Showering with your mouth closed is a lot more difficult than it looks...

Please excuse the lack of proper capitalization, the shift key on this computer is ridiculously annoying…woot! Also, I hope to put more pictures in here…it may have to come at a later date-so bear with me and all the text…


we just arrived in the eastern part of Africa after a 6 hour drive from the capital of Accra...this is a bit more like the Africa i expected, although this hotel is ridiculously nice! we have more internet access here, although it is very very spotty. and the computer screen is blurry so if fall into a seizure state, don't panic.

everything has been pretty smooth except for having to change rooms due to extreme smells coming from the toilet-caused by the sewage, not by me :) some of you may argue with me on that, but I swear…it was NOT me!!! (four other people had to leave their rooms too!!) also, I had a chance to work out in their a gym a few times, that was awesome since we have been doing a lot more sitting and eating (white rice and fried plantains) than I had planned on!

we drove around accra quite a bit, visited the university of Ghana and their school of social work program. Had a lecture by their program coordinator which would have been more interesting if I didn’t have to use the restroom and I was exhausted! Here is a picture of me on the Univ. of Ghana campus...what a view!
Here is a nice view of the central part of campus:


We checked out the mall (pretty much just like our malls if not more impressive), we went to accra central-a huge market that just smelled of sweat from 7-8hours of “ma’am, ma’am” ‘sister, sister’, and ‘feed your eyes…’ such hard work, and for what?

We are driving around on this pretty decent air conditioned bus, but it creates a really odd feeling, here we are driving in their city, from high above, looking down and photographing…it just doesn’t feel right.

We toured the w.e.b. Dubois museum, which is actually his house that he lived in when he fled to Ghana….i highly recommend you look him up, he is one of my favorite sociologist and I literally cried when I entered his home. He founded the sociology department at clark Atlanta and there was a clark Atlanta banner across his grave…so neat! It was amazing, and he was amazing! Photos~



We also toured the Kwame Nkrumah memorial park, he was the first president of Ghana following its independence in 1957…truly a fascinating, intelligent, and revolutionary man that is constantly celebrated here despite his death due to prostate cancer. I wonder what he would have gone on to do for this country and the world if the cancer didn’t win…


Ashesi university was another interesting stop…it is considered a liberally arts college but most of them do some sort of computer or engineering work. The school was founded by a Ghanaian who moved to Africa to work for Microsoft. Following the birth of his child and watching crises occur in Africa, he realized he needed to go back and become engaged in fighting for the cause of peace and prosperity. So many of the young people who are becoming educated in Ghana want to stay right where they are…which is amazing because the country needs bright leaders-the don’t need to continue to educated only to have the pupils go off to Europe or America to utilize their strengths. Very interesting. Here is a picture of me and one of the students:


we visited this amazing village where we got our local names (mine is ama (this is given because of the day I was born) dogbeda (which means pray)), handmade bracelets, and pots with our names on them-it was an incredible experience. we met with the tribal leaders and the chief-even got to shake their hands! the children performed for us and were eager to pose for pictures-needless to say i have a ridiculous amount of pics and a video!!

we went to a dress maker following the fabric store and got fitted for custom made dresses...i am really excited, they will be presented to us at our closing ceremonies-my how far away that seems!

I am really really missing home and hugs…but I am also really enjoying myself! Please know I am thinking of all of you and hope you are enjoying your summers!

Love love love, it is all we really need,

The loving traveler…

Interesting fact!

Did you know that the names for many Ghanaians are assigned based on the day you were born??
The country’s motto is “freedom and justice”