Life so far

Dear Reader,

 

Okay so, sorry I haven’t posted in a week the past few days have been… busy to say the least.

New York

I arrived in NYC very nervous and very excited. My gateway orientation was tedious and I honestly was just so ready to go that I barely remember it. Our flight was set to take off at 10:53pm so by the time we got to LaGuardia we were all exhausted. In the airport I actually got to meet Katie Holmes, so that was cool but other than that our time at the airport was uneventful. The plane was having mechanical issues so we actually took off about 90 minutes late.

The Flight

Honestly, I dont even remember the flight. I took a sleep aid as soon as we bored, so I was asleep most of the time. The food was pretty good, and for the hour and half or so I was awake I watched How To Train Your Dragon 2. The most interesting part of the flight was when I could finally see Accra. It was very cloudy that day so I couldn’t see anything until we were about to land. The view was pretty amazing. Which leads me to my first nights in Ghana.

Accra

Accra is the capital of Ghana and it is almost difficult to describe. I found the city to be an interstesting blend of both modern and traditional African culture. Women with bowls on their head and babies on their back standing next to men in suits talking on cellphones, such is the cultural juxtaposition of Accra.

Our AFS Ghana volunteers were so amazing. Ghanaians are such a kind and welcoming people, it is impossible not to feel at home in this amazing country. Whilst at orientation I got to see the city in all its glory, and honestly it was nothing like I have ever seen before. I could probably write an entire post on Accra alone, but I am trying to keep this brief.  More on that later?

Cape Coast

THIS CITY IS GORGEOUS. Pretty much wherever you are in Cape you can see the ocean, and let me tell you thats not such a bad life. My host family is amazing and so incredibly kind. It’s hard to believe that I’ve only been here for a few days when it feels like I’ve been here for months in the best possible way. My Mum is teaching me to cook, and making me dresses. My younger sister Grace and I chat all night and go to the beach together. My youngest sister Gladys and I sing the cup song and read books together. My Father and I debate about politics. I am one happy exchange student.

There are, as always a few setbacks to living in a less developed nation, but so far those setbacks have all been turned into great fun. When the water is not flowing, my sisters and I race to see who can carry the most water on their head. When the lights are out, we sing and dance around the candle I brought my mum. When I am stuck in traffic for an hour because a goat is giving birth on the highway…….. yeah that one did not really have a solution because I was still late, but hey, thats Ghana.

With all my love,

Aurelia

Chickens and Castles

Dear Reader,

I FINALLY have a host family, with about a week until departure I was getting extremely anxious. That being said my anxiety has all but dissipated because I have a host mother and father and two younger sisters, one who is 14 and the other 6! My family lives in Cape Coast and they are poultry farmers.

I’m so incredibly excited because Cape Coast is the city I wanted to be placed in! The city itself is gorgeous- not to mention the vibrant people and history. Cape Coast was the colonial capital of Ghana, meaning there is a lot of historical significance in the city most famously including the old Dutch slave castles.

Oh, and did I mention Ghana has some of the most amazing beaches I’ve ever seen? Did I mention that Cape Coast IS one of those amazing beaches? No? Okay, well now you know and you are very welcome. All in All I could not be anymore excited to go, these next six days seem like a lifetime. 

Which brings me to my next point: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN………………………….. PACKING. The question that has been in the back of my mind for months now is “How does one pack for an entire year?!”. Now that I leave in less than a week, this question needs an answer, and that answer is “You just do it.”. So, reluctantly after I finish this blog post indeed I must compose myself and begin packing. 

Honestly, I think that everything is finally sinking in and I have to tell you, it’s pretty freaking awesome. 

With anticipation, 

Aurelia 

 

Two weeks till takeoff

14 Days to go

Dear Reader,

Hello, hello! As promised, I have decided to document my adventures in Ghana on this blog. I thought I might format my posts as letters, because these can serve as the postcards I will want to send but probably will never get around to mailing.

This being my first post and all-I thought I would explain a little bit about everything that is going on.

First of all, the wonderful program I am a part of is called YES Abroad (I’ll put the link to their website somewhere on here). Basically, the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange Scholarship was created after 9/11 in hopes of bridging the cultural gap between the American public and Muslim public. At first YES only received foreign students to live in the US, but now the program also sends American students- and that is where I come in.  I have received a scholarship to spend 10 months studying in school, and living with a host family in Ghana.

I would love to disclose the details of said host family/city, but sadly at the moment I find myself rather hostless. I have not even been given any hints as to where I will be living this year, but I am told to expect the information by late August.

Seeing as I leave exactly two weeks from today, to say that I am a little stressed would be an understatement. I have things to buy and a family to discover, but I am as always, so incredibly excited.

Yours Truly,

Aurelia