On my hour-long commute to my internship with StratComm Africa, I stick my head out the window of the tro tro I am on to catch a bit of wind as relief from the humidity. Being driven between my home in East Legon and Nkrame Circle where I work, I find myself mulling over all my various experiences during my first two weeks in Ghana.

I am particularly stuck on what a coworker asked me during a lunch break at StratComm Africa. Sitting next to me as I ate my chicken and jolaf rice, the Creative Director asked me what I thought America’s perception of Africa was. At the time, I was unable to answer in full, as I had not worked out the series of emotions associated with that question.

When I first told friends and family I was going to Ghana for the summer to work, many asked me what kind of service project I would be doing, or asked if I was going on a safari to see wild animals. Before I left, I made sure to clear from my mind any preconceived notions of what I thought Africa would be like, as I knew doing so would make for a better experience.

Some people warned me that this trip would be a culture shock; that Africa would be hard to adjust to in comparison to the life I am familiar with in the U.S. After two weeks here, what stood out to me the most wasn’t what was so different, but commonality of human experiences from continents to continent.

Yes, it is hotter here. Yes, they speak different languages. Yes, the food is different – more spicy and more flavorful. But there is one outstanding consistency I have seen, rooted in the universal human condition and in the relationships we have with one another. I see this exemplified in my experiences.

Talking with Margaret, a local girl from Nima, she told me of her life at home. Despite the language barriers, we had many things in common. As she told me about a fight involving tattletailing with her little sister, I thought back to the same kind of petty disagreements I have had time and time again with my little sister at home.

Margaret talked about wanting to find work now that her schooling was over so she could stop relying on her mother, a thought that crosses my mind often with graduation around the corner. Over the course of my night with Margaret, more than anything else she made me laugh, hard, as if we had been friends for years.

I see the commonalty of human existence in the experiences of my coworkers. The other day I was reading my desk mate Aqosua’s article published in Bloom magazine. In this article Aqosua talked about the daily annoyance of the unavoidable commuter traffic, taking me back to sitting in my car at a standstill on the 405, trying to get to my first 9-5 job on time.

Thinking back to what the Creative Director asked me, the answer I have is disheartening. From my experiences of people’s perception at home, many imagine Africa as an estranged universe, completely dissimilar from the world we live in the U.S. Not only are we similar, but my experiences in Ghana have opened my eyes to how uniquely beautiful and vibrant this culture is. For now, I can only hope sharing what I take in here will be understood in a new light.