The enormous heart in Armenia’s woods

“Just go,” I urged myself.

It was not yet 6, and I had work to do before my presentations today at the Central and Eastern European Wikimedia conference in Armenia. And I didn’t even know if there was a trail in the forest. There was.

But — look out! — along the sides of it were jars set up on stumps, a homemade alarm system, I thought. This is the kind of warning sign that can get you shot if you ignore it. I ignored it.

Ahead on the trail, What is that? It was a heart, five meters high: A place to get married in the woods. I stood there and watched the sun rise through it.

The people at this conference love Wikipedia unconditionally. Free knowledge means so much when it is a relatively recent part of your country.

They have invited me, befriended me, showed me around, will sit and listen to me in a few hours.

I took this picture and walked back down the trail. Looking in the jars that alarmed me, I saw small white candles, guides through the dark to Armenia’s enormous heart through which shines a light of truth and love. #WMCEE2016