As we enter our final hours in Ghana, I’m forced to consider the things I will miss here. As well as the things, I am excited to return to in Portland. It’s hard to encapsulate the emotions and experiences I’ve had on this trip in words. I want to say so much, and write with great eloquence- but I stammer and stumble every time I sit to write. The beauty and wonder of this experience is not something that I will ever be describable in one sentence, one blog post, or even one person’s perspective. So, I will share some sentiments that have had the greatest impact on my perspective while living here, as I try to see my experience from the bigger picture.

What I will miss:

The many people that showed unconditional welcoming and love throughout my time. I cannot explain the type of kindness that so many showed. It was as if we both recognized the differences between us and our upbringing- but that was something that brought us closer to each other. We are diverse in nature- I appreciated those that inquired into these differences, rather than those attributing their own judgements from their interpretation of the media.

Fresh mangos, pineapple, and bananas that were bought from “fruit ladies” across town. The first time I got a mango, I didn’t know how to cut it, and thus made a mess and a fool of myself. After that time, the sellers would slice it for me if I asked. There were 3-4 stands within a 5-10-minute walk from our house. There was never a shortage of fruit in our house.

Sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience with 17 other colleagues studying similar things with similar professional interests as me. Now, I think I am much more capable of working with others- as we all shared one kitchen with one stove and 6 guys shared one bathroom with one shower and one toilet.

The vibrant scenery. It has, and will continue to inspire many of the things I create in the future. It also helped me improve my photography skills significantly.

The opportunities to work with creative people through my internship. I had the honor of directing two music videos for musicians in the music union.

Things I won’t miss:

  • Spotty WIFI connection. I (as well as the rest of the group) am a media student, meaning I stream, download, and upload things online constantly. It’s truly an addiction. Distancing myself was beneficial for taking in the environment here, but was not necessarily beneficial to my workflow- as I am a multimedia producer- continually looking for tutorials and inspiration online. Also, streaming music was not really an option. I was forced to deal with the limited amount of music on my old ipod- after losing my 160gb ipod classic during my move-out from my house in Eugene just a week before leaving.
  • Hand washing my laundry. It never gets that clean, simple as that.
  • Tropical heat and humidity. You walk around with a coating of stickiness all the time. I also sweat incessantly.

~ In my opinion, anything worth doing has an element of struggle to it. ~