Tuesday August 19th…I have now officially been in the U.S. for two weeks. And I say again: where has the time gone? The idea that time is going by so very quickly is both comforting and also makes me a bit nervous. I returned home on Thursday the 14th and overall it is as if I never left. There are a few new buildings on Queen Anne and my parents made many changes to the upstairs of our house (including the transformation of my room into an office-I was forewarned of course) and it is now summer but other than that? I don’t feel as though I missed much. To me this means that 6 months can be a very long time but in the big picture, 6 months goes by in the blink of an eye. Still…I have kept myself extremely busy in the past two weeks. After my two days in New York I flew to Montana for some family time. For the first time in two years all 7 cousins/grandchildren were in Helena, MT at the same time. We had fun catching up and eating lots and lots of food. I had my share of cheeseburgers that week. Last Saturday my cousin Chelsey married a wonderful man named Tony and though the wedding was short and small, it was lovely. Sunday was emotional in a different way. That afternoon all the grandchildren and a few of the generation just above us hiked up Mount Helena (about an hour hike one way) to spend time together and to spread my Grandmother’s ashes. When I left for Ghana in February I feared I would not be able to be there for this event. I am thankful that school ended earlier than I thought in Ghana and I was able to come home a bit early. As many of you know last fall was very difficult with the passing on my Grandma but last Sunday was a beautiful way to celebrate her life. We said a prayer and spread the ashes along with brightly colored rose petals and cried together. After hiking down we continued to celebrate with a bbq and our big summer birthday party (as many in our family have summer birthdays). While I was excited to get back to Seattle, I was more grateful than anyone will ever know that I was able to be in Montana that weekend.
Also on Sunday I took some time to call Ghana. I spoke with my sister Naomi who says that things are going well but she misses me greatly. I was told there is a new volunteer already, from Switzerland. I am jealous that someone new gets to spend time with “my” kids but I am also glad to hear someone new is there to teach and to play. After talking to Naomi she passed her phone around to a few of the kids. It was wonderful to hear their voices. They asked how I was in Twi (ete sein) and I responded very fine (Ayia paw). They say they miss me especially since it was Sunday evening and that means movie night. I left at least one dvd full of movies for them and I hope the new volunteers continue my new weekly tradition. Naomi says she will work on making that happen. Lastly Naomi put P.K. and Pastor on the phone. I miss those boys more than I can ever explain. They have limited English but I could hear P.K. laughing and tears came to my eyes. I wish each of those children the best in life and I am sending thoughts and prayers daily.
On Thursday my mom, brother and I drove from Helena back to Seattle. We had a nice drive and it was great to spend time with my brother. Garret has grown taller and has also grown a beard AND he is now 18, when did that happen? He has since gone back to Tennessee to finish is final year of high school. I will not see him for another 3 months. His winter break should be fun though and he and I will get to spend a while together.
I will be honest, I don’t think I got any sleep this past weekend BUT I did have a fantastic time with friends. Thursday through Sunday went by much too quickly but boy was it fun! Each night was a different type of party including my Friday night welcome home party at the Paragon on Queen Anne. Many friends showed up to welcome me home and I was very happy. I know I said my first meal in NY was going to be sushi but turns out it was Asian fusion food. While this was still delicious, I had not yet had the sushi I had been craving since February. Saturday night this changed and I went to “I love Sushi” on Lake Union. This was truly one of the best nights I have had in the past two weeks. Now that I have had sushi, I feel complete. (This may sound ridiculous, but what can I say? 6 months of not having your favorite food…it can make you a little crazy). :-)
Sunday night I forced myself to get to bed early and I awoke the next morning feeling absolutely refreshed. I do not think I have felt completely recharged and not tired for 6 months now. Though I guess now I was not sweating all night nor were there roosters outside my window nor was I sleeping next to a church where members pray loudly throughout the night. I will never take sleep for granted again. Now it is Tuesday: I have one interview with a temp agency on Thursday and many emails I must write to begin the job hunt. Just a heads up: I am interested in non profits, especially those in the healthcare (specifically global health) and am also interested in communication and public relations. Any and all advice or connections would be greatly appreciated. Until I find what I am looking for I start working once again at the Paragon Bar and Grill near my house in Queen Anne. I will start as a hostess and hopefully begin serving soon. Come and visit!
Thank you again for taking time in the past 6 months to read my blogs, write comments and emails and offer support. While the 6 months did go by quickly I look back on that time and I know that I wouldn’t have changed one thing. Every struggle taught me a lesson, lessons I hope I will continue learning from for years. I realize that 6 months in Ghana is very different than 6 months in the US and I know my time there changed me in ways I am still discovering. I now have an experience that is all mine and is truly one of a kind. Being back at home is a wonderful feeling but I believe it is wonderful because I did leave and I made this journey happen. I accomplished a goal and survived. I like to believe I could have done this with or without the help of so many but I am grateful that was not the case and was offered help in so many ways. So I thank you for…everything.
Sincerely,
Erin (Afia)
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