My First Blog....

so, this is my first blog, and I've been in Ghana for 2 weeks. oops. that just means I have more to reflect upon. my first day was both exhausting and terrifying, after a much longer tro-tro ride than expected from the airport, and arriving at house full of strangers. but the friendliness of not only the other volunteers but also the  Ghanaians made me feel at home very quickly. i already know that when i leave ghana, one of the things i will miss the most is the constant 'attention' from the ghanaians you pass on the street. even though they are really just acknowledging that i'm white, it is so cute when all the little kids chase you down the street yelling 'yavu, yavu!' (white person !) and everyone else just waves and smiles and asks 'how are you?' they really are friendly people. (maybe just because i'm white, but i'd like to think they are a universally friendly culture).

apparently my first week here was one of the most exciting, according to the other volunteers. within that week, i took 3 outreach trips with the clinic and the med students (here from virginia). 2 of those trips were into villages, and the third was to Accra (the capital city) to observe cataract surgeries ! what an amazing first week. the village trips are amazing to me, because we really get to travel and see different areas of Ghana. and the villages are so much different than Ho, the town we live in. the people in the village seem so grateful that we're there, and in the most simple terms, it really is rewarding to know that you're helping someone who needs it. and by visiting these villages, i'd like to say that my general outlook on life has been changed, or at least influenced. even though i expected it, the poverty is still shocking. even more shocking is how these people have nothing.. some children don't have shoes... and yet they still seem so HAPPY. it makes me wonder why i'm so materialistic, and so often get hung up on the little things in life, when clearly all these village children need are their friends and family.

even though we have so much down time (after dinner the evening is yours), i still look forward to the weekends, where we get to go on excursions. my first weekend was so amazing. we drove into another town and rented mountain bikes, and after a bike/hike we ended up at such a beautiful waterfall ! some people climbed to the top,  but i just sat and watched, in my own little world. it was so peaceful, and i could have sat there for hours just watching the water. sometimes i would forget where i was, and then i would look up and see a jungle of plants and vines, and remember, I'M IN AFRICA. this has already been such an incredible trip, and i'm excited to see what the next 2 weeks hold.