“Unfortunately, we didn’t really commemorate the Armenian genocide in my family, and we mostly spoke with each other in Russian. When I first came, I barely spoke Armenian; and when I did, I spoke in the Tbilisi dialect. In my family, it was difficult to communicate in Armenian, because everyone around us spoke in a foreign language. We would come home from school, work, and our surroundings would have a strong effect on us. But thankfully, we preserved the customs and traditions, and our food always had an Armenian touch. Another thing I can say about my family is that the way I was brought up and educated was in a very Armenian manner. By ‘Armenian’ I mean the way our girls are taught is different, there is a big gap between Armenian boys and girls, and the behavior is supposed to be different. You can say that the Armenian mentality had a strong presence in my family, which is probably why I never thought of Russian men as, roughly speaking, ‘candidates’ for a husband. I wasn’t even a bit interested in being in a relationship with a Russian man, because I thought it was impossible to have a family with a foreigner.”

“When you stay in a place for a very long time, the influence becomes greater. If I had lived in Russia for 15 years, everyone else had been living there for 25 years. They had changed more than I had, and they were more Russian than they were Armenian. I couldn’t quite understand them. For example, we would have events and we would learn traditional dances: every time music was played we would all dance to it and the atmosphere would be very cozy, but the minute it was over, everyone would go back to being Russian.”

“When you understand that people around you don’t share your views; for example, when you tell people about things that are considered normal for you, they react to it with mockery and it makes us feel isolated. We would always try to break that habit, because, as an independent adult, I don’t like to be told how to live. I wouldn’t want other people’s principles to interfere with the way I live. My dad’s side of the family lives in Georgia, and whenever I brought up the subject of moving away, he’d tell me to visit Georgia first and if I liked it they’d help me move, but Georgia was never my goal. True, it is a beautiful country, but I didn’t like the way people were there. In Armenia, it is very different. People have a better attitude towards the elderly, women, and children. I now have Armenia in my heart.”

“It was very difficult in the beginning. I wanted to study architecture, and when I was taking my mathematics exams, it was a disaster. Not that I’m bad at it, but everything was in Armenian and I couldn’t understand any of the terms that were mentioned, and I couldn’t explain to them clear enough for them to understand me. Thus, I changed my major to design and I do not regret it. You can say that I am quite satisfied with my life. I study and I work, freelance mostly.”

“One of my pet peeves is when people judge each other for their appearance. Thankfully, there aren’t such people in my circle of friends, because I wouldn’t tolerate their behavior. People like to dress differently; they like to find their own sense of fashion, and we shouldn’t be critical about it. We should think outside the box. Another stereotype: Armenian girls are taught to be housewives instead of working women. As I mentioned, my family was like that but it wasn’t as extreme as it is among locals. For example, my father would ask me to make dinner, to help him here and there; but here, they are ordered to do so. They are treated as objects more than they are treated as humans. You can easily ask them to do something instead of commanding.”

“In the end, Armenia is my home. This is where I feel I am myself. I hope the warmth in my country is always there, and will always keep radiating that warmth for everyone.”