108 Days Until Departure - Weather Check!

Are you sick of the winter weather of New York?  I had a really good sense of humor about all of the snow that we've gotten this year up until this week.  I was really enjoying the beauty and fun of having the snow around.  Even Bubbles (my 25 pound ball of energy - a.k.a my dog) enjoyed bounding through the snow and coming up with a glacier on her nose.  The fun and laughter is over.  Bubbles and I are ready for the Spring that we've been promised with walks in the countryside and sunny days.  Unfortunately, it looks like this dream will have to wait for a while.  It's going to snow again on Friday.  I thought it would be a nice enticement to see what the weather will be like in the capital Accra, Ghana. 

Weather report for this week for Accra, Ghana:
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/65472.html

Weather report for this week for Troy, NY:
http://www.weather.com/weather/5-day/Troy+NY+12180

So very much looking forward to Ghana, and not just for the warm weather!

112 Days Until Departure - Hurry Up and Wait

Have you ever felt like something you really wanted to do was never going to come?  I got this same feeling before my wedding.  We had planned everything so well so early that the last few months before the wedding seemed like they would never end, and I had just about nothing to do during them.  I'm doing it again...so I was very good about starting my planning for my trip to Ghana right away.  I applied for my passport, booked my flights, got all of my vaccinations, had my annual physical (which for me is like once a decade) to make sure there wasn't anything seriously wrong with me that I'd find out about 10,000 feet in the air, and read through all of my pre-departure materials from the sponsoring organization.  Now...I'm waiting.  Waiting for my passport to come in, waiting to fill out my Visa application (since there are time limits that I have to be careful of), waiting to pay my program fee (I don't mind waiting for this so much), and waiting to hear about my placement.  I decided today that I'm sick of waiting!  I'm going to start the work on my photo biography today!  I'm not sure what the lesson here is, other than, there is always a certain amount of "hurry up and wait" that you have to deal with in life.  Maybe this is teaching me patience.  Culturally Ghana and many other countries move at a different pace than we're accustomed to in New York.  This is a good lesson to learn...PATIENCE!

117 Days Until Departure - Inspired by Music

This week has been kind of a dreary week.  The weather hasn't been great, it has been snowing all day, and I have been fighting a fever and menacing aches and pains that I'm sure are from the live oral Typhoid vaccine I've been so dutifully taking for about 3 days. 

I decided that on a dreary week like this, it was time to liven up with some inspirational music.  Nothing gets me more in the mood to travel, see the world, and experience great wonders than some African or African inspired music!

Vocal Version of the Ghana National Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9I-OccKtVk&playnext=1&list=PLF79276CF5ADC4063

Toto - Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NuA7AripfU


One of my first music related memories was my Mom playing her favorite Paul Simon tape.  Maybe this helped develop my love for learning about Africa and my dream to travel there someday.

Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OafqYNCzq5U

Paul Simon & Miriam Makeba - Under African Skies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB26L8nbRiw&feature=related


One of my favorite things to go to sleep to at night are African Lullabies.  This is one of my all time favorites!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElBmQXrqVdg

125 Days Until Departure - Getting There is Half the Battle!

The most nerve wracking part of this trip thus far has been trying to secure flights.  I thought that the most stressful part would be boarding the flights, but I'm starting to wonder if it's actually booking the flights that's the most stressful.  In order to arrive on time on July 16th for my departure date, I will have to leave Albany International Airport on Friday July 15th.  The entire trip will consist of at least 12 hours of flying, and anywhere from 4 to 11 hours of layover. 

It looks like the trip there will be uneventful with a quick 1 and a 1/2 hour flight to Washington Dulles Airport, a layover long enough to enjoy a bit of the city if I'm brave enough to leave without worrying about missing my next flight, and an 11 hour flight to Accra, Ghana.  It's the flight home that's quite exciting. 

Departing Accra on Saturday August 20th late in the evening and arriving the next morning in Frankfurt, DE.  Then off to Chicago O'Hare Airport and finally landing in Albany International just in time for dinner!  How peculiar, I thought, that I would fly into the East Coast just to fly to the Midwest and back to the East Coast.  Imagine if I had not thought more about this.  Frankfurt, DE...DE...not Delaware!  Germany!!  Imagine my surprise if I had thought I was landing in Delaware when in fact I had landed in Germany!  My layover will not be long enough to enjoy Germany, but none the less I can add it to the countries I'll be traveling through while away, and surely there will be enough time to grab a magnet at the airport gift shop! 

