By Romie Avivi Stuhl

7 a.m.
My alarm clock went off and I snoozed it hoping to get a few extra minutes of sleep. When it went off a second time I got out of bed and put on my pre-picked first day of work outfit. I then packed my bag with my Chromebook, Ghana journal, reporting notebook, pencil pouch, water and a few snacks. Before heading out I took one last photo with the Finder newspaper Leslie gave me, the only information I had about the publication until now.

8:30 a.m.
We loaded into the van to head over to our internships. As we slowly rolled through traffic people shared some of their hopes and expectations for their internship. I had a hard time imagining what my day would be like but I thought the interior of the newsroom would have an off-white color and desks would be set in cubicle organization but less private. I could feel my growing nerves in my tummy and took soe deep breaths throughout the ride.

9:40 a.m.
Leslie, Senyo, Troy and Charlotte walked me into my first day of work. The entrance and bright red stairs were dimly lit. I watched my step as I entered the air conditioned newsroom which consisted of several wooden desks and mismatched chairs. My boss, Elvis, invited them to sit down in the office and chat. They didn’t have a lot of time because seven students were still waiting on the van, but they got pressured into staying a few minutes. Before leaving Leslie took a photo of my coworkers and me. As the faculty walked out the door I realized that this is really happening! I am at my first internship as a reporter, in Ghana!

10 a.m.
One of my coworkers dropped me off at the MTN, a mobile technology company, headquarters. Chrystabel, a fellow reporter, was waiting for me inside to cover the launch of Small and Medium Enterprises month. We recorded the hour-long event and received a goodie bad and refreshments on our way out.

11:50 a.m.
I had been planning to ride a tro-tro, public transport van, at some point during this trip but didn’t think it would happen on my very first day of work. As Chrystabel and I left the MTN event she invited me to ride the tro-tro with her back to the office. We crossed the very busy streets and hopped into the tro-tro. Chrystabel took care of the direction, pay and getting off. The ride wasn’t as scary or crazy as I expected, but the van was definitely cramped and hot.

12:10 p.m.
Chrystabel and I arrived at the office and sat in the lunchroom to eat the food we received at the event. The lunchroom consisted of a square desk, two black chairs, (one of which had its back half off) a sink and microwave. As we ate our fish and rice we talked about movies, TV and radio, each sharing our own preferences. Chrystabel shared with me that she likes to listen to the morning preacher radio show.

12:30 p.m.
Chrystabel and I sat side by side working on our article about the MTN event. She asked me to transcribe some of the speakers as she wrote the bulk of the article. I didn’t bring any earbuds and had a hard time understanding the recording on my phone due to a mix of strong accents and loud newsroom. My coworkers were chatting and laughing in a language I could not understand. I told Chrystabel I hope to attend a Ghanaian wedding during my time here and to let me know if she knew of any. She told me she’s going to her best friend’s wedding on Saturday and I can join her. I couldn’t believe my dream was already coming to fruition.

3:20 p.m.
One of my coworkers informed me I’ll be working with him tomorrow on a story about the opening of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the burial location of Ghana’s first president. Chrystabel suggested I order an Uber before traffic gets bad and I left the office, already looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure!

My first day of work was full of new memories and experiences. While the newsroom itself is small, my coworkers filled it with endless energy and kindness. I can’t imagine what the next five weeks have in store for me, but I am so excited to find out!