Only a little over a month until I leave
for Ghana! I can’t believe it is coming up so fast! Right now I am starting to
approach panic mode as I try to get everything prepared for this trip.
Vaccinations? Check! Plane ticket? Check! Visa? Finally came in the mail last week! Malaria pill prescription? Definitely need to make sure I get that before
I leave! It’s kind of important; I don’t want any illnesses ruining this
amazing opportunity!
In June I am heading over to Ghana
to do an eight week internship with an NGO called Global Mamas. If a year
ago someone had told me I would be preparing to go to Ghana right now, I don’t
think I would have believed them. Ghana was never really on my radar of places
to visit. However, a study abroad course in Beijing, China last year completely
changed my world view. As soon as I got back I knew I needed to plan another
study abroad ASAP! However, I did not want to go to the usual locations like
Western Europe or Australia; I wanted to experience a completely different
culture. I looked at several different
options, and finally decided Ghana was the place for me!
I have been doing some preliminary research on
Ghana and I can already tell it is going to be a very big contrast from the
United States. They are less direct when speaking, and are more lax on time. I
have heard that these can take some getting used to and be frustrating for
foreign visitors. I am going to have to practice a lot of patience while I am
there. However, I am fortunate that the official language of Ghana is English.
This will make the country much easier to navigate than when I went to China
knowing only how to say “ni hao”. They do have many other local languages
though, and I am hoping to be able to pick up a little bit while I am there.
Besides getting used to a new culture, another
challenge is going to be getting used to my internship! I have never done an
internship before, and this will be my first experience with a 40-hour work
week. I am looking forward to whatever challenges come my way however. I know
this will be an amazing experience and a great stepping stone into a future
career! Just one more month and I will be ready to go!
