Travelling to Ghana

Most of my blog entries have been about things in the past – Genealogy Stories or Wolcott History. As this is my 100^th posting since I began this blog over four months ago, I thought I’d look forward for a change. A while back I wrote a blog about the “Like Me” Syndrome. I said the following:

“As I have had the opportunity to travel to other countries around the world, I feel comfortable – even if I am the only US American in sight.  By viewing each situation as an “intercultural learning experience,” I am learning about those around me just as they are learning about me.  So, since they are “like me” in that way that matters the most, I can feel at ease.”

Next week I will have a chance to put this to the test again. I have been given the opportunity to be the flight chaperon for a group of 20 exchange students from Ghana who are returning home after their year here in the US. On Monday I’ll travel down to DC to spend a few days with them as part of the end-of-stay experience, then in mid-week I’ll be with them as we travel by bus to JFK airport, then fly to Amsterdam and then on to Accra, Ghana. Once there I’ll stay for over a week, visiting with my exchange student daughter, Shirley, whom I have not seen since she returned to Ghana twelve years ago. (That also means that I’ll not be making any more blog entries until my return!)

So for over a week I expect to be the “only US American in sight.” I’ve let Shirley plan our agenda for the week, but I know that included will be visiting with her extended family. I also know that I will definitely not be eating my typical US mealtime fare – no cereal, no toast, no turkey sandwiches, no McDonalds, etc. The Wikipedia article on Ghanaian Cuisine gives a good overview of what to expect, but I’ll know more when I’m there.

I also know that I’ll stand out – not just because of my skin color, but because of my size. The average Ghanaian male is about 5’6” and the average female only 5’2”. So at 6’2” I will be easy to find in a crowd. I’ve also been studying the basic customs in Ghana so I can avoid being unintentionally rude.

This will be my first trip to Africa and one of the longest times I have stayed in one country on a single visit. So I expect to have lots of stories to share when I get back to the US at the end of the month. But I look at it as a great opportunity to practice what I preach and to enjoy the culture that I will be a part of for that time.