August 1, 2012- Day 27

I couldn’t sleep last night.  Life is too exciting.  I’m going home so soon and I can’t wait.  Not because Africa wasn’t amazing, but because life is great and every next thing that I do always makes me so happy and excited to do that.  I was excited to go to Cape Cod, then so excited to go to Africa, and now excited to go home!  I love living life always moving from place to place because I am constantly getting ready to go somewhere and living in that fun anticipation of the next great adventure.  It makes me realize all of the good things in life because I am away from people I love every time I go anywhere, so I am always realizing how important those people are to me when I am not with them and then when I get to see them again.  

This morning Francesca was talking to me about the little girl who lives with them, named Esther.  She was from a poor family who could not afford to take care of all of their children.  So, in exchange for a little bit of help around the house, they took her in.  They treat her like she is their own child.  They send her to school, feed her, give her special treats once in a while, and she is expected to do some small chores like sweeping or washing dishes.  The past few days I have seen her crying a lot.  She does not want to be here and she cries and cries.  Her father finally came for her and she was telling him lies about how they scream at her and beat her and accuse her of being a thief.  So he took her home for the vacation from school which lasts one month.  Francesca said that she will realize how well she had it here because at her home they are very poor and she will be very hungry and not enjoy herself there.  She said the reason that Esther is this way is because at the house she was at before, the woman spoiled her a lot.  She told me that a part of Ghanaian culture is believing that if you spoil a child she will not be able to do well for herself in life because when hard times come she will not know how to handle them and how to take care of herself and not cry.  It makes sense.  She may miss her family but really she is much better off here and these people have given her a life that she would never be able to have otherwise.   I suppose I am spoiled with love because I miss my family so much.

Today I went to the ProWorld house and gave a presentation on my project and experience here.  
I realized that a lot of what I experienced here was much more culturally involved than some of the other volunteers. They all seemed so interested in my time on the farm and wishing to have interacted and learned in the way that I was able to.
I skyped with Jake, came home and ate some dinner, and watched a movie on my laptop.  

I tried the worst food today.  It’s called Banku.  A lot of things eaten here are made from pounded up things.  This is made up of corn that they pound into a dough-like substance that tastes fermented.  You eat it with sauce and fish or pretty much anything.  I seriously almost threw up a few times while trying to eat enough to make it look like I wanted to eat it.  There are still adjustments to be made after all of this time.

I also realized today how far I’ve come in terms of anxiety.  Its an unnecessary part of life.  I can not be anxious anymore.  I can only live life and enjoy myself and see what comes of it.  Anything else is pure lunacy.  We can only control the present moment and that’s what I am going to do.