After this month, I feel like some advice I would give to someone considering or preparing to go on this internship, is that while the work can be difficult at times, in the end it definitely feels worth it. I knew going in that some aspects of this internship, especially the physical ones of digging and moving rocks, would be tough, and it was. But by the end of the month I felt more used to it, and regardless of how the work was at times, I did enjoy it. One other piece of advice would be to try and be flexible, not just with how things go on the site, but in general. I had to miss some site days and a field trip due to getting sick in the middle of the internship, and though I felt bad and wanted to join, it was good to remember that sometimes things that are out of your control happen, even if it isn’t fun. I also think that I have to recommend Roby’s cafe, considering how often I went. I really liked their Mango Passionfruit refresher, and their chocolate cake!
I definitely would love to participate in another archaeological excavation! I really enjoyed my experience here, and I learned just how much fun it is to learn about history and culture, especially in a setting like this one. My days at the site were fun, and completing our goals and fining exciting things made each day amazing. I would love to come back to Turkey, or go somewhere entirely new, for another archaeological excavation.
I think that it was good to experience navigating a place where I don’t speak the language, because it taught me how to work through situations like that, and how to find other ways to communicate. Although I would’ve liked to have understood the language going in, I think it was important to learn how to communicate, when there is a language barrier. As for career goals, after realizing that I really enjoyed this kind of work, I want my future to include it in some way. A comment I made before heading to Turkey, partially as a joke, was “What if I end up falling in love with archaeology, and decide that’s what I want to do?” I knew going in that I would want a life where I can explore the world and different cultures, and being in Gazipaşa solidified that for me. I think I would enjoy doing work that works with archaeology or continuing to participate in archaeological excavations, and in the future I hope that I will find a way to be able to.