Quick Update

Free travel was amazing. I spent a full week in Ada Foah, a little fishing town in South East Ghana. We stayed at Maranatha, a little beach camp--accesed by wooden canoe--on a sandy point. All of the proceeds of this beach camp go to the community that is situated directly besdie it. About 750 people live in the community and about half are children. Our money mostly goes to continuing to build a school that was set up 3 years ago becuase of this beach camp.

It was breathtaking and peaceful. On one side of our palm-branch-walled, thatched-roofed, sandy-floored beach hut was the wavy Gulf of Guinea and on the other side was the calm, fresh Volta River. They met at the end of the point and we walked all the way around every day. We swam, built sand castles, had heart to hearts, skinny dipped, walked, played, read, and basked in the sun. It was beautiful, relaxing, and a great time to reflect. I love Ghana and I love beaches.

On Thanksgiving, our whole group met at Maranatha for a wonderful evening of food, reflection, love-bucket-filling (A tradition our group has done throughout the semester where we go around the circle and tell one person what we love about them. It was my turn on Friday morning and truly made my bucket overflow with love.), and fellowship. We had cokolokos--local rum, coconut milk straight out of the coconut, and Coke. The staff caught wind of our holiday and group renion and made us a bonfire. We enjoyed being together so much. I was ever thankful that day. For the fact that I'll see family and friends so soon. For the amazing trip that is now almost finished. For the way Ghana has changed me because of it's beautiful people, culture, and land.

It was so odd to come back to campus after truly "roughing it" for a week. I got used to having no running water, electricity, sink or toilet. I got used to bathing in a river. I got used to being awake when the sun was awake. I got used to eating only three little meals a day (no snacks) and drinking liters and liters of water.

A complete difference from ISH which is a complete difference from where I will be on Thursday--home.

When we got back to campus, ISH looked like it had been repainted, my bed was incredibly comfortable, the shower seemed squeaky clean. I hadn't looked in a mirror for a week and that was really weird too. I am tan and blonde and skinnier. Eating on a budget and endless beach walks will do that to you.

I am so grateful for this semester. So much so that I feel torn or ripped or just strange. I can't start saying goodbye yet, but I'm thinking about it all the time. Part of me is ready to leave now. Another part of me is dreading that last day. I'm trying to enjoy every last moment of being in Ghana. And I'm stressing the fact that my bags will undoubtedly be overweight on the way home. Ah!

More when I get home...