I would by no means say I’m settled into Ghana. I may have unpacked the bags, switched my currency, and bought a Ghanaian flag but I’m still working on getting into the swing of things. After a long 36 hours of traveling, I finally arrived in Ghana.

From the moment I left until I arrived I felt wildly unprepared. I felt like I was jumping into a shark tank wearing nothing but a speedo and a scuba mask. When the plane’s wheels hit the ground in Accra I felt my heart rate spike. That’s when it really hit me that I was there and the continent I always pictured as so distant and mysterious was my new reality.

As I walked down the aisle of the plane, I knew I was about to step out into something unlike anything I had ever experienced before. As I emerged from the plane and walked onto the runway I took a look around and had my first impression of Ghana. It was hot. I don’t know what I expected my first moment in Africa to be like but I guess I thought it would have been slightly more climactic.

When I went to bed that night, I thought a lot about how I could approach this trip. The way I saw it there was two ways. The first would be to take things slow, feeling things out one step at a time. The second would be to wake up and jump into it. I chose the latter.

The only way I can describe my first day in Ghana is like a child going to Toys “R” Us for the first time. Everything was over-stimulating and I couldn’t ever focus on anything. One minute I was bartering for a flag with a shopkeeper and the next I was trying to convince his brother to trade me a soccer jersey for a Super Bowl shirt. Everybody was so animated and alive and treated me with such kindness.

Later that evening, the group and I attended a World Cup viewing party sporting our new Ghana apparel. Even though we were obviously not from Ghana, they accepted and treated us like full-blown fans. In return, I thought it was only appropriate to act like a full-blown fan. Both times Ghana scored, I found myself running around the courtyard jumping into the arms of any Ghanaian that opened them up to catch me. It was by far the most fun I’ve ever had at a sporting event.

I know this blog is coming off as more as a recap of events instead of my thoughts but that’s because I’ve been way too excited and busy to sit down and process anything fully. This honeymoon phase with Ghana may not last forever but for right now I’m happy to say there is no place I’d rather be.