Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest
Episode 3: "Finding My Way across Many Trails,” written and read by Amy Gillaspie.
Join us as Amy Gillaspie takes us on a deeply personal and inspiring journey through both literal and metaphorical trails — from the foothills of Denver to archaeological fieldwork around the world. In this heartfelt essay, Amy reflects on how early experiences, life detours, and hard-won accomplishments shaped her path into archaeology and anthropology. Through physical hikes, career turns, and moments of growth and healing, she shows how the trails we walk — in life and in the field — guide us in unexpected and meaningful ways.
This piece is part of Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest, a new audio series featuring personal reflections and first-hand perspectives on land, memory, stewardship, and the deep histories held in landscapes across the Southwest.
Listen to the full story and read the original blog:
"Finding My Way across Many Trails” by Amy Gillaspie
archaeologysouthwest.org/2025/12/04/finding-my-way-across-many-trails
About this series
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest shares short, author-read pieces that explore how people connect with place — through archaeology, lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, science, stewardship, and memory. Each episode offers a glimpse into the many ways we understand and care for the lands of the Southwest.
Support Preservation Work
This audio story accompanies our Year-End Campaign, which focuses on the many ways trails connect people, histories, and landscapes.
If this story resonates with you, consider supporting our work:
archaeologysouthwest.org/year-end-2025
Thank you for listening!
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest
Episode 3: "Finding My Way across Many Trails,” written and read by Amy Gillaspie.
Join us as Amy Gillaspie takes us on a deeply personal and inspiring journey through both literal and metaphorical trails — from the foothills of Denver to archaeological fieldwork around the world. In this heartfelt essay, Amy reflects on how early experiences, life detours, and hard-won accomplishments shaped her path into archaeology and anthropology. Through physical hikes, career turns, and moments of growth and healing, she shows how the trails we walk — in life and in the field — guide us in unexpected and meaningful ways.
This piece is part of Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest, a new audio series featuring personal reflections and first-hand perspectives on land, memory, stewardship, and the deep histories held in landscapes across the Southwest.
Listen to the full story and read the original blog:
"Finding My Way across Many Trails” by Amy Gillaspie
archaeologysouthwest.org/2025/12/04/finding-my-way-across-many-trails
About this series
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest shares short, author-read pieces that explore how people connect with place — through archaeology, lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, science, stewardship, and memory. Each episode offers a glimpse into the many ways we understand and care for the lands of the Southwest.
Support Preservation Work
This audio story accompanies our Year-End Campaign, which focuses on the many ways trails connect people, histories, and landscapes.
If this story resonates with you, consider supporting our work:
archaeologysouthwest.org/year-end-2025
Thank you for listening!
