(July 29, 2025)—Before coming to this field school with Archeology Southwest, I had never really gotten to experience the outdoors. I love my life in Chicago, but I had gotten so used to the city that it was a big change to experience the landscapes New Mexico has to offer. Although I enjoy going to parks and other outdoor ‘attractions’ in Chicago, nothing will ever compare to the experiences this field school has given me.
The program has introduced me to hiking and camping, things I was always a bit hesitant to try back home. Of course, I was a bit nervous at the beginning, knowing I hadn’t built the required stamina to actually enjoy a long hike, especially in this new kind of heat. Though I was nervous, I tried to maintain a positive attitude, knowing that there’s an uncomfortable first for everything and that I shouldn’t have an opinion on something I had never tried before.
So, after a few exhausting hikes, I realized that the view was always worth the effort. The hardest hike of our Chaco trip ended up being my favorite, sliding through cracks between giant boulders as we climbed up a cliff face over Pueblo Bonito. After my first restless night of camping, I found that I loved seeing the constellations as I dozed off and waking up to the cold morning.
Along with learning to be more comfortable outdoors, I’ve also been learning what real archaeology looks like, and I keep falling in love with the subject.
Experimental archaeology was something I looked forward to before field school began, and it met all my expectations. Waking up before sunrise, walking long distances in search of obsidian, then using those same materials to strike flakes and shape projectile points—it was all incredibly rewarding.
Survey work has also been fascinating. Finding artifacts just resting on the ground will always blow me away. Seeing those pieces lying there makes me imagine the people who once lived here and how their objects ended up right under my feet. I catch myself wondering: How many people have picked this up before me? What did they use it for? What did it mean to them? It’s also been so amazing just to visit the incredible landscapes we surveyed.
I often ask myself similar questions during our museum work, when we’re rehousing materials from past excavations and sorting through bags of artifacts. The sheer volume of material is overwhelming in the best way. Every object feels like a window into the past, and the fact that we get to help preserve these materials makes me feel even more connected to the work, the landscape, and the culture.
Even though I anticipate my return to the Windy City, I will always treasure my experience at this field school. Not only did it teach me how to be outdoors, but it also showed me what real archaeology looks like, and it confirmed for me that I want to pursue this path. Now I know I can do the work, that I love the work, and that I’ll never get tired of being outside.