For the record...as far as I can tell, there is no Frankfurt, Delaware, but there is a Frankford, Delaware.  I'm sure it's a wonderful place, but I'm also quite certain there is not a major international airport there!

126 Days Until Departure - Vaccinations Galore!

There are two main reasons I can think of that you might have a particularly sore arm.  The first of which is you did something clumsy and silly that you wouldn't admit to anyone.  The other...a Tetanus shot.  Yesterday was the day of vaccinations.  On the list was Tetanus, Polio, and Hepatitis A.  You know they warn you that the Tetanus shot will make your arm sore, but it's funny how I laughed it off and thought - "How bad could it be?"  Well the answer is - not that bad, but bad enough to not make me want to do it again.  Next up is a Yellow Fever vaccination, a round of oral medicine to prevent Typhoid, and a round of oral medication while in country to prevent Malaria.  From what I understand the oral medications can cause vivid nightmares and hallucinations.  How interesting!  I'll be sure to share if I see anything exciting.  This brings me to my next travel tip:

Travel Tip #2: Be sure to budget for your pre-travel health care needs!  Call your health insurance provider to verify if they will cover your pre-travel medical needs.  Many health insurance companies will not cover your visit, vaccinations, or oral medication for travel preparation - they are considered elective procedures because they are not normally medically necessary.  If you have not had your annual physical for the year, check with your doctor to see if he/she would be willing to combine the visits so that your insurance company is more likely to cover the cost of the visit.

129 Days Until Departure - My Ghanaian Name

I've always loved learning about Africa.  I'm not sure that I can explain why I feel drawn to Africa.  It's a gut feeling. Over the years, if I have learned anything, it's to follow my gut.  Is there anything more personal than a name?  I've always felt lucky that my name was unique and that not many people my age shared my name.  Consider the people that you admire or that have become famous, and often the most personal thing that we can recall about them in a split moment is their name. 

Are you familiar with Kofi Annan?  He served as the Secretary General of the United Nations for many years as I grew up.  Aside from his political views and his work on the African content as a diplomat to the United Nations, his name is the most personal thing that I know about him.  Kofi Annan is Ghanaian.  In Ghana your given name relates to the day of the week on which you were born.  Kofi (male born on Friday) Annan...

While there are some variations, my Ghanaian name would be Adwoa (for Monday - female) Theresa.  I was born on Monday September 3rd. 

131 Days Until Departure - Photo Biography

My husband and I were beginning to discuss plans for my departure to Ghana.  I was completely taken aback by how much I need to get done before I leave.  I have to give the credit to my husband on this great idea. 

Consider this tip #1 for traveling abroad, especially for doing volunteer work with youth: Bring along a photo-biography of yourself.  In areas where you may not speak the primary language visual or sight cues can help the discussion along!  When a child says what is ...  like in your country, you can show them!  It's a great way to share your life story!

I'm starting my photo-biography this week and plan to keep adding to it as I go.  I don't want to forget significant things in the collection of photos that will tell my life story.  Things even as simple as the change in seasons can't be overlooked!  Let me know what you think is important for me to include to tell the story of my life, life in the United States, and life in upstate New York?

WHAT ARE THE TOP 2 THINGS YOU THINK I SHOULD INCLUDE IN MY PHOTO-BIOGRAPHY?

134 Days Until Departure

Today marks 134 days until my departure to Ghana, West Africa.  On March 1, 2011 I finalized my enrollment in a 5 week internship in social services in Hohoe, Ghana.  Hohoe is a rural town in the Eastern portion of the country.  I do not know what my placement will be yet.  There is still much to do to prepare for the trip, but it feels like it's just around the corner.  I nervously applied for my passport on Wednesday.  Truthfully, I was surprised at how easy the process was.  The most nerve wracking part of course, was getting my picture taken, and surprisingly that wasn't even that bad!  I reflected a little today on what a whirlwind of emotions a trip like this carries with it.  I will be traveling for the first time on a plane...for the first time internationally...for the first time alone.  This trip is going to be filled with many firsts-it's time to embrace and appreciate the newness of it all!