The African Sun

“If things are getting easier, maybe you're headed downhill.” – Ghanaian proverb

People who have never been to Africa are generally ignorant about the place.  It’s not their fault.  People just don’t know if they’ve never been here.  Therefore, everyone has their ideas about Africa.  Many ideas come from movies or the news, both of which paint a mostly negative picture of this continent.  It’s unfortunate, but true.  I could go on and on about this topic and cover a variety of examples, but for today, I’m going to address just one misconception. 

People think I’m getting a great tan over here.  It’s almost 100 degrees every day.  The sun is as hot as an oven.  It feels like blades of fire are searing into my skin.  Plus, it's sunny almost every single day, so it's virtually impossible to catch a break.  I love the warmth and I love the Vitamin D, but those devil rays are bad for the skin.  

The first few months I was here, yes, I thought it would be nice to get tan.  That notion didn't last. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but I’m not basking in the sun every day.  I generally avoid the sun when possible, and if not possible, I have become addicted to sunblock because of the damage I am now discovering that lovely Mr. Golden Sun has done to my face over the years.  All those years when I thought it was sexy to get tan and not use sunblock are now haunting me.   I will return to the U.S. as fair-skinned as when I left.  Pasty people unite!