Today I began packing my bags and couldn’t help but thinking about what I should be expecting when I board the plane next week. Until now, I have only been focused on the projects I will be working on and not so much as to the “extras” that any field session promises to give you. By that of course I mean the friendships, the inside jokes that will be told and laughed at for years to come, and the memory of an experience that is truly life changing.
This will be my first field session in Cherskiy, however, it will not be my first field session. During my undergrad at the University of Minnesota I was able to commit to three summers in the field. Two of which I was a student, and one where I was a teaching assistant. True these were sessions geared towards teaching and training, but I am entering this trip in much the same position. I am a student who is excited to learn as much as I can, and what I was able to take away from my past field sessions will help me succeed in Siberia.
Each session was different and offered it’s own unique memory. The biggest difference being the new people who brought a different dynamic to the trip. And even though each session was so different, there was still one common element. Everyone worked hard together to succeed. True there was the student mindset where we all wanted to earn an A, but there was also a comradery. We all wanted everyone around us to succeed, including the kid who was afraid of mud (and yes there was a field session with a guy like that). To a degree everyone saw success during these sessions, and at the very least walked away with good memory and a few new friends.
As the date of my departure draws closer my excitement is increasing. I know not to expect the same type of trips I have had in the past, but I am excited for the “extras” this trip can promise: new relationships, new jokes, and plenty of great memories. I plan on approaching this field session as I have all the others, by completely immerse myself in what is going on around me. Because that is the trick to any field session.
