This article discusses the ways in which fieldwork transforms, and is transformed by, the life trajectories of researchers, participants and the field itself. I suggest that fieldwork interweaves the past training and ongoing development of the researcher, the personal and professional life courses of his/her research participants, and the cultural and institutional histories of both academic fields and the physical sites in which fieldwork is conducted. Each of these life course strands involves geographically contingent subjectivities and perspectives that coalesce in fieldwork and lead to productive exchanges as well as conflicts. Early career researchers in particular may face extensive challenges negotiating these conflicts in the context of competitive and neo‐liberal academic environments.