"In the field"

I've been spending a lot of time "in the field" lately for the consulting project. I'm not accustomed to using this term -- I never had a "field" to be "in" before now -- and I still feel a little ridiculous saying it. But more mornings than not, I set out for my "field" -- the Greater Accra communities of Bubuashie, La Paz, Nima, Adenta, even Osu, the very same part of town where I live and work. When I randomly pass respondents in Osu on my way to lunch, I am not "in the field", but when I set out with the purpose of visiting them, Osu magically transforms into the "field". My coworkers managing agricultural projects at least have a little credibility when they use them term (they visit real farms, which presumably have fields...). I just feel silly.

Nomenclature aside, it has been an enjoyable, if tiring, experience. I enjoy spending time away from the computer, and you do learn a lot (trips to the field supply the fodder for my Random Facts About Ghana). The computer-work doesn't go away, though, so days in the field often mean nights at the desk.