I’ve been Ghana for about a week now and the realization that I’m in Africa didn’t sink in until this morning when we were trekking through the back allies of Nima in the pouring rain, looking for a local school, where we had the privilege to watch children preform for us and after give them pens, paper and other supplies as donations.

Thus far, all my surroundings seem so familiar. Everything from the humidity, the heat, the makeshift stores alongside the endless dirt roads, the smells, the stray dogs, the concrete walls…

Everyday I’m reminded of the time I spent in Cambodia and Peru. Although I’m on a different continent, the context seems so similar.

I haven’t felt completely out of my element yet and I think it’s because of the luck we’ve had since we left for this trip. I didn’t anticipate that Sumi, Tianna and I would be bumped up to first class on our my Emirates flight from Seattle to Dubai, which helped make our two days of travel less miserable. In addition to the guarded palace compound that we live in here in Accra (which couldn’t be any father from a typical house in Ghana) and the daily breakfast that has been cooked for us since we arrived, it doesn’t feel like we are as far away from home. Actually, it’s somewhat of an upgrade from my grandmother’s blow-up mattress, covered in holes and flopped on her living room floor, which is where I have been sleeping since finals ended.

We’ve done so many things in these past seven days that it’s hard to wrap my head around it all. Overall, I feel that I’ve been adjusting well to the subtle differences that we’ve experienced living in Africa, disregarding the few sleepless nights I’ve had where I woke up in a puddle of sweat. I’m also no longer bothered by the possible hives break out that I developed due to my bug spray. In addition, sleeping under a drenched bug net with Cortizone anti-itch cream has also become a comfortable norm.

Nothing has seemed surreal thus far, just never-ending. However, watching Saturday’s FIFA World Cup game: Ghana vs. Germany, and hearing all the Ghanaians vibrate the Living Room Lounge and Grill with an uproar of excitement made me realize how things that are less-important for us are very important to other cultures. That night was so much fun because of the energy that they had and it inspired me to pay more attention to world affairs from this point forward.

Out of everthing we did this week, like going to the botanical gardens, experiencing Reggae Night, and watching the FIFA games, it has all has by far surpassed the entire lazy, Oregon summer that I would have had back home. Therefore, I’m happy to be here and I greatly look forward to my internship on Monday.