Fifteen months ago, I landed in a tiny village that I could have pulled out of a Peace Corps Armenia post card if there was such a thing. I feel like I fit in as seamlessly as possible within my village.

One thing that many Volunteers notice in Armenia is the differences between the American and Armenian definitions of “rude” and “polite.”

The 2 years I spent living in an Armenian village has provided me with so much more than simply a broader cultural understanding and some language skills. 

Celebrating 25 Years of Service in Armenia

I have a view of Mount Ararat from my bedroom near Artashat in Armenia. The mountain, the national icon of Armenia, is now in territory claimed by Turkey, but the people here still consider it their own.