Dale dug a hole AKA Going to Egypt with a monkey on my back

So I thought that I would give this blogging thing a go, mostly because I'm lazy and thought that this would be the easiest way to keep everyone updated on what I'm doing in Egypt, but also because I secretly hope to end up one of those TV archaeologists who goes around in sexy site gear and nods knowingly from the top of cliffs, so I thought that this could be my ticket to the big time.

I'm off to Egypt for anyone who doesn't know. And I'm kind of packing my daks. Just because I'm not only going to Egypt with my trowel, my pack named Salvadore and copious amounts of moisturiser/hand sanitiser/chocolate, but because I'm also bringing my thesis (aka the monkey on my back). Yes, it was determined that to do the absolute best that I can on it all, I should submit it after a few more weeks of work when I come back.


I imagine my thesis like this:

When I was a kid, I loved reading Pilgrim's Progress, it has all these adventures concerning giants and the execution of martyrs and in some of the versions there's great pictures, like the one above. In the last few months I've felt like poor Christian, burdened by dead babies and Lynne Meskell and other bits and pieces.

Anyway, the point is is that my thesis will be coming with me to Egypt BUT it will not be flavouring everything with its thesis-flavour (two parts dirty dishwater, one part belly-button lint).

I'm off to work at Amarna and then following on to Dakhleh Oasis. I have a gap in the middle which I'm a little apprehensive about, but I'm sure that there will be plenty of people floating around Egypt over the Christmas/New Years period that I can make merry with and all of that.

Actually I'm a bit more than apprehensive, I'm kind of a little bit scared. Like that feeling when you pick the biggest roller coaster in the amusement park and strap yourself in, feeling amused by all the queasy faces around you. And then you start to move up slowly and the horizon disappears and your stomach does a flip-flop and you think "Oh crap, what am I doing? Can I climb over the small children behind me and somehow use my jumper to parachute to safety?"

A while ago I really wanted to do something that scared me. Something that was difficult. I thought "That's how you that you're living, when you do things that scare you. Life is too short to do only the easy stuff."

But it's easy to think these things, it's way harder to do them. I've never travelled on my own before, I'm heading off to site to live and work with people I don't know, and I'm doing tasks that I haven't done since thesis perched itself on my shoulders 2 1/2 years ago.

Now I know that I'll be fine - I'm hardly ever on my own over there, I'm ok with meeting new people and I'm sure that archaeology is like riding a really old dusty bike, you never forget how to do it. I guess this trip just hasn't begun as I planned and I need to deal with that and move on, and work on seeing more of this beautiful country called Egypt and becoming a splendiferous archaeologist.

And we all know how that begins - by digging a hole.

I hope to keep this up, depending on internet access and effort-levels. Much love to each and every one of you xx