By: Khalil Hines
This blog post serves as my first blog post for my trip to Ghana, covering the wild and wacky days of June 30th- July 7th. Thursday to Thursday.
I’ll just say this, this week started with family drama, and that’s about as far as I will get into it. Thankfully, Friday, July 1st was my day for takeoff to the city of Accra, Ghana.
A little backstory here, I never thought I would study abroad. It was something my mom would bring up to me when I first landed at UO in 2016, but I always brushed it off. I didn’t see it as possible, I thought I would be playing CFB anyways, I wasn’t going to have time for that in my mind. WRONG WRONG WRONG. Seventeen year-old Khalil, world view of an octopus. Then, I’m away from UO for two years. Then, I get back to campus, THEN, the plague hits. So, forgive me for not thinking I would be able to study abroad in my college years. Only reason I applied is because I received an email about the Media in Ghana program, I think from CMAE [Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence (CMAE)], and I regretted not applying for the New Orleans journalism program during the awful winter break of 2021, something I most definitely would have enjoyed. I said hey, why don’t I apply for the Media in Ghana program. I’ve seen a bunch of my friends from my early years on campus go, and felt maybe I had a shot. Once I spoke with Dr. Leslie Steeves about it, I was in, and she assured me that scholarship money would cover me.
A shoutout and thank you to those who donate to the program. You helped send a child of the diaspora back to the motherland.
Anyways, as I was saying, July 1st was tough. I missed my flight, once again personal reasons. Just know, life happens, but it was my biggest fear of the whole trip. Man, was it a pain to do all the coordinating for this trip, and do school, and try to get make a profit from my business, and work for the SOJC’s World Championship Production teams.
After missing my flight , I called around for a new flight. Delta said it would be $1400 for a new flight to get there on Tuesday the 5th. So, I was basically stuck. No Ghana. No NYC after. Nothing. Trash.
But, I got a second flight, for the next day, July 2nd to Minneapolis. That would be a 20 hour layover to go to Amsterdam and ultimately Accra. And, for only $80 extra, I said, “why are you still talking to me? Take my credit card.” Shoutout to Direct Travel team for UO. Thank you.
So, I got to Minneapolis, and of course, I had to see the stadiums. So, I traveled to Mall of America first, which is only about two miles from the airport, very convenient. I dropped off my stuff, checked my luggage and carry-on because it was free. At the mall, I dropped off my extra little bags so I could roam freely. Damn, I should have bought that Charlie Conway #96 jersey, and those Negro League shorts.
I eventually took the train downtown, and got off at US Bank Stadium (where the Vikings play). That stadium is beautiful, but there just was absolutely nothing to do there. Mind you, this is a Sunday at noon. There is a baseball game happening a few blocks away at Target Field, but there isn’t ANYTHING open. NOTHING. And my phone is dead, so I can’t scooter around yet. Oof, first world issues, somebody save me.
Fast forward to the evening, and it’s time to hit Amsterdam. I’m at the airport, in the “International Check-In” line for Delta Airlines. The line isn’t terrible, but it’s unusually slow. Now, let this be a warning, if the line is unnaturally slow, with it only being about a third filled, that’s a problem. Issues ahead. So, I got to the front of the line, and guess what? I got a text message saying, “hey your flights been cancelled, but we are working on a new one, but hey, here’s a hotel and a meal voucher.” Sucks, but cool, because at this point, I’m just glad to be out of LA, and on my way to Accra! Thankfully, next flight is for JFK on that Monday, then landing in Ghana on Tuesday.
At this point all I could do is laugh at this. That’s all to do. Look at things with perspective and just realize that I’m not the center of the universe, and like my dad says, “things happen for you, not to you.” And what was I to do? Pout? I got what I wanted. Was I not technically still traveling? Was I not engaging with new people, new streets, new sounds? This was a free two days to walk around, listen to music, and take pictures. Honestly, some of the most airhead and carefree days I’ve had since probably fall 2020.
I got to JFK on the 4th of July, and just hung out there for hours. When I finally got to my gate, it hit me, all the Black people that were to be on the flight, like this is EASILY the blackest flight I had ever been on. That was amazing.
And the flight wasn’t bad. I slept most of the time, my new nickname is now EXIT ROW PAPI, and we landed safely. Now, more fun. After about an hour or so of seeing everyone get their bags. I didn’t have mine. Come to find out, they’re STILL in Minneapolis as I write this. This leads us into the main part of our discussion. I know, LOL.
Back in Minneapolis, the morning of the flight to JFK, I went to Marshalls and Walgreens in Mall of America to pick up some t-shirts, and to pick up toothpaste and lotion. Typically, Marshalls comes with it in the underwear department. Some Polo Ralph Lauren, and an array of other brands. Not today. Today, they had the Fruit of the Loom briefs, and Fruit of the Loom boxers. And dawg, they were ugly as hell. They were that trash plaid, that screams 2006-2015 teenage boy. If you went to any public high school, then you know what I’m talking about, unfortunately. So, I opted out of that contract.
A little later, I hopped on my flight to the motherland, and when I landed, I waited for my bags. They never came. Head scratch.
So, I was stuck with the same draws for the next 4 days, either using the washing machine, or hand washing them until I found a place to get some more. Unfortunately for me, on Thursday, they didn’t dry. And, in those moments I realized one thing: Sometimes, just buy the ugly draws, because you could eventually have to go commando with sweatpants for a day in 90% humidity.
In retrospect, the function was way more important than the cosmetics, obviously. And, if I hated them that much, I could always throw them away once they served their purpose.
We have to make the most out of what is handed to us when that necessity is needed. Now here it is, the 11th, and I still haven’t received my luggage, but hey, at least I got some more draws.