This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m glad I got to spend it with a group of incredible people. It is crazy to think about how fast our six-week adventure went by, but by no means was it easy. I have spent a lot of long and days not really knowing how to dissect my emotions and thoughts towards Ghana. I’ve come to the conclusion that I wouldn’t have done anything differently, and I am glad I participated in the program.

My time at StratComm Africa allowed me to learn more about how the media functions in Ghana, especially pertaining to public relations. It not only helped me realize my love for writing, but permitted me to learn from some of the best in the communications department that Ghana has to offer. My coworkers offered a lot of expertise and advise so I could get the most out of my internship, and my hope is that this experience helped me prepare for my future as a public relations professional.

While my internship gave me professional experience, one of my favorite parts of being abroad was the various weekend trips that we got to take. Living in a big city like Accra, you forget how tropical and beautiful the rest of Ghana is. The long road trips to Cape Coast, Kumasi, and Volta gave us a better glimpse of how rural Ghanaian culture functions. Seeing the street vendors, hawkers, local food, wildlife and general hustle of the people was striking in every sense. The vibrant colors of everyday life of Ghanaians radiated through the streets not only in their textiles but in their personalities as well. Their seemingly aggressive interactions with each other emitted passion and excitement for every topic they discussed. Most of the time it was hard to interpret what they are actually talking about, but through those observations we managed to pick up some of the local slang.

While these are some aspects that made the trip great, there were some difficulties as well. From my experience, sexual harassment from tour guides, coworkers, and men on the street was not just usual but almost became an expectation, it was common for niceness to turn into flirtation and unwanted passes. The consistent inappropriate comments and touching made daily interactions stressful and uncomfortable. While I know not all male Ghanaians are like this, I built a wall up that didn’t allow me to get to know any of them because I became apprehensive about most interactions. This behavior stems from a foundation of male dominance and power rooted in culture, and it makes me wonder if Ghanaian women have the same experience or if women are taken advantage of because they are foreigners. I tried to speak to some of my female coworkers about it, but they were hesitant to talk to me and mostly brushed it off.

Despite those interactions, overall the trip was an amazing experience and I would not have wanted to spend my summer any other way. I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn from another culture especially one far different from my own. Hopefully I will find myself in Ghana again, but if I don’t, I’ll never forget the rich history and proud nation.