Another week in Ghana has passed, and despite myself I’m glad for it. As much of an amazing experience this is and  how much I’m learning, I am ready to be home. I miss Oregon air and the water.

Truthfully, living, working and commuting in a different country is pretty hard.

Something that is harder than I expected is talking to my coworkers about our countries. They ask me how I like Ghana so far. And of course I like it! I like the people and the colorful culture. However I don’t like the heat and humidity, the open sewage system and strewn trash with the accompanying stink. I don’t like the traffic or the near-death experiences by car. Do I mention these things? I don’t want to sound disrespectful of their country, or sound like I’m looking down on them, trying to position my country above theirs.

So, I usually comment that yes, I’m liking Ghana (this is true), however I don’t like the hot weather (they can’t change the weather) and that the people are very nice (this is also very true). Sometimes I also throw in a joke about the times I’ve gotten lost on the local public transport system, the Tro Tro.

However one time a coworker asked me about what I think Ghana could do better. Another time, a fellow intern asked me how Oregon is different from Ghana. Both times I had to stop myself from bragging about the clean water, the (mostly) clean streets, the (relatively) clean rivers and the food that doesn’t give me cramps. I try to be methodical about my answers, because I love Oregon and I want others to love it too, but not at the expense of being ashamed of their own country.

Because Ghana, despite her problems, is an amazing place with deep history, interesting people and a culture unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced.

I’m eager to stay these next four weeks and continue learning and growing and experiencing. However, I can’t help but daydream about touching back down in Portland on August 7th. It’s a weird emotion.