Coming Back

Back home on the Acropolis

Coming from a small (very small) town in Missouri, I never would have expected to travel to Turkey, much less for a second time.  Last year’s experience can be summed up in one word “unreal.” I had finally done it, for I had traveled for the first time on my own without my parents to go do a job in a foreign country that had been my dream since I first saw “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” I did it. I put in my time, earned some scars, learned some things, and was offered a chance to return to the dirt.  Now I am a TA, and things are different now. Documentation is the name of the game, but it’s a game that’s oddly relaxing and surprisingly rewarding.  Now is the time where I learn the “science” behind archaeology, but I could not be more excited to measure trenches, take daily elevations, and do…math.  I can now tell the difference between rocks by how they sound (what have I become!). Now I do more than dig and learn; now I dig, learn, record, teach, and repeat. Something has changed, but I think that thing has to do with something more than just my new position and “mathy” responsibilities.  I feel like I’m doing something more this time around.  It has only been two days of work with the newcomers, but I have already felt like I have left a mark, or maybe it’s the other way around.  This time, I have made some friends. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and crossed the language barrier in hopes of adding something to what I lacked last year.  My two roommates are Turks, and I couldn’t be more blessed to have them as friends for life.  Not only have I made some friends, but I now have the opportunity to teach old friends.  This chance to spread my knowledge of archaeology (and I admit that I have alot to learn) to others is indescribably awesome, and to see others excited about learning some new things makes me feel like I made the right choice in coming back.  This chance to work alongside a professor and my old TA, who both respect my opinions, is an honor.  New responsibilities bring new challenges, but with the group of archaeologists we have this year, I see very few challenges ahead of us.  Even though the newcomers have worked only two days, I can see that heavy lifting, picking, shoveling, and pottery cleaning is all they ever wanted to do.  Everyone here wants to be here, and I could not be more happy to be in the position to give these awesome students what they want: a chance to do some actual archaeology.  I don’t know what has changed to make this year so great right off the bat; maybe it’s the amazing Turkish students who share our passion and excitement to learn new things and construct lasting relationships, or maybe it’s the unforgettable time spent with my team as we went roadtripping to Santa Claus’s hometown (Myra) in the southern reaches of Turkey, or maybe it’s the late night discussions, stories, and laughs with our professor who sees us as young intellectuals, not as workhands.  All I know is that something has changed this time around, and I cannot help but think that it will only get better.  To all of the parents out there, we have a great group here, and I am honored to be working with them this season.