When I first conceived this blog as a means of escape during the pandemic, I dreamed of posting about luxurious beaches and the world's most revered cultural institutions. Not knowing much about Armenia, I reached out to one of my dearest girlfriends who is Armenian to get a few suggestions about places to "go" this weekend. She mentioned Lake Sevan and the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, but tonight I was drawn to her recommendation of the Armenian Genocide Memorial.
The video clip above captures the stories of two centenarian Armenians who lived through the genocide. Before tonight, I knew very little about this tragedy in which over a million and a half people died. But in listening to these two people's stories, I imagined that these two soulful people were just like my grandparents, who lived through the crime and devastation of World War II in Poland.
Sometimes travel is not about escaping to a fantasy world. Sometimes it is about educating, confronting, becoming vulnerable to sadness. History and reality can transform your soul in such a penetrating way and I am grateful to my friend for granting me such a good lesson.
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