Seven Months

Seven months and the count down has begun. Everyone in my group is deciding on which date they will return to the U.S. Some are staying a little longer and travelling and some are returning as soon as finals are over. I will be staying another week in Ghana after finals and then going to Ethiopia to meet with my friend Terri and her daughter Mezzy. I can't wait to see them!!!! I have missed Mezzy terribly and can't wait to see how much she has grown and changed. Terri says she is reading and I can't wait to spend time with her. I will be there until June 17th and then I will return to Ghana for one day and then HOME!!!!!

Thinking about all the people that I want to see or contact and all the great things I want to do once I'm back in the Bay Area. I overheard Desiree and Denise talking about all the restaurants they were going to hit up once they are picked up from the airport and I was cracking up because I know I'll want to make several pitstops as well. LOL.

Rebuilding my life will be daunting but, of course, I am up for the task. I am alot stronger than when I came here seven months ago and for once am not afraid of what the future holds knowing that I've gleaned things from this experience that are so invaluable and monumental and which will carry me through the remaining days of my life.

Life has settled into a comfortable routine of classes, working out, shopping, and cooking. Taking 17 units does not leave me time for much socializing, but it is all good because when I return I will finally be a college graduate. If one more person asks me if I am a student, I will scream!!!! When I say yes, they quizzically inquire if it is for a Bachelor's. Yes, I am a late bloomer, but a student nonetheless. LOL!!!!

I have finally accepted that I am an elder by Ghanaian standards and don't wince any longer when people call me Auntie or Mommy. In fact, many people call me Auntie Adwoa and I relish in my new-found role. Being older brings certain perks such as riding the campus shuttle for free, folks always offering me a seat, or generally people showing me alot of deference as elders are afforded such treatment in Ghana. At my campus at home, there are many older students and I never felt out of place, but that has not been the case here in Ghana. I underestimated the host of emotions that living on a college campus with twenty-somethings would elicit. After going through a period where I felt I did not belong here, I now feel grateful to have had this experience at the age of 49-50 and just as the woman who conducted the interview to determine if I could come to Ghana told me, I have become a big sister to some of the young women here and I'm learning so much about the younger generation--their hopes, dreams and ambitions. I'm learning to step back and let this generation lead the way, but also to offer my insights and wisdom garnered by living on this earth for 50 years.

I know many people at home will want to know about this experience and I am thinking of ways to convey how incredible the entire journey has been and how it has changed me. As my friend Dayna said, we'll need many days at Starbucks to catch up!

Lastly, we all are now responding to each other, circumstances and life using Ghanaian phrases and mannerisms and it is amazing to see how much we have all changed in seven short months. I feel blessed to have made this journey with an amazing group of kids. I am already making plans to stay in touch and feel that I have established life-long friendships with many of these exceptional young adults.