Hind sight is 20/20 Part 2

Hind Sight is 20/20 Part 2 11/06/16

Have you discovered new music while abroad? Oh my goodness, yes I have. Music is an intricate part of the Ghanaian culture. The rhythm is hypnotic and it will swallow you whole!
What have you done abroad that you don't do at home? I don't necessarily like using the word submit, but that's kinda what I did. In the states you do "x" and "y" happens. If you do "x" in Ghana, "L,M,N,O, and P" are gonna kick you in the face. Nothing goes as planned, there is no protocol. You need to immediately learn how to roll with the punches. When I was in my hostile phase, this drove me up the wall. I learned to embrace it, I took it home with me and now I cherish it. The little stuff doesn't even pop up on my radar any more. I feel so much more present and relaxed in my life. 
What do you do differently?  In Ghana, I don't work, I don't pay bills, I don't maintain a house. I live my life, make friends, I study and I enjoy every moment of my life. 
Who do you spend your time with? I have met a few Ghanaian friends. They are all so welcoming and so happy to share their culture. I Mostly hung out with the friends I made in my study abroad program. 
Are you meeting new people?  All day, everyday. Ghanaian's are so outgoing, social and self-confident. Nobody is sucked into their stupid electronic devices. Their culture works because the people work, and they work by working together. 
What does your university/classroom look like? When I first arrived it was overcast all the time, it was just the season for it. I am from Northern Arizona so I'm only used to sunshine. It reminded me of my dreary life in Chicago! After a few weeks the sun came out and it never quit. I loved it! I also loved walking around campus because it was alive, it was alive with fragrant flowers, a chorus of birds, and the most vibrant people you ever did see. Everything here is outdoors, our tutorials were held in a garden. I was often distracted by the birds, millipedes, the beautiful woman that wore a ripe pregnant belly as she nursed her toddler daughter and sold water and bananas to the students that were coming to and from tutorials. All of my classrooms had gigantic doors and windows that opened up to the outdoors. I was always outside while I was in Ghana and that's my favorite place to be in the whole world.
What is your favorite thing about your host university? The people. My American friends because we all depended on one and other for so very much. The locals because they were so generous, genuine, helpful, thoughtful and caring. 
Favorite trip or excursion? Going on safari in Mole National Park. Holy crap! I went on safari!! I slept on the rainforest floor. At night, my friends and I made poor life choices and together we crept down to the river in the dark. We sat in silence for hours, not a word was said. We gazed at the stars, listened to the wind in the leaves of the mammoth trees, and we were all on edge, terrified that a predator would devour us. Thankfully, we survived to tell the story. Best nights of my life! 
Is there a secret spot only locals know? A million. Internet isn't really a thing there yet. You gotta meet the people and get out there. There is so much to see and do.
A landmark of personal significance to you? The slave trade castle. I still don't have words to explain that experience, I don't think I ever will.
What are your favorite sights, smells and sounds of your study abroad neighborhood? The smiles on peoples faces. The smell of sweat on the trotro, the music everywhere you go.
What tips would you give a student who wants to meet the locals? Bring a travel coffee mug from home. Fill it with instant coffee because that's the only coffee you'll find there, then sit anywhere. People will approach you. You can do this on campus, at the mall, in the market, anywhere. UNPLUG FROM YOUR PHONE :)!!! Open yourself up to engaging with others. This works stateside too!
What are your favorite words from your host language? I did not learn the language, but there are a few phrases I liked. If you don't want something, you say "no please". Everyone is very polite.
Who inspired you to go abroad? My cousin Bill. I had only met him a few times in my life because he was always overseas on some grand adventure with the Peace Corps. During the holidays his parents, my aunt and uncle, would pass pictures of him around the table and share his stories. 
Who do you want to thank? I want to thank my cousin Bill for inspiring me and I want to thank Mariel my advisor for making it happen!
Does being abroad make you think any differently about what it means to be "an American"? I still don't know what to make of it. A large part of me is so ashamed. I feel that as an American I am so far removed from everything that really matters in life. We create these superficial problems to worry about, like who has the greener grass, while people in other parts of the world are legitimately just trying to stay alive. I love warm showers, I love having a voice as a woman, I love that I have never needed to dial "911," but if I 
need to, I can and they will be there for me. I hate that I get upset if the grocery store is out of Fuji apples, so what? Pick one of the other 10 varieties available. I love that my health is easy to maintain. But I am sad that my life is so regimented, I am sad that there are a million American expectations that dictate how I should live my life. 
