it's interesting the things i thought i would miss and the things i actually have missed.
"the office. snuggling with my dog. air conditioning. target. cheese. watching my dog chase her tail. internet. margarita nights. thunder picnics. washer and dryer. winter. snow. instant communication. driving. showers. ice cream. making my dog roll over. my little apartment. being cold. my down comforter. crisp fall days when the leaves start turning. baking. quoting arrested development. flowering trees. walking my dog. iming in all caps. borders. electricity? thai food. my comfy couch. ikea. the day the arrested development movie comes out. iced chai lattes. text messages. monkey bread on christmas morning. going barefoot. blowdryer. learning to like wine. roadtrips. chocolate. cnn.com. blowing in my dog's face and watching her freak out. "
wow. yes, i have missed some of those things: air conditioning, WINTER AND SNOW, ice cream, being cold, my down comforter, etc. pattern here: i missed cold.
however, i'm only about a year behind on the office. pirated stuff is easy to get here. instant communication, text messages, internet: i have all those things here.
the things i actually missed, aside from cold, were so many american foods, the ability to move about freely and without waiting hours (mainly, having my own car), and anonymity. it will be refreshing to be able to walk around and not have every single person stare at me. or tell me three weeks later what my exact whereabouts were on a certain day. i missed having family and friends around, especially on holidays and hard days, but i found new family and friends during my time here!
and while i'm so excited about being reunited with the things i have missed, i am becoming quite nostalgic about leaving. so now, my new list:
things i WILL miss from GHANA:
the laughter of deaf students. fufu and light soup. the formality of greetings. seamstresses. banku. alvaro. so much free time. pure water satchets. the fresh breeze when it's about to rain. wagashee. a simpler life. vibrant, colorful clothing. small victories in the classroom. being entertained by chickens and goats. traditional music and dance. the thrill of receiving a package. my students' constant willingness to help with anything. mango season.
I'm so excited for you to come back to IN winters. You know this first one back will be awesome! We've had some crazy storms in the last few years, so for your sake only, I hope you can experience a few. I love your list of things you will miss from Ghana. Funny how perspectives change, isn't it? I hope to see you sometime upon your return. I know you're coming up here for Ivanhoe's at some point. :o)
ReplyDeleteJoy,
ReplyDeleteYou may have a simpler life, if you so choose. And you can also have chickens in your back yard, like I do. However, I would refrain from ever having goats. I think goats are weird. It won't be long and you'll be back in the rush of the US. But if you choose to have a simpler life, you will be happy. I predict happiness for you.