my friends.

My next stop Jordan!