The 2022 CIfA conference is the first UK conference I have had the opportunity to attend in-person. The support of the CIfA Bursary helped lower the cost of transport and lodging to allow me to attend in person to learn from and experience the well-organized sessions and involve myself in the major discussions that help shape our discipline.
It is particularly difficult as a student and as a non-UK citizen to attend conferences and to engage in the important networking that occurs at in-person conferences, so I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the conference and as a bonus, finally meet dozens of archaeologists that I have only ever communicated with over email or Zoom. I have been a part of the CIfA Eearly Careers Group for almost a year now and this was the first chance I had to meet some of the people that I have been working with to put together different early career events as well as our own conference.
I am also looking forward to developing projects with archaeologists that I networked with at the conference that focus directly on the value and importance of the informal parts of conferences and archaeology in general.
