After completing the readings to prepare for this trip, I was shocked at the amount of major historical figures that have had an impact on this region. Some of the figures that most promptly come to mind are the Roman emperors Caligula and Claudius who manipulated the politics of the region by either forcing the Kingdom of Commagene that reigned over the region to become a Roman province or restoring the royal dynasty to power as a client kingdom. With a quick glance, one might think that Antiochia was just some backwater region of the Roman Empire, rarely affected by the machinations of emperors and generals back in Italy or Constantinople, cases like this show how intertwined all of history is and how the actions of a few can affect many, many more than just themselves. With this perspective in mind, the type of thing I really want to see in Turkey is more examples of this interconnectedness; I want more examples of how connected the world really is through politics, economics, culture and warfare of antiquity. I don’t have any specific expectations of how those connections appear to me because I want to be surprised, it’s always more interesting to find a connection you never expected than one you knew/hoped would be present.
When I arrive in Gazipasa and begin acclimating to the time zone, the first thing I’ll want to do is sleep. But more seriously the first meaningful thing I’ll want to get to know my fellow interns better. I’m already quite close with a few of them from hanging out with them last semester and this summer, but I am quite excited to get to know everyone better. I feel this kind of program lives off of student interaction, becoming friends and genuinely enjoying being around each other and I’m excited to be a part of this community for the next few weeks. I’m very optimistic about everyone going on the trip and am quite excited to meet everyone I haven’t already.