Oh, you know, just fulfilling my dreams…

Okay, so this title is probably a little over-zealous, but I certainly feel as though I am on my way to fulfilling my dreams. I may not have a crystal clear image of what those dreams may be, but I do know that there is a metaphorical hiking trail and the next few miles are on a steady incline with no cliffs/avalanche warnings in sight.

A lot has been going on in my daily life [things I try not to talk about here- but perhaps a short list would be alright]: I graduated from New York University [with Cum Laude honors- I'll toot my own horn there]. I recently threw a baby shower for my pregnant sister and we are expecting a niecephew [we don't know the sex yet, haha] in about one month. I moved out of New York City and back home to New Jersey for less than a month before moving into a place temporarily in Bethesda, MD. I have a volunteer position in the Forensic Anthropology Lab at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (I work there twice a week or more). I’m searching for some paying jobs around town [Ruby Tuesdays/Coldwater Creek/Banana Republic/Talbots/Petco, etc.] and around the neighborhood [babysitting, house-sitting, petsitting, etc.]. I recently attended a lovely brunch/potluck in my neighborhood and had the pleasure of meeting some really nice people (the community is really wonderful- I’ll be sad to leave it!). My Big Sister, Amy, got married this weekend and I got to attend a gorgeous wedding and see so many people from a few years back [all of whom I have missed SO much] it was a beautiful party for an even more beautiful bride! I am currently researching GRE classes and books for when I take the exam in the fall. I am researching [slowly] what schools will be a good fit for what I want to do in my future. I am looking into a statistics class at a local college in order to familiarize myself with research statistics and statistical analysis.

So that paragraph was a quick catch-up for all of you readers out there [that sentence made me giggle, since all of you readers know that information already from constant phone calls and/or emails].

So while a TON of things have been changing in my life, I don’t know if there is too much to update you all on. I could gush for hours and hours about how much I love what I’m doing at the Smithsonian. I think that I will write a little description instead (especially since I already posted a HUGE entry about the exhibit). At the Forensic Anthropology Lab, I get to teach visitors and student groups about what forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists do with the excavated material from a burial site. In the lab, we set up a case (one of 4) for the day and allow visitors to go through the case, table by table, and compile a pseudo biological profile for the individual. So far, I have only worked one case in the lab and it is called Mystery of Yorktown Creek. We have 6 tables set up which are focused around the following aspects of a real case: (1) Sex, (2) Stature/Height, (3) Pathology, (4) Age, (5) Scientific Context, (6) Historical Context. Now, I can’t give you the answers to the case because, well… that would be cheating!! Plus, I want all of your to come to the Lab and try to figure it all out by yourself. But my job in the lab is to explain to visitors HOW one can decipher Age, Sex, Pathology, Stature, etc. from skeletal remains alone. We volunteers are encouraged to allow others to complete the case on their own and ask questions when they want (as opposed to forcefully walking them through and taking up their time) so, obviously, my favorite part is when visitors ask me questions. I love being able to impart my knowledge of this field. I think my favorite visitors are the younger children who will come in and just stare wide eyed at the bones.

A little bit of my Psychology Minor is going to peek around teh corner, here: It is strange and fascinating to see how the thought, to children, of holding real human bones is so amazing as opposed to surreal- as if it really hits them and they can understand the severity of the moment, while to adults who hold the bones find it “cool” but don’t let the reality of the situation really hit them; it’s all in the eyes. I’ve gotten “this was a real person one time- like my gramma” from a wide eyed little girl- completely consumed in the case AND “Hah, this was like- a real dude- cool” from some nonchalant twenty-something man whose eyes were really only searching to see if his friends would be grossed out. It sort of makes me realize even further how elementary education is such an important aspect of the growth of a person’s intellect and how essential it is to have sincere teachers at that age [a little shout out to some friends of mine in elementary education: Sandy Berman, Kirsten Holtje and Adriana Silva, as well as some awesome teachers from my elementary years at Ironia: Miss Reckenbiel, Mr. Tarnowski and Mrs. Herr].

Back to the Lab, right- I let myself sidetrack: So I don’t mind these different reactions (because, after all, that twenty-something man DID learn something from bones that day and he did say that he thought it was “cool”). An other thing I absolutely love about this little job is when I get to talk to other students who are either working in the lab with me (awesome shout-out to Allison who I discovered went to an Osteology workshop with an NYU classmate of mine- small world!) as well as the students who come in and tell me about how they are working towards the same career I am. It is great to hear from other people who are in the same boat as I. There are so many people left to meet in this field and all the ones I have met so far have been so genuinely excited about their course of study. It is great to know there is a whole world of passionate bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists with whom I get to interact in my future. Yay networking!

Okay- well there is my update for you [ahem- GREG- no, but seriously thanks for nagging me to write again]. I apologize for it’s length and obvious ramblings. This was almost a train-of-thought exercise. Oh! And a small shout-out to a new reader, Ashley. Your comment made me so happy that it’s not just my parents and siblings reading- and good luck with your Anthro-related-endeavors!

Until next time….