Megan Cain (ANTH/ARTS ’15) was one of the 2014 recipients of the Catherine Wood Parker Memorial Award which afforded her the experience to attend an ethnographic field school in Thailand. Below is her first-person account of the experience and her reflections on how it will shape her future career path.
The opportunity to participate in NC State’s 2014 Thailand Ethnographic Field School this past summer was an experience I would be willing to repeat again and again. I had an absolutely amazing time, during which I learned countless lessons about not only Thai society, but also about America, anthropology, and myself as well. The field school also caused me to question the direction of my career path, deepening suspicions I have had about the best course for me to take. In a way, this trip was a make it or break it experience for me – I had always liked the idea of extensive travel but was unsure if I would like the actual reality of it. This experience definitely confirmed the feeling that travel is something I decidedly want to factor majorly in my future, as I found that my love of exploring other cultures in not only limited to books.
I had so many amazing experiences in Thailand. I had previously worried that the language barrier would make communication impossible, but I found that not to be the case. Whether I was spending the day simply sitting with a Muslim woman working in the local Buddhist temple, or being led around a park by a man who spoke no English as he showed me different species of flowers, I had so many memorable interactions and conversations with locals. The times I met with someone who spoke English were no less valuable, though rarer. Through my interactions with Thais, I realized very soon after arriving in Thailand – despite which continent, what language, style of dress, appearance – despite any of these differences one may encounter – people are alike. While the shape may differ, what they want out of life is made out of the same matter as what I do.
In this way, travel actually encouraged me to think of the ways humanity is undeniably the same just as much as I experienced and valued the differences in cultures. Traveling also makes one question everything – from beauty standards to fundamental rights. Or maybe “evaluate” it a better word to use. In this way I think travel is crucial to make people better-informed, wiser, and more confident in their own abilities and in their values as well. I challenged myself in a variety of ways, and in ways I never imagined I would or that I thought I could accomplish. I think that travel places one outside of one’s comfort zone, so limits and boundaries are put to the test, and stretched beyond what one may have thought he or she was capable.
For this I am very thankful I was able to have this opportunity, as I feel I am a more confident, well-rounded 
individual because of it. I know my knowledge of the world is lacking, but I now have the tools to remedy some of those gaps bit by bit. Whatever form my path eventually takes, after participating in this field school program I feel that I am much better equipped to handle what may come my way. Even if I suddenly turned my focus in a completely different direction, I think the benefits that result from travel are indispensable to people of any career field.
The Catherine Wood Parker Memorial Award supports Anthropology majors wishing to participate in international travel courses or field schools. If you would like to contribute to awards that support student opportunities such as Caitlin’s, please see our website at http://sociology.cofc.edu/giving/index.php.
