Because I got a shot today, my arm hurts when I type... This has been bringing into my mind the questions I have about traveling to Ghana.
When I leave the St. Louis Airport, I'll have been medicated in 10 different ways for what risks to disease I'll be exposed to on this trip. When I pack my bag and my backpack, I need to pack just a few things that will be important for the three months I'm there - books, clothes and a laptop. But when I get to Accra, my Ghanaian friends tell me if I wear a backpack, I'll get robbed... I'll change money and stay in Accra for the night then head out the next day for Wiamoase, find Esther's house and settle into the community and my room. I'll be covered in bug-spray with sunscreen on top of that to keep from getting malaria and cancer from the malarial medication that makes my skin sensitive to the sun... I won't know anyone in the community and they won't know anything about me, a map is always a nice thing for a Geography student to have in an unknown place, but I hope that it won't stay unknown for a long time. What will I do that first day? How do people in Wiamoase get to know each other? What should I record my thoughts on? How much time should I spend with Deidre and Corrine, and how separate should I be? I'm imagining the reality of this experience because it makes me more excited about the actual experience. What will be my first Ghanaian meal? Where will I get it and how will I choose what to eat? When will I have my last American meal? How will my stomach handle Ghanaian spices? Where will I get good water to drink?? What should I do if the water source is questionable?
I know we're going to discuss all these things in the Marathon meeting, but I thought I'd explore the experience first for myself.
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