History
Tales from Trebizond
Continuing the search for authenticity, truth and the origins of the world, I had to stop and study Trebizond. Trebizond comes from the word ‘Trapezous’, which in Greek means table – the table of abundance, […]
Travel
Travel
First Impressions: Part V
This is a continuation of a six-part series about Ruth’s travels to Armenia in 2019. “Why don’t I wake up every morning in Yerevan feeling depressed or discouraged like I do when I am at […]
Travel
First Impressions Part IV
Orphanages and centers for the arts abound in Armenia. Passing down the traditions of the Armenian people and learning them is of utmost importance. As I watched gifts being distributed to the children, I was […]
Music
Discovering Armenia through Song
I first met Alin Demirdjian in a shared taxi bound for Gyumri. There was something about her that looked familiar to me – I was sure I’d seen those striking curls flash across my Facebook […]
Travel
First Impressions: Part III
My radar was up and running as I spent my days actively listening and looking for people who had the same last name as I do. Even before marriage was in my mind, I always […]
Travel
A Quest for Authenticity, Truth and the Origins of the World
Taking advantage of an unexpected interval between jobs, I decided to fulfill a dream and explore a rather remote part of the world where one of the most ancient still-surviving cultures was born and continues […]
Travel
First Impressions: Part II
If you read my first installment of my first-time impressions of Armenia in 2019, you will recall that I was in tears. A part of me felt like I had gone home. From Vanadzor, I […]
Travel
Inside Armenia’s Up-and-Coming Wine Industry
“In ten years, Armenia will be a totally different winemaking region, and have its own niche in the global wine market,” says Aimee Keushguerian, as we sip red wine, rich with the earthy flavors of […]
Travel
Travel
The Name of This Place
The Opening Over the course of ten months in 2014-2015, I traveled to Turkey three times. I went to reconnect with the land where my grandparents had been born and the places they had fled—my […]