For our first round of Field Notes, we have asked our contributors to explore how they arrived at all the "first times" that pepper the training and fieldwork of an anthropologist. We may find stories about encountering new project ideas, field sites, and interlocutors, or the often hard process of making productive connections with informants and colleagues. Or, we may hear about tips and experiences to keep in mind when reaching out for the first time. What should I say or write? What do I need in my bag when I step off the plane or into a lab? Access can also be about access to resources: what is available to us as researchers and students to help support our studies or careers?