So…I
started this blog because I had to. It was a project for a South American
archaeology class, hence the name About Andean Archaeology. I was less than
thrilled because I had never in my life written a blog post before, let alone
had to publish one that was worth 25% of my entire grade. I’m used to turning
in papers through webcourses (the web component used by my university), where
only my professor and TA’s would read said paper. Not many people have actually
viewed my first post, which is to be expected- I mean, the relationship between
the states of Wari and Tiwanaku is not something that everybody finds
intriguing. I do, but that is to be expected since it’s been my dream to be a
South American archaeologist for quite some time now. Speaking of becoming an archaeologist,
I am leaving in less than 24 hours for my very first dig. I guess that’s the
main reason that I am writing this today. I am soooo excited, but also
extremely nervous, like can’t sit still and jump at everything nervous. The kind of nervous that you got the first time you tried to but alcohol with a fake ID (Shout out to Boones Farm, how I almost miss you). I will
be in Peru for 5 weeks, working at a site that is almost 2,000 years old.
Almost my entire undergraduate career at UCF has focused on archaeology and I
feel like I know what to do, but, and this is a big but (Sir Mix-a-Lot would
like it), I have never been in the field. This experience is one that I feel
like I have been waiting for, like, forever. I have high expectations, not only
for the actual work experience, but also for myself. I also have a lot riding
on this: recommendations, grad school, connections, future jobs, etc. What I am
most afraid of is that I will either totally suck at field work or I will
despise field work. As a rational person, I know that neither of those things
is likely to happen, mainly because I chose to pursue archaeology as a
profession and I know what I am in for, but they are both possible outcomes.
Another thing that has me worried is that I have built this experience up in my
head as, like, the start of when my life finally, really begins. That sounds
silly, but that’s how I feel. I’m not that young, I went back to college at 28
after dropping out at 20. I did have a life before and a whole other career
doing hair and makeup, but I was never really all that content with my life and
the direction it was going (Although, I still love to do makeup and get all
sorts of giddy when the Sephora VIB sale comes around). When I finally went
back to school and decided to major in Anthro, I felt like I had found my
calling. It has been a lot of work and required a lot of sacrifice, but I am
really enjoying it. Up till now, all I have done is research. Research is my
jam. I am a nerd and love to read journal articles. I could do research for the
rest of my life and be content, which is awesome since much of archaeology is
research. And writing. Lots. Of. Writing. I am getting off topic- I know that
this is an amazing opportunity, and I am truly grateful for it, but I am also
really, really scared. Excited as all get out, but scared. Like a big baby. A
baby being thrown on Santa’s lap for the first time, screaming their head off
and turning the color of a tomato, because they have some big bearded dude in a
red suit shoved in their grill. In the end, that situation usually ends up
better than fine and the kid counts down the days till they see jolly old St.
Nick again. I am hoping this experience is like that for me, minus the dude in
a fake beard and red suit. So… To circle back to the first sentence in this
post; my original intentions for this blog were purely academic and not very
enthusiastic. Now, I am glad that I started this because I can use this space
to document my upcoming Peruvian adventure. I did name this blog About Andean
Archaeology, after all.
