noway - your post touched me. There's something identity-confirming about being with your people -- if you have a "people" with similarities to you that mainstream society doesn't have. I want to add that one doesn't even have to like one's "people" -- being with a whole bunch of them together is like being at home -- maybe even a home you never knew you had.I realized that I haven't seen my people in years
I think you're right. I'm sure I've been conditioned to be patriotic towards Armenia but I'm more inclined to be with Armenian people than run around waving an Armenian flag. I feel much better understood in many different ways. Then again I haven't been back in 5 summers and I miss being in the country itself too. Weird stuff I haven't figured out yet, but neat.