FLASHBACK - The Beauty

There were countless things that captured my heart in Ghana.  Not the least of which being the love and character of the many wonderful people that I met during my time there.  I think about them on a nearly daily basis and find myself wondering if the impact that I had on them could be nearly as deep as the impact that they surly had on me.  I expected in some way to fall in love with Ghana before I departed on my trip, but had no idea the transformation that was in store for me during my time there.  I became a wholly different person.  Sure the "me" I have always been is still inside of me, but the way that I think, what and whom I think about, and my goals in life have transformed considerably.  That is the one thing I was not completely prepared for.  I had spent so much time concerned about being prepared with the "things" that I would need for my trip and was quite unprepared for considering how different my life would be upon my return to the United States.  Beyond all of this transformation came a transformation in my ability to retreat.  Prior to my trip I had not understood in conscience or in practice how to truly be alone, at one with my surroundings, or at peace with much of anything.  I am the type of person who cannot simply turn off my thoughts at night.  I struggle sleeping, have never been able to quiet my mind long enough to meditate, and constantly think, worry, and ponder.

Ghana taught me something new about myself.  I had long since given up on being able to turn off my thoughts. I had given up on finding peace within myself and committed my life to helping others find peace.  While I was surrounded by people almost every second of my five week journey, I somehow gained an ability during that time to retreat within myself.  On the exterior my fellow travelers may have never guessed it as I was my usual talkative self...but inside I was deeply contemplating life without having a single formed thought around it.  My mind was quiet like it had never been before.  I can't explain the transformation.  I am not equipped with the knowledge or language to put words to it, but I somehow became different.  At home now, I long to be alone for just a moment in silence to be a simple part of the world.  I rarely get this time, but when I do I know better now how to cherish it.  I believe that there is something special about the spiritual experience that I had in Ghana.  I often question what it was about my experience in Ghana that was so touching for me.  For this question; I have no answer.  These few pictures are all I have to try to put this experience into something more tangible for others to see, feel, and understand.

FLASHBACK - To Live is to Eat

I know you've been dying to find out...what is the food like?!?  Well the long and short of it is - it depends on where you are.  The food here overall is quite good.  At the home base breakfast is usually boiled eggs (mmm fortunately I love these), avocados, and fruit like mango or pineapple.  Lunch is usually chicken pieces (usually the legs), red sauce (a very delicious somewhat spicy red tomato sauce good on chicken or rice or come to think of it...just about anything!), white rice, seasoned up stewed black eyed peas, sometimes cucumbers and sometimes pasta.  Dinner is just about the same as lunch, but every once and a while we're treated with some beef, potatoes or green beans and we all rejoice!

Out in town we don't do much eating.  We do enjoy a drink or two at the local watering hole called Obama Gardens (or Obama's).  They have a great non-alcoholic drink here called Alvaro and it comes in pineapple, pear or passion fruit flavors.  It is really delicious!  Among our favorites as well are Vita-Milk, Orange Fanta, and the ever available Coca-Cola. Two of my favorite snacks out in town are fried yams with a chili condiment and boiled peanuts!  The food on the weekend trips is usually to die for!  When we visited Lake Volta we ate at a restaurant inside of a nice resort hotel.  The food was beyond compare.  Truthfully it was likely good average food in general for a restaurant but because we are so accustomed to eating so much of the same thing everyday it makes it feel like a truly special treat!  The only problem is choosing what you want from the big menu.  YUM!  I chose Singapore noodles and spring rolls and went home full and joyful!  My tummy and soul were fed!  I do miss being home, cooking, running to the grocery store late at night to satisfy a craving, and sharing in a potluck with friends!

FLASHBACK - The Animals

It is amazing what simple things in life that you notice when you look long and hard enough to see them.  Every morning I wake up early.  A beautiful little rooster and his hen girlfriend have made the bushes outside of my window their little den.  When the sun is up (5:30am - no daylight savings time in Ghana), I am up too!  The rooster welcomes in the day with a big crow and alerts me that it's time to begin my routine.  Most every morning I get myself ready and go sit out on the porch step until it's time to leave for my placement.  As you watch...first a few people might happen by.  Some on their way to their shops, others hauling water, and even still some carrying wood or on their way to the market.  The children begin filing by in their uniforms ready for schools.  All smiling and generally happy to be greeted with Ndi (Good Morning!)!

Then the races begin.  The roosters all find themselves the nicest looking hens and attempt to woo them.  Up and down the road they run one after the other - the hens almost always outsmarting or out running the roosters in any case.  Next come the dogs.  The dogs here are not quite like our dogs at home.  They are markedly more independent - some with homes some just roaming the neighborhood.  Many of them have a bit smaller head and larger stature than the average dog at home.  They are usually a bit thinner, have long legs, slender bodies, and big ears to keep alert.  Truthfully, you are never really sure if they are staring at you wishing they could get closer for attention...or wondering what you might taste like.

Just before the driver pulls in to take me to placement the lizards begin emerging for the day.  They crawl out of little homes - cracks and crevices and make their way into the sun.  They dive into the moist mud created by the night's rain and find a place to hide from the busy feet of the children still passing by.  There is no other place like it.  In Ghana the animals all tend to roam much more freely than at home including the goats, sheep, and cattle that people own.  They appear to have their favorite grazing spots that they travel to almost like going to work in the mornings and then they head back home to their owner's land at night.  It's really quite simple, but simply amazing.  I still think to myself every day...it must be a good life to be a goat in Hohoe.