My first 24 Hours

I generally have tried to go abroad with few expectations or assumptions. I find the more guide books I read the worst off I am. Either I go to a place with expectations high based on a guide book or traveler that had a great experience, or I make myself nervous and too cautious due to warnings of pickpockets, scams or other threats to visitors. In this case, after many conversations with previous volunteers and the director, Ellen, it was hard to go in willfully ignorant. But so far, with my all so vast experience of one day, I have been all around pleasantly surprised. The people are kinder, the roads softer, the food less spicy and life easier to navigate than expected. Besides the typical first time awkward experience;“Do I tip?” and “How much water can I drink if I am not sure where my next pit stop will be” there have not been many hiccups or feelings of panic/confusion in a situation...but I am sure they will come soon.

The ease of the first day was mostly due to some very wonderful hosts the first day, Fortune, a teacher and caretaker of the boarding school, and Maxwell and Abigail picked me up in Accra where we ran errands. The first stop was to go to the backroom money changer, walk out with a brick of cash, then go to a tiny, tiny shop on the second flow of a mall-type building to buy massive amounts of school supplies for the sponsored students. It was amazing watching this tiny store produce hundreds of workbooks and notebooks from behind their catacomb-like shelves behind the counter. More impressive was the two women who carried these enormous boxes of books on their heads several blocks to the car. This is not the first place I have been where the top of the head is the normal and logical place to carry goods, but it still always impresses me. Maybe that is why everyone here seems to have great posture?

So there is certainly more to describe, like the rows and miles of people selling goods in-between lanes on the highway, the expected food, phone cards, water, soda. You need a bath mat? lumbar support brace? live tetras in jam jars? Sure, we got that.

So I am not sure how diligent I will be will this blog. Travelling is the only time I ever journal, but I will be traveling to Ho next week then will probably move to Torkor where there is no internet, so this could be quite sporadic. But no matter what, I will keep a list of my favorite people, places, things, tastes, experiences, etc.

List of my favorite things in Ghana

Day 1. Being in the middle of a purchase, in the middle of the highway between driver and elecric-device hawker.

Day 2. Freaking adorable mini goats, and their tiny little baby goats everywhere

Day 3. Watching the Ghanaian version of The Bachelor and talking with three amazing women, two daughters and their mom.