Akwaaba! (Welcome)

All of us on CIEE 

My new life in Ghana has begun. I don't even know how to begin describing this foreign country, halfway around the world from my home of Port Townsend,WA. It has been a week already, but I feel like I have been here for much longer. Last Monday, myself and the other students from the United States on the same program as me were welcomed at the airport by a few Ghanaians who took us back to our hotel. At first glance much of the scenery seemed familiar - gas stations, markets, malls, cars honking on the street - but after a closer look I realized I am definitely not in the United States anymore. In the streets women carry baskets full of snacks, trinkets, and other neceseties for sale, the markets are full of jollaf rice and banku, and the people are simply delightful. We had a few days of orientation at a very nice hotel in Accra and then set off to move into our dorms at the University of Ghana in Legon, very close to Accra. I sometimes forget that I have left my home in America for four months and it seems like I am a visiter in this foreign place but as I get to know their customs, values, traditions, and way of life, I hope to become a part of this unique culture.