Dwindling Time

A nearly sleepless night on an airplane had me feeling pretty groggy as we rolled out of the Accra airport at 6:30 AM this past Monday.  We had just returned from our fall break in Barcelona, and though I was already wishing for a scoop of gelato to stave off the African heat, I also had a feeling of tranquility.  “I’m home.”  It’s the same feeling I get every time I catch my first glimpse of the Healy clock tower as I drive south on the George Washington Parkway every fall to move back to campus.  We turned the corner to the waiting area in the airport, where, two months ago, we found Calvin and Emmanuel waiting to take us to Dodowa.  We proudly shook our heads when one person after the other asked if we were coming to Ghana for the first time-“No, we’re coming back.”  We got the familiar chuckle from the cab driver when I demanded a lower price than the one he gave-for some reason they always find it amusing when I firmly bargain with them, since they never expect us to know if we are getting ripped off by a high price!  The rising sun pored through our cab windows as we sleepily rolled through our now-familiar sites, which looked so foreign the first time we arrived-the Accra mall, Legon, Medina, and Adenta.  The confusing maze of roads that change from two-way to one-way and from dirt to concrete in an instant were clogged with tro-tros that were themselves clogged with morning commuters, and the cries of “pure water!”, “plantain chips!”, and, our favorite, “MTN!!!” echoed through the dusty air.  As Hannah texted Oti (our roommate), Henry (our neighbor), and Dr. Gyapong that we were back, I thought about how lucky we are to have people waiting for us here and anticipating our safe return.  Charity even wore the “Georgetown Mom” shirt from Gaelen and Courtney for dinner that night, and our return was celebrated with one of our favorite dinners, fried yams and egg stew.  Tonight we were almost knocked over with the sheer force of the welcome that the other neighborhood kids gave us: Bernhard, Quaku, Kojo, and Prof all ran screaming to give us hugs when we arrived.  A game of soccer soon sprung up between the girls and the boys: Erin and I versus Ema, Bernhard, and Quaku.  We certainly held our own, but suffice to say that 7-9 year old energy lasts quite a bit longer than 21-year-old energy.  Skirts and sandals didn’t make for the best playing uniform, either, so I’m sure we looked pretty beat-up as we sat down for a dinner of jollof rice and chicken.   Finally, we also brought some goodies with us for an after-dinner treat: gummy snakes, worms, and bugs that we found in a market in Spain.  We had thought they would be a hit, especially with Elvis, since one of his favorite games is to hiss at you and slink his clasped hands into your face to be the “snake”.  Well, we were wrong.  All of the candy was treated with some confusion by everyone, but Ema and Vale and Charity eventually examined and ate the candy with interest.  Elvis tried one of the bugs, took a worm, decided it looked too much like a snake to eat, looked into the bag and saw the actual candy snake we had brought, and immediately ran away in fear.  We were unable to coax him into trying anymore candy, which his mother and grandmother found hilarious as they kept showing him the bag, and promised to bring tamer gummy animals tomorrow: frogs and butterflies. 

These two days have reminded me of how lucky I am.  Maybe we lose electricity from day to day, maybe we have no water for a week, and maybe we still struggle to get any internet connection on our MTN!!! modems, but we have something so much more important, something that can’t be guaranteed in any abroad experience-a whole new family.  I have at least ten new little brothers and sisters, at least five new older brothers and sisters, and three new moms.  Our names will soon be added to the litany of past visitors: Michael, Sonnet, Catherine, Gaelen, Courtney, Isabelle, Laurel, Szena,…and now Ally, Erin, and Hannah.  We’ve been here for two months exactly-closer now to the end than the beginning.  While exciting prospects lie ahead-data collection, visiting parents, and more weekend trips-I don’t want the time to fly by too fast.  Before I know it, I’ll be saying goodbye to my family and a life I have come to love, despite all of its challenges and frustrations.  Our week away reminded me of how long ago it was that we arrived, and how far we’ve come since then!  It also gave me a renewed sense of awareness that the next time we leave, it will be for good.