And no [traveler's] diarrhea!

Monday, May 19, 2014     10PM(ish)     Day 3

UHHH! I can't stand how wonderful today has been!

AMAZING.

Africa is the best place ever!

The orphanage school was so great, the kids were adorable, the teacher guy was nice and hot (as all the Ghanian men are: smoking hot) and the weather wasn't as scorching.

[Jen and I] went to get ice cream with our house mates Grandma Ruby and Brecken.

And then we danced outside and then it DOWN POURED.

It rained so much and so heavy.

And thoee kids were SOOO cute!

They said I was too white to be an obruni (white person); I was an Ofri (albino)!! Hahahaha!

Btw, they're called an obibini (black person).

They just call each other by their color but not in a racist way.

It's amazing. There are no words.

I emailed my family and gave them an update but other than that, I haven't had hardly any contact with the outside world.

It's wonderful.

And no [traveler's] diarrhea! This is a beautiful thing.

Everyday just keeps getting better,

<3 Life is beautiful. 

Xoxo

I wish my skin wasn't so white...

Monday, May 19, 2014     8:02AM     Day 3

I am on the Trotro waiting to be taken to our orphanage school.
It's the first day of training and we've been in Ghana for only a day, which is insane.
I feel like I've been here a week.

I love it here.

I would probably live here if I could.

I wish my skin wasn't so white so that I could blend in more but it's okay to stand out.

The people are so amazing and sweet and happy to see us.

Maybe it was because I was tired last night but during the group reflection, I teared up talking about how lovely the people are.

We're on the road.

There are so many people and so much honking.

But the roads are so smooth, even smoother than Illinois.

The landscape is breathtaking.
Like all of the most beautiful places I have ever heard of and seen all mixed together... Hawaii, San Diego, LA, the Caribbean, etc.

But the poverty is intense.
This is how these people live.
Everyday, sleeping by their stands of jump ropes, flip flops and coca cola.

The women are beautiful and the men are handsome.

Sunday, May 18, 2014     2:00PM     Day 2 (still)

At this Ghanaian beach.

This is amazing. Life Is Beautiful. <3

This is the most clear, beautiful ocean I have ever seen. 

And the trip here was amazing. 

We saw lots of goats and venders and villages.

It was AFRICA! This is AFRICA!

It's so surreal.

It's beautiful. Gorgeous. <3

The women are beautiful and the men are handsome.

It's strange to think that this is their life.

Everyday, they wake up to this and go to sleep to this and dream of this.

It's crazy.

They're moving in slow motion, like country people in the deep south.

They go to church and sell stuff on the street and sleep and talk and just relax, I guess.

It's just so slow moving.

Go to school, dance, cook...

I look out back... AND IT'S AFRICA!

Sunday, May 18, 2014     6:30AM(ish)     Day 2(ish)

I am so confused by the time/day change thing.

Apparently we spend two days traveling and I'm fairly certain I only slept for an hour or two last night.

I mostly tossed and turned and thought quite a bit about Grace, the lady on the plane who I probably shouldn't have given the house phone number to. I don't know why I did. I was just so caught up.

It feels like 100 degrees here and the air is as thick as water. We got here well after dark last night so I can't even imagine what the sun will feel like.

I feel like I'm swimming in a Jacuzzi or sitting in a wet sauna.

This is so surreal.

I cannot believe it.

There are street vendors everywhere. There are women walking the streets selling bags of water. There is no speeding limit and insane drivers and aggressively "polite" men trying to carry your bags for tips, and the house women are currently in the back doing laundry.

There was a crab on our bus! Maybe two! And this crazy dancing African movie.

I read about 100 pages of my book last night/this morning.

And there was heavy pounding on the door last night.

And no toilet paper, and kittens everywhere.

And they grow corn! Hahaha! Like Illinois!

It's sooo hot.

But Kayley and I are on the other side of the house than the girls. We're with the boys and the family.

I think I'm going to like her.

The sunrise was so beautiful and I look out back... AND IT'S AFRICA!

Can you freaking believe it?

Friday, May 16, 2014      9:23PM     Day 1

I am on my first flight to Ghana. I can't even believe it, like it really doesn't feel real yet.

I am so relieved that everyone made it to the flight and we got all of the information that we needed.

We only had a couple slight hold ups.
I didn't have my right yellow fever papers so Kayley had the ingenious idea to swing by the health department to get a new copy.

Jen, Kayley and Miles are probably going to be my favorite, because I bonded with them so early on.

I am so glad that I like the people that are going.

That was one of my biggest worries.

And sunburn. Ugh. And forgetting to take my Malaria pills.

All and all, I think that this trip will be amazing though.

And its actually happening.

Can you freaking believe it?

But I know it'll go by so fast so I want to savor every single second of it.

XOXO.