Readjustment

Lots of people are catching up on blogging because of Snowpocolypse/Snowjam/Snowmaggedon 2014 so decided to follow suit.  I've been meaning to write about readjusting to America for some time now but find it hard to put into words how it's going.  Plus it's hard to neatly close a chapter in your life that's been so significant but that's what I intend to do.

Being back in America is amazing overall.  What's not to love about real toilets, hot showers, being close to loved ones, and an unlimited supply of cheese?  I still actually really enjoy going to the grocery store or farmer's market because it's so easy compared to the trek to the market I endured in Ghana and I can get anything I want!  But there are hard parts too.  I've experienced culture shock before and it's not easy to handle.  Just as there are ups and downs to living cross-culturally there are also ups and downs to the readjustment phase- and life in general really.  I think one aspect of American life that's been really hard for me is being overwhelmed by choices and the consumerism of our culture.  I've felt a lot of panic and anxiety in certain situations that I never did before such as underground parking decks and elevators and I'm still working through those issues.  And also the feelings of busyness...it's gotten better but in the fall I felt busy all the time even if I wasn't.  It's hard to explain but even if you're not so busy you feel as if you are or should make yourself so.  There are just certain parts of your culture that you don't really think too much about or question until you're immersed in another culture.  But I hope to hold onto an appreciate from simplicity and a quiet life that I acquired while in Ghana.

It's been harder to keep in touch with my Ghanaian students, friends and family than I though it would.  In some ways part of me still feel so connected to Ghana but also very disconnected.  Hearing about situations from people that I wish I could help but I'm so far away.  One way that's helped is I've become involved volunteering with a non-profit called Ghana Medical Help which works to provide basic medical equipment to hospitals in the more impoverished Northern part of Ghana where I lived.  I'm hoping to go back to Ghana to visit this summer and also combine that trip with assisting the mission of GMH.  I discovered Ghana Medical Help while doing research on non-profits for a business elective I took called the Business of Philanthropy.  It was a really unique and interesting class and a lot of the writings I completed as assignments helped me process my time in Ghana.

School has been a great way to readjust to America life and try to figure out what the next step will be.  My goal is to work in non-profit management preferably in international development in Atlanta after I graduate but I've learned to be open to other options.  I interviewed for a couple of positions with non-profits earlier this month but neither was a good fit.  Because of the graduate research assistantship I'm doing with school, I'm looking for something part-time which is hard to come by.

It's not easy trying to sum up my Peace Corps Ghana experience in a just a few words when people find out I served there and ask "How was it?"  Wow what to say?  Amazing, life-changing experience, a huge blessing, a time of growth, wonderful, inspiring, yet frustrating, disappointing, terribly difficult, isolating, heartbreaking.  There are so many stories, experiences, and people to tell about which is why I started this blog in the first place.   A lot of it was for me to process as I was living in the moment but some of it was to share Ghana with others as well and to keep a record for the future.  I've had a few people suggest to me to write a book which a lot of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers do. I think I exhausted a lot of my writing on the blog but I'm considering doing a children's book if nothing else to do and keep for myself.

Thank you for reading this little blog and how Ghana shaped me into a stronger, more patient, balanced, and determined woman.  With that I'm closing out Step in Ghana (sorry it took so long).  We'll see what the next Step in...blog will be.

Ghanaian English

Some of my family and friends have heard me talk on the phone to my Ghanaian students or friends and heard the English I speak with them.  Here's a video of my student Linda who and the short interview I conducted with her while she stirred TZ (cooked) for me one day back in March.  Enjoy!

Goodbyes are Hard

Goodbyes are always hard but especially when you don't know the next time you'll see someone.  Before leaving Ghana, I made sure I took my time to prepare to say goodbye and not be rushed doing it all at the last minute.  Honestly I think it was more for me to try and feel some closure as my service came to an end.  Either way I'm glad I started early because it took a lot of time going around to people's houses and giving out a few small gifts as appropriate.

My school did an official goodbye party for me the weekend after July 4th.  They cooked light soup (one of my favorites) with guinea fowl and goat, bought minerals, and gave me lovely parting gifts.  It ended up being held at my house, which was crowded, instead of the school because rain was threatening and the cooking was being done out front under my neem tree.  But it was still nice to hang out with all the teachers and other community members who stopped by.  I wished my students had been able to take part but we'd done ice cream parties in each class so I was glad I done that with them.

I think was the most difficult part for me- trying to properly goodbye to my students.  I tried giving out a few hugs to some of my students I was closer to and it was super awkward.  So for the boys I would just shake their hands but the girls were fine with hugs.  This is one of my final group pictures with some students.

Madam Millanie from church made me beautiful hand-painted calabashes to take home and use as decoration.  I'm working on setting up our Ghana guest room and will hang them up in there.  

Most of the tears didn't happen until it was actually time for me to leave early in the morning.  A small group of students came to see me off which meant the world to me.  I tried to hold it together as much as possible but with all the girls crying it was hard.  I did ok for the most part and then lost it on my final ride to Bolga from the village.

Here I am with Auntie in front of the lorry that carried me away from everyone and the village I grew to love. As much as I miss the people, I don't miss the crowded lorry rides on bumpy, unpaved roads.

After going to Kumasi to witness the wedding of a volunteer to a lovely Ghanaian gal, I stopped by to see my homestay family one last time before proceeding onto Accra to start the process necessary to close our your service.  I drove banku for old times sake and my homestay mom made me okra soup which was one of my favorites that she cooked.

They also took me to the nearby spot where we all had minerals and Fan Ice (vanilla ice cream) to make floats.  I introduced this to my homestay brother on my first (and only) birthday in Ghana and he remembered I liked them.  I actually was pretty sick in this picture and while I stayed with my family but I learned to hide it pretty well by then.  I felt awful on my last trip to Accra and so was feeling rather ready to leave Ghana and stomach troubles behind from a physical comfort standpoint.  It made it a bit easier to say goodbye to Ghana and then hello to England for two weeks before my homecoming in Atlanta.