(July 30, 2025)—Yesterday was our goodbye party, and the last time I will see some of the people here. As I am writing this, lying in my bed with my stuff halfway to being packed, I am so glad I had this opportunity. Just a few minutes ago, we helped load my friend’s car and sent her off at the crack of dawn. It’s bittersweet, but helps me appreciate the connections I made here.
Being out in the field, catching snakes, lizards, and tarantulas in between surveying archaeological sites, I believe put me on the right track. Being an archaeologist has been the answer to “what do you wanna be when you grow up” since I was five, and finally doing the real work after studying it for two years has really cemented my passion. Although I did not initially want to work in the Southwest, after seeing the room blocks out in the middle of a forest or the potsherds laying in pieces across the landscape, I have found a deeper appreciation for American archaeology.
One of our instructors, Allen Denoyer, was in charge of the experimental activities, which I enjoyed the most. Getting my hands dirty and spending time and effort to make something completely from scratch is incredible. I believe that you cannot understand the culture you are studying without taking part in some activities and “living in their shoes” to the extent you can. In my eyes, experimental archaeology is more important than studying and reading articles. You can study as much as you want, but not until you get out there and take part do you truly begin to understand.
Reminiscing over the past six weeks has made me sad to go home. At first I couldn’t wait and was counting down the days due to home sickness—this is the longest I have ever been away from my family—but now that I know today is packing day and tomorrow is the send-off makes me wish I had appreciated my experiences in the moment as much as I do right now.
Now, I plan on transferring to Northern Arizona University to finish my BA, and then volunteer in Armenia at whatever archaeology-esque thing I can get my hands on. In the future, I will work for a Doctorate and hopefully work in Middle Eastern Archaeology. Now that I have a little bit of experience, these goals don’t seem as far away as they used to.