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Hidden Road Initiative

News & Blog

Find out what's new at HRI and read what our volunteers have to say about their adventures in Armenia! 

Day nine - HRI CAMP 2016

7/6/2016

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Contributor: Kathryn Dermenjyan
After an amazing weekend spent relaxing, keffing, and exploring the indescribable beauty that is Tatev, we jumped into week 2 of HRI camp with little to no time for preparation.
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Despite this, the day went smoothly—almost too smoothly for a Monday. The nervousness and newness of the first week—referred to by Pato (Patrick) as ‘one giant icebreaker’—was over, and coming back to the village felt like a homecoming. The flow of the camp schedule, the names of the children, all the details of village life came naturally; it felt like we had lived in Shvanidzor and known these people for years.     
              
We had lessons in the morning, Vartavar: Day 2 in the afternoon, and an American Independence Day celebration in the evening. We essentially spent all day with these wonderful children, and although some of my colleagues are probably doing the smart thing by not getting attached to them, I feel like all 60-some of them are my brothers and sisters.          

It’s going to be very hard to leave Shvanidzor not because the bathroom amenities are so comfortable (sarcasm); not because we’ve finally gotten good at swatting flies and dodging bugs and we’re not going to have as much use for that skill anymore; not because the food here has exponentially more taste units than food in the States; not even because of the amazing pomegranate wine you can only find here. It is going to be hard to leave this village because of the love and respect that has surrounded us since we got here. Armenians are known for their hospitality, but the people of Shvanidzor are not just hospitable; they love us. They shower us with attention and care and brotherhood. They don’t begrudge us room in their homes or food on their table. They trust us with their children, they are interested in what we have to offer, and they welcome us back to our ancient motherland with open hearts.    
       
They love us, and we love them. Our nightly reflection tonight revealed that we are all already anticipating how strange it is going to be to wake up next week and go about our ‘normal lives’.
 
We technically only have two more days here, but we know we can always come back to the home we’ve found in Shvanidzor. 
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission and Impact
    • Team Members
    • Chapters >
      • UC Berkeley
      • UC Los Angeles
      • UC San Diego
      • CSU Northridge
      • AGBU MDS
    • History
  • Summer Camps
    • Summer 2022
    • Summer 2021
    • Summer 2020
    • Summer 2019
    • Summer 2018
    • Summer 2017
    • Summer 2016
    • SUMMER 2015
    • Summer 2014
    • Summer 2013
    • Summer 2011
  • Projects
    • Henry Keledjian Service Program
    • Project Hope (Artsakh)
    • English Tutoring Program
    • Virtual Learning Resources
    • Holiday Backpacks for Artsakh
    • Jrashen Kindergarten
    • School Renovations
    • Tsaghkaber Kindergarten
    • UCLA Toy Drive
    • Heaters & Stoves
    • Computer Classes
    • Sturdy Shoes
    • Winter Coats
  • SCHOLARSHIPS
    • 2022-2023 Scholars
    • 2021-2022 Scholars
    • 2020-2021 Scholars
    • 2019-2020 Scholars
    • 2018-2019 Scholars
    • 2017-2018 Scholars
    • 2016-2017 Scholars
  • News & Blog
  • Donate
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