Mepaakyew!

Dear friends and family,

I am currently sitting in my academic center listening to the rain pound down on the roof. It is my second to last Friday night here in Ghana and the different emotions which have been hitting me in waves are catching me off guard. While I have been looking forward to coming back home for the past month, I am now facing feelings of hesitation towards my return(don't worry loves my ticket is still solidly booked).

As my friends and I have been discussing, it is approaching the unknown which seems most daunting. How exactly will we face our transition back to life in the States? Will we just be too busy catching up with our friends and loved ones to think about it? We haven't really been able to process our time here- our last weeks are being spent wrapping up our classes and finals. When do we really take that moment to step back and how will it then effect us?

How will we face the questions from our friends... consensus being- how can you possibly sum up this kind of experience in a passing conversation or even an hour long one? It wasn't a trip, it was 4 months of my junior year of college living, breathing, tasting, smelling, touching, understanding, questioning, and experiencing life in Ghana, a small but highly influential piece of the continent of Africa. Here is a classic cliche, I wouldn't change my decision to come here for a second, from hours spent getting lost in colorful crowded markets, to traveling in cramped stinky trotros, haggling with taxi drivers(no meters in Ghana), getting led in the right direction by strangers, to getting led in the total wrong direction, and undoubtedly becoming a more complete student of the world. I have not only been able to learn about Ghana academically but I was given the amazing opportunity to live it, and for that I am so thankful.

xxo Ellie

ALSO
Here is my shameless plug... As I know if you are still reading this blog you must be interested a bit in my life and of course a part of my life back in the States is rowing and the boat I was in this past year is one of the top ten finalists in the Crew of the Year poll for 2008. So your job? Vote. :)
Here is the link.
This is our blurb:
Trinity Women's Openweight Varsity 8+ - Won the Head of the Charles, New England Championships, and NCAA DIII Varsity 8+ Championship. Was the first DIII school to attempt to qualify for the Henley Women's Regatta and ended up winning the Senior 8+ event. Also nearly qualified for the Remenham Challenge Cup event at Henley before breaking an oar.

THANKS
back to paper writing!