What's the best thing about being home? Having choices. I only had cold showers overseas. You could only have the fruit that was ripe, you could only have what was available. This went for anything, the most basic things, food, water, transportation, clothes, everything. Everything was done out of necessity, not choice. Now that I'm back, I have these choices. However, they seem less important now.
What's the hardest? Ghana is done. I feel like the anticipation of an adventure is one of the best parts. When I was there I tried to stay present in each moment and enjoy it to the fullest. However, we all know time flies when you're having fun. I woke up every single morning facing my window and smiling to myself thinking "I'm in Africa!" Every morning! Now I am back. I don't get to wake up that way anymore. Also, everyone would enthusiastically ask, "How was it?" I would respond with, "It was great!" 
How was it? How can I sum any one part of it up? Seeing our waste as Americans was hard, how we waste food, water, resources, everything. Seeing how much we all take everything for granted, not just or food and water, but our basic needs and our human rights, or standard of living. That is the hardest!
How was your experience different from what you expected? I really didn't know what to expect, so I went in with an open mind. Only thing I can say, is that the experience as whole was far better than anything I could have ever wanted.
What stereotypes did you have about your study abroad destination? 
I'm not sure. I know most folks in my social circle were shocked to hear that I didn't live in a grass hut. 
What do you wish you'd done differently? Not a whole lot. I think I would have tried to make stronger friendships with my Ghanaian classmates. 
How did studying abroad impact your future? I have so much more self-confidence. I feel comfortable navigating the globe, if I can make it there, I think I can make it anywhere. It has probably saved me from a premature heart attack. I am so much less stressed in my daily life, because I learned that everything really does work itself out. It has definitely made me tougher. It also looks super good on a resume and I'm pretty sure that experience helped me get the dream job that I currently have.  
Have you changed the way you live as a result of your experience abroad? 100% Yes! I appreciate what I have so much more. I have a new found value for my basic human rights as a person and especially as a woman. I am calmer. I also have a gigantic sense of pride knowing that I did something amazing with my life. Most people want to do something extraordinary but are to scared or lazy to make it happen. Just because my life is pretty complicated, this was an extremely challenging and time consuming process, making this adventure happen. But I fought tooth and nail and I made it happen. I'm very proud of myself. I've also learned to take that sense of pride and accomplishment and I apply it to every other facet of my life. I know I really can make anything happen if I just try hard enough.  
What did you learn about yourself? I am strong. I have courage. I'm good at rolling with the punches. And when I get knocked down, I will get back up. I really, truly love people. I really, truly love Ghana. I learned how fortunate I am that I had an experience like this.
What do you miss most from abroad? The people and being there. If I could, I would go back in a second.
What does "reverse culture shock" mean to you? It's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. I left my home as a round peg and I was really vulnerable overseas. There were so many new experiences and between the vulnerability and the new stuff, I really had to change and adapt quickly. I was busy just trying to survive, I didn't realize how much I had changed until I came home and tried to fit back into my life. I wasn't the same. I had a hard time with everything. The produce section of the grocery store was overwhelming, hot showers were mind-boggling, everything was sensory overload! I honestly hardly remember the first two weeks back. I was in a daze, I was seeing everything with new eyes and I wasn't sure how the new me fit into my old life. I would say that it took a whole month until I got my groove back. Then I was better than ever!
Do you think of America any differently now that you have returned?
Trump was elected while I was overseas. That was pretty humiliating being laughed at by pretty much everyone I met in Ghana, Togo, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Palestine. I took a week to travel while I was there. Sometimes I feel ashamed of how ungrateful we are for the most part. But I also really do appreciate all of the rights and privileges we are afforded. I have a long list of how I think of America differently now. Education, here I feel like we take education for granted. Most people have access to education in the states. Most people don't have access to education in Ghana. In the states you hear people all the time complaining about class, and homework. In Ghana it truly is a privilege to go to school, you will never hear a student complain about school. 
How do you plan to get involved in other international activities?
Ugh, I'm old. I need to do that whole, get a real job and plan for your future thing. I'm just grateful that I had the experience and maybe one day I'll find my way back :)
What's your general advice for students preparing to go abroad? 
Just do it! Ditch your expectations and just go. Make friends, be free, make it happen. Plan ahead and get some scholarships, like "Go".
How about for students going on your study abroad program? Only bring one bottle of bug spray. Journal, journal and journal. It'll be only a distant memory before you know it.