Things I will miss…

Of course we miss especially the 3 F’s: family, friends, and food.  But so often I think we let life pass us by and then look back and say, “you know what I miss?”  Others would call this taking something for granted.  I think it’s best for us all to realize in nearly all situations, there will be aspects of it that we will miss.  However, not often do we realize these things while they are still happening, before we can never experience them again.  So while we’re here, I want to recognize some things I will miss and get the most of them before I move home to comfort and convenience and likely not return to Ghana. 

    I will miss this simple life:  We live in a village of less than 1000 people.  Of which we probably see on a regular basis, maybe 200-300 of them on the same one kilometer of road.  Not having the ability to see or be in contact with unlimited numbers of people at all times is refreshing if you think about it.  Yes, of course, it is great to be able to connect with old friends, family members extended to all branches of the tree, and find out exactly what they’re thinking at all times.  But when you don’t have this service, life slows down, and you have no choice but to worry about fewer things. 

I will miss not having the news:  Nowadays, the news is mostly about conflict and suffering.  Otherwise, why would it be interesting?  Here, I don’t know how the election trail is going, who is bombing whom, or what new technology is emerging that we should all want to spend our money on.  Certain news is useful to know, absolutely.  But it can be a blessing in disguise to have to work so hard to find out the latest xyz…

I will miss being able to grow things every day of the year (provided I can find water):  Yes we have a dry season that is basically like a 6 month drought, but even if water is plentiful in the Midwest, it is likely frozen for many months out of the year.  Here, provided we have an irrigation dam, we can grow vegetables all year.  It can be a lot of work, for sure, but being able to grow a salad in my garden when I’m used to covering all my skin for fear of it freezing, can be nice J

I will miss cheap beer:  The beer here is not great.  There are few selections, and they’re no craft beers that we were enjoying before we left.  But they’re big, and cheap.  About the equivalent of $1.80 for a beer that is equal to about 2 pints in America.  Usually we go for a beer called Castle, which is thick milk stout, of about 7% ABV.  One or two of these is enough, which make us both cheap dates. 

I will miss the utmost freedom to fail at work, and still be a good Volunteer:  We have lots of ideas and lots of aspirations  for things that could make life better for Ghanaians and those serving in Ghana.  Peace Corps has conditioned us, in a way, to be pessimists.  We know that we’re not big NGOs with 10s of thousands of dollars to throw at big projects.  We work on the grassroots level, standing next to the people we are living next to.  We plan a project with all the necessary steps to promote capacity building of the people, quality of life improvement, and sustainability.  However, we understand that we’ve not walking into situations of ease and that behavior change (most if not all of our projects have an element of this involved) is very difficult.  If it was easy, Peace Corps would not be here.  So we realize that the best laid plans can still fail.  Of course that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try big and small ways to improve life and the land, but we are trained to accept failure as just another thing we learn, instead of means for termination of employment. 

I will miss the dusk and dawn here in Ghana, especially in the village:  Not being able to sleep because you’re literally sweating through your sheet at midnight is no fun.  But when you’re outside, working hard in the sun, and are very tired, going home, bathing with cold water and going for a walk around the village is perfect.  We usually get out about 4:30 or so and start to walk down the road to the next village.  We greet those people coming back from farm carrying firewood, raw shea nuts, or any other produce or tools from the farm on their head.  They always ask “Nie kumu?” or “Where are you going?”  They think we are walking to the next village because, really, who just goes walking for no reason?  In certain places we stop to overlook rolling hills of green (in the wet season) or brown (in the dry season) and watch the sun slowly set over the African horizon.  I love sunsets, and it’s a fact that I have only a numbered chances to see it here on this Earth, and I won’t get to see it again from Africa.  The mornings, we’re up by 6 or 6:30 and they are cool enough that a hot breakfast of oats or porridge and maybe some coffee are perfect.  We have a nice view from our porch to watch the sunrise over our compound wall. 

The sounds of early activity at the borehole are ever present.  At times we really wish we would have peace and quiet at 5:30am.  But I’m sure that a little part of me will miss the hustle and bustle of our area.  After school, all the girls from school come and hang out just outside the fence by the borehole.  Hence we never really had a completely quite time at our place.  We often said the zoo opens when all the kids stand by our fence to “witness how the white people live” within our compound.  It can actually be somehow soothing knowing that someone is always around you.  You’re never really alone.  Sometimes at home when things were too peaceful and quiet, I would actually get restless and be longing for the sign of someone doing something.  Here, I don’t really have that problem.  There will come a time that I wish that I could just sleep in until 7am without there being a ruckus outside our window.  But then once its gone, I will really realize that my special time in a completely special place on this earth is finished.

I think my point is that as life happens, the good things and bad things alike, give us a feeling that we’re alive.  Too often we realize that times were good only when we reflect on those times instead of recognizing them as they happen.  So I’m going to take my next 15ish months and enjoy as many of those days as I can before the experience passes me by without appreciating its uniqueness.  Try to realize that each struggle in life still makes memories of things you’ve learned and understood.  Things that few other people can ever truly understand…