Pre-Departure

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow I'm off on another adventure! I'll be in Ghana for the next 8 weeks to study at the University of Ghana and explore what sounds like an incredible country. 7 or 8 other Harvard students (forget the right number) and I will be staying at the student hostels. Accra, the bustling capital of three million people, is a 20-minute bus ride away. Tomorrow I'll say goodbye to home and head off on the biggest journey I've ever taken by myself before.

I expect Ghana will be totally different than anything I've ever experienced. Even though I've been to Africa a few times, I'll be 3,000 miles away from now-familiar South Africa. It's not like I'm travelling to a new part of a country. Yes, I can say that I've been to Africa before, but really I have no experience whatsoever with a place like Ghana.

The general idea is I'll be taking an 8-week course on the Atlantic Slave Trade at the University of Ghana. It will be taught jointly by professors from Harvard and the University of Ghana. It should be fascinating to learn about this from a very different perspective. We will take several field trips around the country to see the old slave ports and palaces and learn more about Ghanaian culture.

As interesting as class will be, I am very excited to explore Accra in our free time. Class is only 3 mornings a week; most of our time in Ghana is up to us. I don't know a ton about the city yet, but I hear they have great nightlife, sweet beaches, and pretty cool markets.

I'm a bit nervous about leaving. I love summer here in Massachusetts: spending time with my family, hanging out with my friends, relaxing at Humarock. I will definitely miss all that. I'm sure I'll feel better about it once I'm in Ghana, but right now with all that around me, leaving for Africa does seem a little bittersweet. I will have two weeks once I get back to do all those things, but it's tough making tradeoffs sometimes. I can't complain much though. Choosing between two great ways to spend the summer is a great inconvenience to have.

Almost all packed up, watching the Bruins, enjoying my last night at home. Next post in Ghana!