By Romie Avivi Stuhl

My greeting to Ghana began before I even landed in Accra. I boarded my final flight of the trip, walking in with my right foot first, as always. I sat down in my chair and the woman next to me, Ohimma, helped me place my bag in the overhead bin. I was surprised by her kindness and thanked her as I sat down. I don’t know how our conversation began, but Ohimma and I connected before the plane even departed. She told me she grew up in Ghana but moved to Seattle almost two years ago to live with her now ex-husband. Throughout the flight we shared stories about our past, she helped me with my Twi and we even created some inside jokes.

Ohimma was easy to connect to. Her warmth and genuineness felt foreign from my usual interactions in the U.S. She gave me her phone number and told me to stay in touch. We even decided we might go out together later that night.

As we exited the airport together Ohimma introduced me to her family, who I think may actually be her friends. In Ghanaian culture you refer to people as sisters or uncles even if you aren’t related by blood. It is seen as a way of showing respect.

Only five hours after landing in Ghana I was already riding in an Uber with Karis, one of the other students on the trip, to meet with Ohimma at a nearby restaurant, Chez Amis. Ohimma treated us to some chicken, rice and veggies. We washed our hands over a bowl of water and ate the food with our hands. The food was filled with flavor and lots of spice! I kept wanting to go for another bite but with each one my lips burned a little more.

After the restaurant we headed to Exhale Lounge, a bar located in the center of East Legon. A saxophonist played live music filling the room with energy. We danced the night away until 1 a.m., a perfect ending to my long day of travel and first night in Ghana.