Off to See the Wizard

We've packed up and shipped out...at least, all the non perishable food, camping gear, notebooks, dig kits, etc. etc. necessary for 5-8 people for 48 days in the field. 56 days from the day of departure from St.John's on July 2 to Lewisporte where we stay overnight and prepare to catch a ferry overnight to Goose Bay. In Goose Bay we buy perishables, last minute items we forgot about, and perhaps beer. We stay overnight and leave the next day for Rigolet on a new ferry. In Rigolet we pick up our 50+ shipped packages, hire 1-3 kids for our crew, and perhaps buy beer. From there we get a boat ride in some guy's boat to our site. Speaking of, I'm pretty sure google maps updated their imaging of the Rigolet region from the last time I checked, since you can zoom in pretty far around Snooks Cove.
We have a break during the weekend of August 8-9th, which also happens to be the Annual Rigolet Salmon Festival! From then it's really only a couple weeks until we fly out of Rigolet to Goose Bay, change plans to a bigger one and fly to St. John's. That way we get outta there ASAP, back to mattresses, running hot water, fresh food, and kittens.

Now to gather all those things to entertain myself without the internet...

Wanderlust, united in movement

I started to think today that maybe I have come to a point where I am no longer afraid or anxious about the future. Maybe all it took was graduating, moving to a new city, and actually discovering that its easy to do something different, to live here, alone, doing something that I was afraid I might fail at. I am not afraid to be away from the people close to me (although the pangs of worry still come that if something happens to one of them it will take a lot to get there). I am not afraid of having of being stuck in a boring lifestyle, or stuck doing something that I might not care about. I think of all the possibilities, instead of the limitations. I sometimes feel good being surrounded by the unknown- people, places, direction. I look forward to having the opportunity of feeling 'finished', and being at a point where I can say, 'ok, what can I do next.' I've been doing courses and school and research for so long, and soon I will not have to worry about getting that essay in on time, cramming my readings in last minute. As of this summer I will be on my own schedule, doing work solely determined by my goals and methods, and will have one year until any real deadlines press on me.
Then what?
I am excited to get to that point of not knowing. I could go anywhere and do almost anything. Will I choose to go back to Ontario? Will I discover an exciting project that will inspire me to further research in a PhD? Will I just take a break from school life, find a job...just live somewhere. Will something totally unforeseen come into play that will determine all this for me? Will I come into a lot of money and just travel the world?
*crosses fingers*

Did I imagine it would be like this?
Was it something like this I wished for?
Or will I want more?

A Decent Proposal

Progress!

Last Friday I presented my research proposal to the Anthro/Arch department, faculty and students. It was about 15 min of me discussing the context of my research, why it's important, what questions I'm asking, and what methods I anticipate using in the field and the lab. It was super nerve racking before hand, and during, so much so that I went to take a sip of water in between slides and didn't tilt the bottle far enough back to actually get anything because I didn't want to take up too much time in silence. My mouth got pretty dry, but I was successful the second time before the question period. Only a few people asked questions, all of which of course were not ones that I had anticipated or expected would be asked. After that was all finished, everyone but faculty was asked to leave the room, where they conversed for a few minutes and we all stood around in the MA's office wondering what was taking so long. We assumed they were discussing dinner plans, weekend plans, or otherwise unrelates things. It was probably true, because by the time I was called back in to collect my computer, there were only 3 or 4 people left. My supervisor said no one had any complaints and were very pleased, especially with the pretty images and layout of my powerpoint.
I also applied for more grant money from MUN's Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and had just finished printing my app for the J.R. Smallwood Foundation grant when I received news that it was canceled for the year. dinger. ISER is more money, and will cover the real costs of my fieldwork and lab needs, including (hopefully) the awesome chance to go to Ottawa (technically an offshoot building in Alymer QC) to the Canadian Museum of Nature's Zooarchaeological Identification Centre, where I can identify any bones from my excavation that are a mystery, based on the limited comparative collection we have at MUN. I can stay with my super cousin and her cute 3 year old who live close by. A visit to the National Archives would also be in order, to investigate for any Hudson's Bay trading post records from Labrador in the 19th C. Overall, a paid trip to hang out with my family, do fun research affiliated with a museum, and get a break from St. John's.
So that's that in terms of my research. No more presentations on it until next year when I talk for half an hour on 'what I did during my summer holidays' excavating, and how it has (probably) entirely changed the direction of my project, as per usual. And only one more application asking for money from the provincial archaeology office. Just term work for the next month (lame). I expect to be finished by April 8 and my plans beyond that point are uncertain.
A trip to Ontario is likely at some point between then and July, other than for my dad's wedding in June, before I go into the wild.

That is sooo Fetch

I've taught my cat how to retrieve a bouncy foamy ball if I throw it down the hall. She doesn't care about fetching the non-foamy ones. It's the best.

In other news, not much news. Haven't had more than one class since I've been back, due to some sickness (not me), meeting, and plain old scheduling.
The meeting was put on by the Rooms museum for the Provincial Archaeology Office, the Nunatsiavut Government. It was for all grads doing archaeology in the province, since these are the main people we'll have to deal with for getting permits, submitting reports, housing materials, etc. It was pretty boring at most times. After the presentations we got a tour of the Rooms collections storage facilities in the basement.

I'm at a coffee shop called Coffee Matters, a local version or high-class coffee, chocolates, and a few baked goods and sandwiches. So far its the only place I have heard of or been in that has free wireless, good coffee, and a nice sitting environment. There are always at least 2 others with their laptops out. But there are also a lot of chatty Newfies from young to old. The kind of crowd you'd get at Second Cup in Westdale, but less students. Its downtown, and expensive, thus out of range for most uni kids. At least this location on Military Rd.
I can't seem to be a productive reader today, even though I have been up since 8am. Had to drop a reading assignment off at 9, then picked up 2 old rolls of film I found while digging up my camera stuff. One roll turned out to be from Homeplace Ranch in Alberta, where I worked in the summer after first year. I can't believe its been hiding all that time. The second roll was from last December, my grandpa's birthday and Christmassy type stuff. Not all the shots turned out, but enough to get excited about. I'm supposed to be reading the last 190 pages of a text for Thursday.

Blah. Id rather be designing the plans for my own cafe, that wouldnt be as expensive, and would have much better goodies.

-The Snark