10 Life Lessons From Ghana - Lesson 3

Break Out from the Abroad Crowd (aka returnees)

It's so easy to come back and just hang out with people who, like you, have also returned from abroad. You should hang out with such people of course. There are a number benefits to doing this.

First of all, it will help you to not feel so alone in your journey. You need that. God knows I needed it. When I came, I knew one other person who'd made a similar move. Even though he was younger than me, and we didn't spend so much time together (Infact, I haven't seen him in a year!), it helped just to know that someone else who could have had the  American dream had chosen to move home. It reassured me that I hadn't completely lost it. A few months later, another friend made the same choice and it really helped me to not second-guess my decision. This is important because when you move back, there are times when you wonder if you shouldn't have come. In such times, just knowing that there's someone else out there who is doing this gives you strength.

10 Life Lessons from Ghana - Lesson 2

The second lesson I learned is this:

Work and Fun Are Not Mutually Exclusive So Find Work You love

In fact, I learned that if I'm not having fun, I should quit.

Am I nuts? Do I know how hard it is to find a job in Ghana? I'm looking for fun at work? And if it's not fun I should quit? What is this girl smoking? Aren't these things you hear in America? Do fun jobs even exist in Ghana?

Well, when I moved to Ghana, I had never really worked before. I was naive as it gets. I didn't set out to look for a fun job. But I was very excited about my job and I believed in it. But you know how it is, sometimes you can get excited about something but then you do it and it sucks. And you realise maybe it was the prestige attached to it or the money that made it seem attractive but that in reality, you hate it.

10 Life Lessons from Ghana - Lesson 1

It's been a year and a half since I moved to Ghana. In that time, I've learned a few things about life which  I'm going to share with you over the next 10 days.  This being the first day, I should give you some background before launching into lesson number 1.

Background

On 31st August 2008 when I got on the one-way flight to Ghana from the US, I had less than $50 to my name. I had no work experience. Or a family name or connections. All I had was a job I was excited about, a family I hoped to finally get to know, and the most supportive boyfriend in the world.

Are There Any Lovemarks in Ghana?

You won't believe this! I spent 3 hours writing a blog post three days ago that was titled "are there any lovemarks in Ghana"?. And then my browser crashed and I lost it! Complicated how I lost all of it. But my God! 3 hours! I usually don't spend that much time on a single post. But this one just kept getting longer and better so I kept going. It was about brands, my favorites, and things that make me happy. Anyway, I just closed my laptop and went to bed. Now i'm sorry i'm the only one who learned anything from that blog post but it made me laugh a lot. So it wasn't a complete loss. I can't bring myself to rewrite it though.I fear it won't be anywhere as good. I won't be laughing when I'm writing it the second time around, it will feel like work and those posts are never any good. If it feels like work, i'm not doing it. I already have a 9-5 :) So yeah, that's that.

We're gonna have to wait for the next blog post ...by a guest blogger....titled...what it feels like to be half-co in Ghana. Yay! Haven't you ever wondered? These halfco kids...what does it feel like to be them? 

Patience.

If I don't have it by noon tomorrow, I'll post the first in my series of 10 blog posts, which talks about lessons I've learnt from living in Ghana. It's been exactly a year and a half since my return home. So I have 10 posts, each talking about life lessons I've learned in my 18 months here. 

Watch this space.

Peace+Love,

Esi

Ten of the funniest Ghana videos on the web

Every once in a while, a friend sends you a Ghana video that really makes you laugh. Usually the video is on youtube. But one has to sift through all the content on youtube to find that one good video that makes you laugh and laugh till you're rolling on the floor. skk.

And then the next time you're looking for it, you can't find the link. We know how that feels.