As I’m lying in bed watching Netflix to make up for my two-month withdrawal, I realize I’ve already fully adjusted to my routine at home. In the week that I’ve been home, I’ve gone out to dinner with family and friends, to the movies, on a 9-mile hike, to a concert, and more. Even though things are back to normal, I find myself thinking about and missing the oddest Ghanaian things. Since my return, here’s a list of things that have run through my head or I’ve actually said that my friends have pointed out:
“Wow! I missed tap water so much.”
“It felt amazing to flush my toilet paper.”
“Why are the pineapples yellow?”
“I miss my coconut man.”
“It’s weird that I don’t have to worry about falling into gutters.”
“I actually know what kind of meat I’m eating!”
“Are you sure you want to buy that shirt? That’s like 50 cedis.”
“What?”
“Why don’t they sell Clubs here?”
“I miss Rasta Goat.”
“Oh my gosh. Real cheese.”
“I don’t want a donut right now. I just wish I had a bufrot.”
“A FanIce sounds great right now.”
“I forgot oranges were actually orange.”
“ALL. THE. VEGETABLES!”
“Lipton doesn’t taste as good anymore.”
“Where’s my Nokia? I want to play Snake.”
“Is it socially acceptable for me to get a salad right now?”
“We’re at McDonalds”
“Yeah, I got over 100 bug bites… Yes, those marks on my legs are from them.”
“I don’t have 10 cents, but I have 10 pesewas… It’s a Ghanaian coin, does this work?”
“Two ice waters please… Wow, so glad water is free again.”
I even accidentally asked someone how many cedis something was at a farmers market. Oops!
Actually… I miss a lot of the little things, like waking up knowing you’ll have the strangest adventure that day and knowing everyone else will have their own adventures to tell. It wasn’t long until I had the realization that it felt like camp – getting stuck living with a group of random weirdoes (<3) who have one thing in common (shout out to journalism). I loved waking up to a house full of people, always having someone to talk to or hang out with, and growing to adapt to one another, as well as to Ghana. I don’t know what to say without getting too sentimental. It was an unforgettable experience.