There are a cluster of various moments from this internship which I will easily be able to recall in future years. All are associated with positive feelings mixed with some exhaustion, as well as a strong sense of accomplishment and growth. For me, this trip concludes a seven-month-long study and living abroad hiatus I embarked upon last December. Let’s just say I’m very glad to have an additional few weeks to process everything before jumping back into fall semester because a lot can (and certainly did) happen in seven months.
Among this cluster, I will most certainly remember the feeling of crouching low to the ground, eyes scanning, sweat dripping, sunscreen making me a magnet for all the dirt in the vicinity, airborne and otherwise.
I will remember the calluses quickly forming on my right hand as I used my trowel and a pick ax to evenly peel off layer upon layer of soil … and then I’ll remember how difficult it is to do that evenly when there’s wall fall.
I will remember the unexpected excitement and delight when I came across something as seemingly small and inconsequential as a sherd of pottery or glass.
I will remember the quieter, more profound sense of awe when I realized that the wall plaster I found was the same plaster early Christians from as early as the third century mounted and painted. A Christian myself, I’m still amazed at the thought of early believers using the same space over fifteen hundred years ago to worship and likely to baptize new followers of Christ.
On a lighter note, I will remember my friends and I singing along to all our favorite songs on the playlist. Don’t ask me how or why, but “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Ocean Man” are now melodies that easily transport me back to the acropolis.
I will remember laughing while trying to keep a camera still since Julianne and I decided to film the team during some sillier moments for the music video we plan to make. We’re hoping to create a memento to look back on generate good propaganda for future recruitment.
And finally, I will remember an odd feeling of loneliness when I boarded the plane to leave Turkey. I didn’t have a team to eat dinner with that evening, and I realized just how much I enjoyed spending time with my friends – they’re not simply classmates anymore. As much as I’ve claimed to be an introvert, I really do value the way in which the St. Olaf team made weeks of dirt and sweat a fun, adventurous learning experience.
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There is much to be said about how memorable this experience was, but I’m also going to attempt to defend the value of study abroad programs beyond their good memories and Kodak moments. Living and studying in other countries has made me better prepared to face life as a soon-to-be college graduate. (Look out, world! I already have some experience with you!) Personally, the past seven months have largely impacted the way I now approach my future – a change you might not immediately suspect but one that will hold considerable influence soon enough (i.e. next spring, when I graduate).
Moreover, if I can live and function such a long way from home for so long a period of time, then my abilities are much more than I expected. My plans for the future are now growing more ambitious and better defined by the day because I now have hope and even confidence in myself.
So, where does Turkey fit into all of this? Turkey has given me tangible results that help reinforce my newfound confidence. I saw with my own eyes what used to look like a small hill with a few rocks and tree stumps transform into an archaeological dig site with plenty of walls, stairs, and artifacts. Over the course of a month, I watched the team’s theories evolve and react to new findings. I witnessed our comprehension of the site become increasingly sophisticated, and I watched with a weird mixture of sadness and pride as we cleaned and closed all our loci on the final day.
As the concluding internship to seven months spent abroad, it challenged me past where I thought my limits were, both mentally and physically. I was exhausted and homesick and thought I had reached my breaking point. But here I am, right before my eyes, I have a few more mental and physical calluses in addition to a nice farmer’s tan. And, I know that when push comes to shove, I will persevere and learn something from it.
I recently read The Hobbit for the first time, and after seven long months, I can’t help but be reminded of Bilbo’s journey back to Hobbiton at the end of the novel. I’m in much the same position as I sit here and reflect on my big Adventure during this long plane ride. And since Tolkien describes the transition from adventure to homeward journey with this phrase, so shall I conclude this final entry with a full and happy heart:
“Yet feet that wandering have gone/ Turn at last to home afar.”