The work we do is not as easy as it sounds. It sounds like a nice vacation to some, and while there are somewhat relaxing elements of it, our brains are working the entire time. We work together during the day, come back to the dorm on the bus together, we live on the same floor in rooms right next to each other, we wash pottery together and we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. We have to learn how to adapt to being around each other all the time. We don’t have a ton of time to ourselves and have had to learn to get along with people we might not have sought out to be around in our normal everyday lives. Working on site and having goals really forces us to manage our time well, but it also challenges us to meet our goals as a team. We are not only responsible for ourselves, but also for the other people in our unit as well as our whole entire site. Something I really appreciate on our site is how much we all care about each other and are always more than willing to help the other out. Whether that be helping carry a rock down to the wheelbarrow, checking in on others to make sure they’re drinking enough water and taking breaks or taking a much needed dance break across the site to just breathe a little. I have learned how to communicate better and be attentive to other people’s needs, whether that be physical or emotional. I think making yourself available to others if they ever need to talk about anything is very important. It fosters a community and a safe area where people can feel comfortable and supported.
Some skills I have learned is to expect the unexpected. Being in Turkey I have felt that I had not really known what was going on until I was actively doing it. It has taught me not to be stressed or anxious all the time. Things will happen when they happen. Everything will fall into place. Something else I have learned is how strong hand gestures and physical movement is for communicating across the language barriers. It is so interesting how similar the entire world thinks and uses the same body movements. I have also learned so much from all the different people in this area. I have made Turkish friends my age, communicated with Turkish elders and even professors and education professionals specializing in different areas of history and archeology who I have gained so much knowledge from. Everyone lives such different lives and I love learning about everyone’s personal story.