My Final Entry

            So here it is. My last blog. Classes are done, exams are finished and I'm almost packed up to leave. It's almost a surreal feeling to think that in about a week I will back in Rhode Island- back to a culture that I am familiar with and can predict from day to day. Back to having choices of food selection and back to my family and friends who appreciate my sarcastic sense of humor lol. It's been quite the journey and I cannot thank everyone enough for supporting me emotionally and financially (wink wink).
            Let me touch briefly on my opinions about the classes here, things I will miss & my general feelings about leaving Mama Africa:

Education system:

• As I've been told, the U. of Ghana class system is primarily modelled after the British system (thanks a bunch, Colonialism) in which a lot of emphasis is placed on student effort and participation. Unfortunately, though, unlike European countries, Ghana is not as financially stable and politically developed and therefore cannot afford to give their students enough supplies or resources needed to fully take advantage of their studies. Teachers give syllabi with 20 books to select from, yet when you go to the bookstore they have none of the books to offer you. And in some cases, you cannot even take material out from the library when needed. Classes are way too big and there is not enough teacher-student interaction needed to mold creative, intellectual minds for future economic participation and development. Do not get me wrong, Ghana has some of the brightest, most passionate students that I have ever met in my entire life. My argument is that it is unfortunate that they are not given enough resources (physically & electronically) to further their education. Instead, they find themselves simply telling the professors what the professors tell them (and that's exactly what the teachers want!). Where's the room for creativity and analytical thinking?

Some things I will miss about Ghana:

• the pineapple
• the fact that you can wear anything (any color, any size) and you will always fit in. Everything is so colorful and crazy here that a yellow shirt with green pants will not even make a statement.
• the beautiful weather (it can really cheer up a mood!)
• how laid back everyone is. Although it can be frustrating at times, once you shed this Western-bred need for constant time-productivity and just enjoy life, you will be amazed at how things just simply start to work in your favor.
• the freedom to express yourself with less judgement. This may not always apply to a light-skinned foreigner but there are definitely multiple opportunities. For example, you can be at a bus stop or restaurant and the person next to you will just start singing a gospel song at the time of their lungs and what do surrouding people do? They join in.
• random drop-in visits without an invitation.
• the beautiful scenery, especially in the outskirts of the country.
• tro-tro rides (only if you have no time constraints or appointments).
• convenient sellers on the roadsides.
• the importance of togetherness before work or school obligations.
• the random, corny, obnoxious, hilarious "music"
• having a lot of free time.
• being able to find dinner for about 50 cents.
• watching people get into funny arguments or people being overly dramatic about insignificant, mundane situations.
• the fact that strangers will rush to your side in times of need (this has happened on multiple occasions when the car I was riding it "accidentally" fell into the gutter lol).

General feelings:

I have spent the last four and a half months in a developing nation. Sounds easy enough...right? hehe.

            I have given ALOT of thought about my arrival back to the States and I must say I am incommensurably ecstatic, yet also in the same sense, a tad fearful. I almost have a sense of guilt for returning because I think to myself, why do I deserve the lifestyle and opportunities that I have while other people in the world are suffering? If we are all human beings, with practically the same genetic make-up then why are treated so unequally? It's simple luck of the trade that were are in the positions we are back home and I now realize that when I think I have it worse than anyone in the world, I deserve to be slapped in the face. Living in Ghana, I haven't even seen the worst that the world has to offer, but I have been incredibly humbled by this experience in realizing how extraordinarily lucky and blessed I am to lead the life that I do. This journey has taught me how interconnected and interdependent the world really is and how everything we do impacts the people around us. We must abandon self-centered ideals and ways of life because at the end of the day if we don't live to help those in need, our life is essentially meaningless and insignificant.
            I can say, however, that this experience was by no means an easy one. Living in a nation with a culture SO unlike your own is exhausting, frustrating and at times downright annoying. There have been days where I would rather pluck my eyelashes out one-by-one than to endure the situations that I have had to (lol). But at the end of the day, every step, every day, every second is a learning opportunity for self-growth and life experience and these are the moments that I will never be able to retrieve. I mean, really, how many chances do you get to study abroad in Africa? I have learned SO much about myself, my world and the people that I share it with that I cannot even express it properly through the simplistic language of this blog. But what I can say is that all of these challenges are part of the ride. Life is about taking risks (for better or for worse) and growing as positively and strongly as you can from the choices that you make.
            I cannot pinpoint precisely the areas of which I have changed or grown, but somewhere deep inside I know that I have. I think I've become a little bit more patient with services and enjoying the free time that I receive. I think I've become a little bit more assertive with interacting with others (trust me, a skill you NEED to have in Ghana if you want something done) and more importantly, I think I've become more empathetic and sensitive towards the feelings and experiences of others. I can only hope that I will remain this grateful for the remainder of my life and I can only hope that going back will not change me for the worse. I have anticipated my arrival back home for months and I wish for nothing more than to bridge my experiences in Ghana with those back home in creating the most meaningful, productive existence that I can possibly achieve. I have come to appreciate the struggles that I've endured, as they have fostered critical personal growth and independence needed to be a global citizen of the world. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have received, but I am so beyond ready to return to all those that I love.

Because at the end of the day, there's no place like home <3

Thank you so much for enjoying my journey along with me & I appreciate every single one of you who has read any of my blogs. I cannot wait to see you guys to catch up and hear all about YOUR lives back home.

Until we meet again my friends,
Love Always,
Nicole :)