By Megan Gignac

It’s Sunday night. We are just coming off the adrenaline high we experienced while attending the biggest rivalry in Ghana’s football match: Asante Kotoko versus Accra’s beloved Hearts of Oak, who unfortunately fell short in a 1-2 loss. Now that we were home for the night, the time had finally come to prepare for our first day of internships tomorrow. Oh man, was I nervous! What should I wear? Who will I meet? Will they like me? Will I remember how to get home? Will I be swamped with work? Do I even remember how to do advertising? These were all thoughts that flooded my brain as I tried to get some sleep. The next morning, we all loaded the bus bright and early, eager to finally get started on the next leg of our adventures. Kai and I were both interning at Innova DDB, an advertising agency here in Accra.

It was comforting to have a familiar face with me, but the nerves were still there: excitement, anxiety, anticipation, you name it, I was feeling it. When we arrived at the office, we were greeted with nothing but smiles and warm welcomes. We discussed our schedules for the next five weeks, which consisted of creative work, strategy, media planning, and account management. We got a tour of the campus and met probably close to 100 people who were all very welcoming to us. We settled in and began conversing with the coworkers around us. They asked us questions about our favorite sports teams, where we went to college, why we chose to come to Ghana, what Ghanaian food we’ve tried, and what our favorite experience has been here so far. As the nerves started to settle, I began to feel more confident about my place here, and I was excited for what was to come. Over the next week, I sat in on multiple brainstorming sessions, client pitches, copywriting lessons and strategy meetings. One coworker even took Kai and me on the route to get to the trotro. They showed us exactly what to do and what to say to the drivers so we could try out the public transportation once we felt confident enough.

I was really feeling all the nerves before starting the internship, which I’m sure is a fairly universal feeling—starting a new job can be scary! Or rather, the unknown can be scary. But if there is one thing that I have taken from my first week of work it is that Ghanaians are incredibly hospitable people. Everyone was constantly checking in on me—making sure I was comfortable, that I understood the meetings, that I was well fed, and that I was having a positive experience overall. From our coworkers to the Bolt drivers who took us to and from work, everyone has welcomed us to their country with open arms. It’s a feeling that I have never experienced before in any other part of the world, and it is something that I will take home with me and implement into my own life. I guess the moral of my story is that having an open mind and a willingness to embrace new people and experiences can turn even the scariest unknowns into something really beautiful! If I had let my nerves get the best of me, I might have missed out on the warmth and kindness I’ve already shared with so many new faces. I’m realizing now that the world feels a lot smaller and a lot friendlier when you let yourself be curious and brave enough to step into it fully.