Student Profile
Name: Sarah Anytmis
Major: Archaeology
Exchange: Ka’ Kabish Archaeological Field School, Belize
Advice: “I wish I would have been reminded to bring a small day bag (less than a backpack, able to hold water bottle/money/phone) instead of only a backpack or purse. I had to buy a cheap tote bag there.”
QUESTIONS
Why did you decide to travel abroad?
I wanted to complete an international field school to learn about what I like about excavation and to experience a new culture!
Why did you choose to study in Belize? How did you learn about it?
I chose this field school because it was through Trent University and Dr. Haines had been a former professor of mine.
What was your experience like?
There was a lot of downtime when we weren’t in the field, which meant we had a lot of time to chat, read and do crosswords. This time could also be used to walk to nearby shops within the small village or hang out with the locals.
What did you find was the most challenging/difficult while abroad?
Aside from the heat and humidity (it got to 45 degrees C in the field some days!), I found the lack of communication from home the most challenging thing to adapt to. The village did not have stable service and we were only able to contact home once a week when we went into town. That said, it was a nice break to be disconnected from social media for a bit!
What was one of your favourite memories from your time abroad?
My favourite memory has to be falling asleep to the cacophony of nighttime tropical sounds, and constantly being able to hear howler monkeys.
If someone told you they were thinking about studying abroad but weren’t convinced they should, what would you tell them?
I would tell them that it changes the way you see yourself in the world and that there are tons of financial aid opportunities.