All posts by thompsonsm

Day 3: The Kindness of Others

Community

Today was marked by the kindness of others.

We went through the morning finishing our first section. We found no burials or evidence thereof, so we began to move all of the dirt we had removed back into the unit. Sheriff Benny Martinez paid us a visit and offered his assistance in backfilling. He moved and worked just as hard, if not harder, than the rest of us. Sheriff Martinez is one of the main reasons we are able to do our work at Sacred heart, and for him we are incredibly grateful.

In the middle of our backfill, we got a message over the walkie talkie that a local

My lunch provided by a local family.
My lunch provided by a local family.

family had brought all of us lunch; not just our five person team, but all of Texas State’s team as well. More than forty of us ate homemade carne asada, zucchini, rice, and tortillas. They brought us plates, utensils, sodas, and water. Before we ate, the matriarch of the family said a prayer for us. She thanked us, and asked God to protect us both while we were doing this work, and for the rest of our lives. While I am not a religious person, this sentiment from her meant more to me than any amount of food. The support of the community means so much to our team, and assures us that what we are doing is for the greater good.

After we finished our amazing lunch, Beyond Borders alum Ryan joined our team. He drove to Falfurrias to help us today and tomorrow, and will leave tomorrow to be back to work on Monday. Ryan got started right away, carrying buckets and hauling dirt. Day three and four are supposedly the hardest days, so we are beyond thankful that Ryan is able to join us for both of them!

After we finally finished backfilling our first section, Dr. Latham and Dr. Kate Spradley — who is leading this excavation — decided that we would move to a different section than originally planned. We packed up all of our stuff and headed to our new area. We are under a tree still, which provides us shade. However, it also means we are digging through roots, which is incredibly difficult.

I asked Deputy Don White if he had a rake in his truck to help with the surface debris, and before I knew it, he had gone and bought us two brand new rakes. Not only was this an amazing act of kindness, but they came in very handy in trying to deal with the roots. Deputy White has helped us every day with securing the site, fixing anything that is broken, and generally being our go-to guy.

Thanks to everyone’s help, we were able to finish out the day strong.

End of Day 3!
End of day 3!

After a long, long, long day, we were able to show our thanks by taking Sheriff Martinez, Ryan, and Deputy White out to dinner at Taqueria Jalisco.

We are exhausted, but our hearts and stomachs are full.

Everyone at Taqueria Jalisco at the end of a long day.
Everyone at Taqueria Jalisco at the end of a long day.

~Sidney

Travel Day: Expect the Unexpected

Reflections, Snapshots

Our motto for this trip is as follows: expect the unexpected.

After the seven of us gathered at the American Airlines counter at 4:30 AM (eastern), we ran into our first unexpected. As Dr. Latham was attempting to check us in, we were informed that our flight to Dallas would most likely be delayed, meaning we would miss our connection to San Antonio. From here, we had two options:

  1. Wait until tomorrow night to fly out since all later flights to San Antonio were full
  2.  Fly to Dallas and take our chances, even if it meant driving the seven hours from Dallas to Falfurrias.

We did not want to wait until tomorrow and miss a full day in Falfurrias, so we took our chance with our first flight to Dallas. Thankfully, our flight wasn’t delayed by much because they were able to swap planes instead of wait for maintenance, and we made it to Dallas with enough time for me to spill two coffees and still make our connection (which was delayed due to weather).

The five of us and Eleanor at the airport
The five of us and Eleanor at the airport

The flight went smoothly, and we landed in San Antonio only a little behind schedule. We picked up our slightly wet checked luggage and went to get our rental car. Here was unexpected number two: somehow we had seven reservations for minivans — I guess they thought we needed one per person! This was quickly resolved, we packed the van with room to spare, and headed to Torchy’s Tacos.

The Trailer Park and Tipsy Chick tacos from Torchy's.
The Trailer Park and Tipsy Chick tacos from Torchy’s.

I had heard Dr. Latham and others mention Torchy’s before, but was waiting to see the hype for myself. And let me tell you, the hype was well deserved! I had two of the best tacos of my life, and with full bellies we began the drive to Falfurrias.

With Dr. Latham at the wheel, the rest of us were free to nap as we pleased, and we definitely did. As we got closer to Falfurrias, we noticed the difference in the landscape from Indianapolis — mesquite trees, cacti, and dense brush replaced the greenery we see on a typical day. We reached town, checked into our motel, and rested for a few minutes before heading to our third unexpected: the madness that is H.E.B.

As a native midwesterner, I had never been to an H.E.B. before today, and I expected something akin to any local grocery store. I was sorely mistaken. It seemed that H.E.B. was the place to be on this dreary Wednesday night. We wove through the crowd to get snacks and food for lunches, and once again packed into the van to head to the motel.

Before heading to Whataburger for dinner — another first for me — we had our planning meeting, running into what I will call the True Unexpected: our plan for tomorrow when we reach Sacred Heart cemetery. Collaborating with Texas State University, there are a few areas of interest to which we may be assigned to explore. We were unable to extend our plans past breakfast at 7, to Sacred Heart by 8. Our team will take each day in stride and continue to expect the unexpected.

~Sidney

In My Heart of Hearts

Reflections

‘Twas twelve days before our departure, and still here I sit,

Not preparing at all for the upcoming trip;

I should be making lists, I should be packing,

But I do not leave the couch, content with my slacking.

Winter break is often considered to be a reprieve. A month or so of no school, sleeping in, holidays, home-cooked meals, New Year’s Eve parties, and relaxation.

I have learned over the beginning of my first winter break as a graduate student that I do not know how to relax. Here is a brief list of things I have done during my five-day break:

  • Gone to campus every day
  • Organized papers from this semester
  • Organized my binders for next semester
  • Cleaned my house
  • Done the dishes
  • Updated my CV

Here is a list of things I have not done, but need to:

  • Pack for Texas

I tell myself I haven’t started because I am waiting to do laundry at my nana’s over Christmas (laundry is expensive!), but the truth is, it is because packing will make this trip real. Since Dr. Latham asked me to be part of the team, it has been more of an idea. I’ve read articles about Falfurrias and past blog posts, trying to prepare myself. In my heart of hearts, I know that no amount of news articles or blog posts can prepare me for the impact this trip will have.

As someone who prefers to be in control, who likes to know exactly what is going on at all times, this boundless unknown is disconcerting to say the least. My anxieties about flying, overpacking, physical work, and homesickness make staying on my couch a much easier option than actively preparing for the trip.

While my anxieties are valid, they seem trivial in comparison to those choosing to cross the border. In a way, my anxieties are a perfect demonstration of the immense privilege I have. I am privileged to be flying instead of hiking. Privileged because the only real packing limit is the size of our rental van, not how much I can carry for miles. I know that while the physical work will be exhausting, I will have water, food, and a shower every day. And finally, I know that I will return home on January 12th.

It may seem as though the anxiety outweighs the excitement, but for every worry I have, I have ten things to be excited about.

I am beyond excited to be back in the field. I was fortunate enough to do archeological work at Cahokia Mounds during my time as an undergraduate, and I have been longing to be back in the field ever since. I am excited to build upon the skills I have and to learn new ones.

I am excited to bond with my team, both in and out of the field. I am excited to meet those living near the border whose work I’ve admired through stories and articles. I am excited to meet other students whose interests align with my own. I am excited to make new memories.

Most importantly, I am excited to fulfil the promise I made to my alma mater to be “A woman for and with others”.

~Sidney