OPINION

Unexpected rewards and life lessons during a springtime in Armenia

by Olivia Lutz

YEREVAN, Armenia — We Americans aren’t exactly the wandering sort. Only one-third of us have a passport, and a recent survey found that surprisingly high numbers never even leave the state where they were born. So when a local nongovernmental organization and the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism in Ohio offered me the opportunity to go roam earlier this year, I seized it. I was headed for Yerevan, Armenia’s capital and a place I had heard very little about before my plane took off.

Preparing for my two-month stay, I had done a lot of reading and learning about the country’s fascinating and troubled history. I had a decent understanding of its challenges and its culture. What I did not — and could not — anticipate was the bus.

Growing up in a smaller, rural town in Ohio, I rarely encountered public transportation. And as I boarded the bus in Yerevan, I had no dram, the local currency. I had taken the bus while visiting Chicago, and assumed Armenian buses, like those in the Windy City back home, would have card readers, as well.

By the time I realized that wasn’t the case, the bus was already in motion. That was problem No. 1. Problem No. 2 was that I didn’t know a word in Armenian, and was raised by folks who told me to always be respectful but never too happy to engage strangers. But when the bus driver began asking if I was going to pay, I realized I needed some help.

An older man in a cowboy hat sensed my distress, and he asked me if I spoke Spanish. A little, I said, and, before I could object, he handed me a 100-dram coin (worth 20 U.S. cents) to give to the bus driver, and helped me with directions on where to go in Spanish. We spent the rest of the time talking about our lives and our families, about his rock band and his daughters, and about Armenia. By the time I got off, I realized kindness was the standard in Yerevan, and felt inspired and delighted to continue exploring.

Eventually, having learned to navigate Armenian life a bit better — including the contact sport that is trying to cross the street as eager drivers honk at you — I settled down at the American University of Armenia, and was able to continue my skills in video editing and content creation as well as research. And working at the CivilNet news website, I was fortunate enough to see parts of this country and culture not normally accessible to tourists, like the magnificent B’Arev festival, which aims to elevate collective consciousness “through ceremony, wellness, music, art, and immersive workshops.”

I realized that perhaps this optimism is what Armenia does best. It’s a small nation immersed in conflict and still grappling with a dark history of suffering. But talk to anyone in Yerevan, and you’ll hear nothing but unbridled hope for the future, and sincere warmth for anyone who wants to come, spend a few days or a few months, and enjoy the wonderful things the nation has to offer. These days, it’s hard to think of a greater luxury.

Olivia Lutz is a junior at Ohio University studying Media Arts Production in the E. W. Scripps School of Communication with a minor in music and a certificate in social media.