After spending about 27 hours in airplanes/airports, my last plane landed in my hometown of Eugene, Oregon in the USA. It was raining, as usual, but didn't feel as cold as I was expecting. I walked out of the terminal to find my mom and dad waiting for me- it was great to get big hugs from the two of them! I was really glad to be home, but at the same time sad that my amazing adventure had come to an end. It was so surreal and strange to be home for the first week or two, but progressively got better as time passed. While the culture shock wasn't huge, it was there. The hardest part of being back to me was seeing the frivolous expenditures and how technology is ever-present in our everyday lives. It was hard to see people spending so much money on things they don't need such as designer clothing, televisions and ipods, after witnessing so many suffering from such abject poverty. Here people are constantly using their electronic devises; perhaps they should get their brains plugged directly into the internet to save some time... hahaha. In Ghana it is considered extremely rude and an insult to use your left hand; it was an adjustment to be able to do this - such a small thing, but it had made such a big impact on me! I can wave to people with my left hand, I can hand people things with my left hand, I can even eat with it if I want to! Yippe hooray!
Even though it's been almost three months since I left Africa I still think about it every single day. Ghana is never far in my mind, and I am constantly being reminded of my time there, by one thing or another. I have finally adjusted to the cold weather and my digestive tract is basically back to normal, which is a real plus!
Before I went to Ghana I was expecting a new culture and maybe even some culture shock, but gosh, it was SO different that I can't even really put it into words. It was hard at times, but all in all it was the best experience of my life, and it gave me a whole new perspective on so many things. What I miss the most about it is the incredibly rich culture, the vibrant colors, ancient traditions, and the amazingly kind people. There are some things I don't miss such as the excessive marriage proposals and extreme heat, but those were just necessary parts of the overall wonderful experience.
