On my way...

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So this entry is a bit delayed, I left until the very last minute, and by very last minute I mean that my cab to the airport is coming in an hour and a half! At 5:30pm I will be on my way to Ghana for the next ten months. The very popular question is "Has it hit you yet?" and my response as of yesterday was yes! Hardly seems real that what I have been waiting for since I came to UofT is now upon me. I am excited, but also a bit nervous and scared about all the unknown factors that are a part of this trip.

The last couple of times I wrote, I didn't have a lot of details about what I will be doing in Ghana, so I thought I would get everyone up to speed. While I am away, I will be working through the World University Service of Canada's volunteer program, Uniterra, with their local partner in Ghana, the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition. My job title is Education Policy Assistant, which could mean any number of things once I get on the ground! The organization works through advocacy to develop a better primary school system throughout the country. They are a nation wide organization and I am excited to see what I can learn about the issues of and surrounding education within the country. I think I will be putting to use my skills in policy writing, editing, and data collection while as an intern with GNECC. Although I am based in Accra, the capital of the country with a whooping 2 million people, I am hoping that I will get to travel for work and for pleasure so that I can see parts of Ghana that aren't as urban and modern as I have heard Accra is.

I leave today from Pearson International and will be flying to Frankfurt, Germany where I have a 4 hour stop over and then onwards to Accra from there. The time difference is 6 hours ahead (Ghana is pretty much right below London -- in fact my coordinates are 8N and 2W! -- as close to 0/0 as one can get!), so we'll see what kind of jet lag I experience! I am looking forward to my frist fligth across the Atlantic as well as the challenges that lay ahead of me on this journey. My first will be finding a place to live! I will have assistance from the organization, but ultimately I am responsible for finding and taking care of all relations regarding my accommodations. Already the challenges begins!

I hope to keep the blog updated once every week to two weeks, so stay in tune! I will also be publishing photos so you can all have a visual taste of things I am describing.

So good bye for now, I wish everyone the best of luck in the coming year and don't be strangers! I do love getting mail -- hand written or virtual 😊

XOXO
Courtney

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Comments

[Veronica]

AAHHHH
Hey girly, I hope you make it there safely..... t minus 10 months has begun! I miss u already, Lots of love, XOXOXOXO, Veronica

[jenika]

UGHHHHHHHHHHH so excitiiiiing! the nerves are tingling, good luck my dear! can't wait to hear about it :)