Move to Ghana causes lifestyle changes

It is mid-way through my four month stay in Ghana, and so I've decided to take a moment and reflect on my overall experience thus far.
I was talking to a friend the other night about how all of the things that seemed so absurd the first couple of weeks, are so normal now.
The first thing I noticed when I stepped off the plane was the incredible heat that smacked my face like an open furnace. I'm not going to lie, I'm still hot. I still glisten with perspiration at all hours of the day and take much pleasure in my cold shower at night.

The cold shower in itself was the second something I had to adjust to. I take scalding hot showers in America.
Though I will say that if a scalding hot shower were offered to me while in Ghana, I would most definitely turn it down.

The third thing I noticed was that Ghanaians are never in a hurry. Now, I've been living here for two months and I still haven't kicked my American speed walk to the curb.
If I want to walk with a group of people instead of 100 feet ahead, I have to make a conscience effort to slow my pace.

The only time Ghanaians are not in a hurry is when they are in a vehicle. I remember the first time I got on a trotro.
We were in our large ISEP group and we were going to Madina. The mate (the person who collects your money) stepped out of the rusty van and started yelling "Adenta-denta-denta-denta!" Adenta is a village past Madina, so if you want to go to Madina, you would get on a trotro to Adenta.
I sat down on the torn leather seats and braced myself throughout the bumpy, fast ride. While on the trotro, I looked around at all of the passing vans. Almost all of the trotros have a phrase in yellow tape written on the back of their vans.

Since Ghana's main religion is Christianity, most of the trotros have something to do with God. Many of them have a short Bible verse or will just say something like "Jehovah" or "Lamb of God."
There is even one trotro that I've seen a few times with the word "propaganda" spelled across its rear window. I have generally found that the people I've met in the trotros have been very friendly and helpful.
There have been many instances when I wasn't sure if I was at the correct stop, or needed directions somewhere, and someone in the trotro always helps me out.

Another thing that took some time to adjust to was the bathroom situation. I've become used to carrying a roll of toilet paper with me wherever I go.
Bathrooms in Ghana almost never have toilet paper. In fact, there aren't a lot of bathrooms in Ghana, period. I've learned to rough it, that's for sure.
I've also learned not to rely on technology, at all. My hard drive in my laptop crashed after the first two weeks, and then my memory stick in my camera quit working last week. Cell phones don't always work either. Honestly though, it's kind of nice.

Last weekend we went back to Ada Foah and slept in grass huts on the beach again. It was awesome to get away from all the day-to-day stress of living near Accra.
I just turned my cell phone off and left it in the hut while I relaxed in a hammock all day. I do get homesick from time to time.
I've decided that I want to be greeted at the airport with a large pepperoni pizza and a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
After being on the "Africa diet" for four months, I think I can justify eating unhealthy just once. There have been some days when I have wished that I could be at home, reveling in AC and laying in my big, comfy bed.
But overall, I am so happy that I chose to study abroad in Ghana. I'm really excited about the work I'm doing with the orphanage and the friends that I've made.

I can honestly say that I will miss this place when mid-June rolls around and I'm on a plane back to America.
I can also say that if I didn't have the travel bug before, I definitely have it now. I'm anticipating many such adventures in my lifetime.
If you want to read more then check out my blog atwww.kimberfoli.blogspot.com.