Home sweet home.

One last blog. I've been procrastinating on writing this one...as it makes me sad to think this adventure is over. I feel the pressure to write something to beautifully summarize my entire experience. However, after a month of thinking and trying, I haven't been able to yet, so I will just write this:

I arrived home in Seattle on Monday, May 5. (Oh, and by the way, I had zero hassle in Amsterdam with my bags - no tears were necessary. United Airlines allows 52 kilos and I was up to 54 by then. I was all prepared to ship my big bag home, but the lady didn't bat an eyelash and even allowed my two extra kilos. Sweet). My flights were fine and I avoided jet lag by staying awake during the entire ten-hour flight from Amsterdam to Seattle. My family met me at the airport. It was so great to see them!!!

Since I have been back, I've been dodging rent by staying with my family and friends. I have found a little apartment in West Seattle, though, and will move in July 1. It will be nice to be settled again.

Culture shock has been ok. I think it's not too bad, since everything is already familiar to me. Stores, in general, are a little overwhelming, though. We have so many choices. The gas prices stink, but I think that's shocking to everyone, eh?

I will be going back to my teaching job at Nelsen this fall. I am looking forward to teaching again; hopefully with a new perspective and attitude. I am really excited to teach a new Africa unit!

I miss Ghana immensely. I am sad to be gone. I am sad it's so far away. I am sad I can't see my friends everyday.

A lot of people have asked me what I've learned. I thought it would all be clear to me once I got home, but I think that I will be continuing to learn from this experience for the rest of my life. Some things that I have realized, though...

1. I went to Ghana expecting to teach children who I thought would be so eager to learn. I expected them to be like baby birds just waiting with their mouths open to accept whatever education I could impart on them. I thought that the Ghanaian children who were, in effect, privileged to receive an education, would be doing everything they could to maximize their learning, unlike my cynical perception of American children. While there were certainly students who did this; it was not a majority. Most kids there were just like kids here. A lot didn't care too much about their education. Some didn't even come to school (for a variety of reasons), and many just liked to goof off and play around. It was a reality check for me. I think I went to Ghana with this Polly-Anna outlook, and it was definitely not true. Some things in this world are universal. Kids are kids.

2. Child-rearing is entirely different in Ghana. It takes a village. Literally. It seemed, at times, that the entire population of children were hanging out at Namaskar House in Ejura. I met a few of their parents, but not many. The kids were fairly independent. Three-year-olds walked to school alone - or with another three-year-old. Kids went to school. Or didn't. Parents were busy working at the market or at their jobs. Babies were carried on mama's backs all day long. There was no "stranger-danger." Fathers, in general, (from what I saw) were not as involved in the raising of the children.

3. Corruption is alive and well at every level.

4. Ghanaian people are one of the kindest, warmest, and most welcoming people I have ever met. Not once did I feel unsafe or afraid of my surroundings (wait - I did feel slightly nervous when I accompanied Maaike to the police station to file a theft report - ironic, eh)? I had help whenever I needed it, and most of the time, before I even had to ask. People would walk me directly to where I needed to go, would carry my bags, would help me with anything I needed. Almost everyone was friendly, and said hello and goodbye, while looking me in the eye. Ghanaians are an amazing group of people. They are fighting the fight, and yet, they are happy. Most are poor, though honestly, I didn't witness a lot of downright poverty and hunger. When everyone around you is poor, it just becomes the norm and doesn't seem strange or bad.

There are so many more lessons I've learned and the more ideas I type, the more I think of. I know for sure that my experience in Ghana has changed me as a person; though how much and in what way is not entirely clear yet. I look forward to figuring it out over the next fifty years. I know that I didn't regret a minute of it.

Thanks for all your interest, encouragement, and support over the last nine months! This blog has been a great way for me to share my experiences with you. Thanks to my mom's friend, Sheri, who printed it all out and had it bound in a beautiful book for me. What a wonderful gift! Oh, and by the way, I went back and added some corresponding photos to each entry, so if you have an hour or eight, feel free to take a look. =)

Have a fantastic summer!

Love to you all.

Sarah

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