By Kai Fontenot
Goodbyes are always harder than you think they’ll be. As my time in Ghana came to a close, I found myself saying goodbye over and over to people, places, routines, and even foods that had become a part of my everyday life. Each goodbye carried its own weight, and together they reminded me of just how meaningful this trip was.
Saying goodbye to my cohort was the first step. When I arrived in Ghana, I didn’t know a single person. By the end, those same people had become very close friends. We laughed together, figured out new challenges side by side, and built a bond that only comes from shared experiences. The night we parted ways, I realized how much they had come to mean to me.
At my internship, my coworkers threw me a goodbye party that left me both smiling and feeling so sad. Seeing their appreciation and kindness was overwhelming in the best way. I gave a little speech and even created a quiz to teach them some Portland slang. It ended up being a fun way to celebrate together before leaving. Before I walked out of the office for the last time, I made sure I had everyone’s contacts because those are relationships I want to keep, no matter the distance.
Back in the States, I’ve already started to see some of the work I created in Ghana actually being posted. It’s such a rewarding feeling, but it also brings another kind of goodbye: the realization that I won’t be there in person to see the impact of the projects I worked on.
Then there are the smaller, everyday goodbyes that I didn’t expect to hit so hard. Saying goodbye to Afrikiko and the Wednesday nights of dancing that became my midweek joy. Saying goodbye to the rhythm of waking up at 6 a.m., something I used to dread but now oddly miss. Saying goodbye to the food, especially the heat of the spices that defined nearly every meal. And maybe hardest of all, saying goodbye to the random moments of friendliness from strangers, those little reminders of how warm and open the people in Ghana are.
Finally, there was saying goodbye to the apartment. It was where memories piled up. From mornings rushing to get ready to nights of laughter with the cohort, it was the backdrop to so many experiences I’ll never forget. Walking out of it one last time, I couldn’t help but feel a little heavy-hearted.
Leaving Ghana was a series of goodbyes, each one bittersweet. But the beauty of a goodbye is that while it’s sad to close this chapter, I’m grateful for everything it gave me, and I know that every goodbye in Ghana has only made me more ready for the next hello.
