My last week in Ghana!

Well, I have exactly seven days left in Ghana! To be perfectly honest it’s bittersweet…I am VERY ready for real beds, American food, drinking water from the tap, and not feeling dirty five minutes after I shower. However, I will miss Ghana so very much. I’ve already begun saying goodbye to all my new friends and I’m starting to realize how strange it will be to not see them everyday…or in many cases, ever again.

Since my big backpacking trip I’ve just been hanging out around Accra. Our exams stretch over a three-week period, so I’ve taken two of my exams, then a two-week break, and the rest of my exams are just a few days before I fly out. Needless to say, I’ve had a lot of down time. Also, exams are subject to change days and locations, so I haven’t been able to ravel just in case there’s a sudden change. So I’ve started packing and taking a lot of naps.

One of the most exciting things to happen in the last week was the discovery of the two baby geckos that live in my room. They are the tiniest little things – easily smaller than my pinky. I’ve named the one on my side of the room Sekou (after a beloved Senegalese man). My roommate Bethany, however, doesn’t think the gecko on her side is adorable and often starts screaming and trying to kill it. Granted, her gecko is a bit friendlier and likes to crawl on her bed, but I keep telling her it’s just because he loves her. Either way they are super fast and crafty, so they continue to live in our closets. They bring me much joy.

In other news, the rainy season has begun. Everything is green and lush and beautiful. Along with the rain has come a very aggressive mosquito population. It’s very likely that I will get Malaria right before I head home, because I keep getting attacking by them at night. But I hope I don’t, because I am one of the few in my group to have not gotten it yet (little know fact: Malaria meds don’t actually prevent malaria – just treats symptoms). Thankfully, the only sickness I’ve encountered has been allergies and a few bouts of food poisoning.

Happy mother’s day!!! I was a little upset that I’ve missed mother’s day two years in a row now (sorry mom!), but I did celebrate it with my adopted mother here in Ghana as well. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned her, but she is the woman who runs the little store in my hostel: EVE! I think the best way to describe Eve is to call her a Diva. She’s pretty sassy, but she always checks on me when I’m sick and notices when I travel or don’t feel well or lose my key (happens often). She also laughs at me a lot…can’t really blame her. When she greeted me after my two-week expedition I really felt like I was coming home to my family; she wanted to hear about all the places we went. I think she’s one of the things I will miss most about Ghana.

I’m also looking forward to my flight home, mostly because it will be air-conditioned, but also because I have a pretty substantial lay over in Frankfurt, Germany. My first adventure in Europe (if you can call it that)! I’m going to drink real coffee in a café! It’s going to be heaven…

See you all soon!