By Bennett Ross, Johns Hopkins University
It’s been about a month since I returned from Senegal and The Gambia, and I think I have still yet to fully appreciate what this trip meant to me. In the days and weeks leading up to my departure, I was scrambling: arranging my homestay, speaking to professors, and making sure my visit to the Gambian National Archives (which happened to fall squarely during International Archives Week celebrations) would go forward as planned. Then there was the situation of my flights, which didn’t get finalized until about a week before travel. It was a tight turnaround, and before I knew it, I was on a plane bound for Dakar. Looking back, I am still surprised how quickly everything came together.
The next few weeks were some of the most interesting in my young life. I was far too busy examining archival materials, experiencing new cultures, and exploring my environs to really stop and think about what I was undertaking. And since I got home, I’ve remained occupied with going through my seemingly endless SD card full of the documents I photographed. It is only now, writing this blog post, that I am finally taking the opportunity to reflect upon my experience.
This trip represented several firsts for me. It was my first homestay, first solo trip, and, perhaps most importantly, my first time engaging in archival research. There was a lot of uncertainty and plenty of nerves, but I got through it and am so much the better for it. Some of the things that this project gave me, such as archival experience and French practice, I expected. Others, however, I did not foresee. I didn’t know how many interesting scholars I would get to speak with, nor how much I would get to immerse myself in the life of the quartier (Mermoz to be exact). Above all, though, I didn’t realize the extent to which this trip would test my ability to roll with the punches and take things as they come. There were a lot of moments when I was uncomfortable, confused, and just plain tired, but all I could do was trust myself and believe that everything would turn out fine. And it did. The experience was demanding, but it was also deeply rewarding. Despite a few stressful situations I found myself in—including an unfortunate encounter with a scam artist in the Marché de Ouakam—the trip went remarkably well.
As for what’s next with my project, I’m just now getting into the writing phase, which is exciting, if a little daunting. I know, however, that in this endeavour I will have the support of not only my faculty advisors, but also URSCA and the Tyler Center program. In view of this, I think I have already done the hardest part. Whatever direction the project ultimately takes, I am very grateful to have been able to do something like this at my age. And looking further ahead, I believe this research experience has the potential to be the starting point for a possible senior thesis.
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