My friend (who is originally from here) is visiting Yerevan after not being here for nine years. We went for a walk the other day and he took me through the backstreets of the city and talked about his childhood and his memories. It was beautiful to see the love for a city as strong as the love that Yerevantsis have for this Vardagouyn Hrashk.

It reminded me of a dear friend from UCLA. Originally from Armenia he had been away for years in Los Angeles. We were sitting in our Modern Armenian Film class and we were talking about my upcoming trip to Armenia. I asked him what he wanted me to bring back. He wrote me a beautiful not. He asked me to go to his village (Toumanian�s Village) and bring back a little water, a little dirt, a stone. The yearning for Armenia was so strong in him that it left an impression I cannot get out of my mind. Being Diasporan is difficult. It has both blessings and curses and as I watched my friends eyes light up as we passed his old �Boxi Hayat� I knew that both were joining together to form someone who knew where they came from and how fortunate they were for that.

I have fallen in love with this place. For the past five years of coming and going I have managed to make this city my own and am extremely attached to it. I feel for those who have known Yerevan but cannot be a part of its glorious and ancient setting. This entry is for all of you Yerevantsis abroad who dream of Monument and Karapee leej still. Yerevan awaits you.