A Road Trip to Home

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” –Lao Tzu

I have arrived to my home for the next 9 months….Bechem, Ghana! The trip here was long, bumpy, and full of intriguing African scenery. This morning was spent in Cape Coast with my principal’s driver taking me around town. Apparently having a driver is the thing to do here, which is interesting to me, but useful! Who wants to drive themselves 6 hours, why not just hire someone to do it? The driver, Steven, and I engaged in rather interesting conversation about America. He is completely fascinated and on a mission to move to California and marry a white American lady. Question after question was asked about every aspect of American society. That Puff Daddy and Jay-Z have bodyguards was shocking to him! To Steven, reaching America would be a dream come true. As I think about the state of affairs in America, my perception is so different. I see a country with, in my opinion, disturbing policies and somewhat wack priorities. I continually try to escape America, yet so many are working so hard to try to come to it.

Cape Coast is a bustling place. Full of markets, people, and fish. Cape Coast University guesthouses were where I stayed. Lovely indeed! Two slave castles also reside there, which I visited on my previous trip to Ghana in 2008. Simply glancing in the direction of the castles makes your heart skip a beat. Unbelievable and revolting history lies within those walls. The journey onward to Bechem was a mix of pristine roadways and terribly dilapidated roadways. Villages speckled the roadside every few miles or so. Women carrying containers of goods and foods on their heads move swiftly to stopped tro-tros and taxis along the roadway. Droves of children were seen walking home from school along the sides of the road or playing soccer in their schoolyards. Huts fill many villages with women and children manning the shops and men frequently repairing taxis and to-dos. The life looks harder here on these roads leading out of the city. Escaping Accra provides insight into a much different African life.

My new home is rather swanky. I’m temporarily staying in an apartment while my place is being renovated. Fridge, running water, and a television! And the internet connection is stronger than I was expecting. Not the Africa I’m sure most people have envisioned. All the comforts of home right here at my little fingertips. Sweet! I’m being very very well taken care of by my school and organization. Upon arrival at my school today, I was greeted kindly by various members of the staff and several students. Immediately, several gentlemen got right to work in my room hanging curtains, moving the bed, and checking the water. The pampering is new for me, and nonetheless, it’s happening in Africa of all places! So far, we’re off to a great start here with my first steps in Bechem.