Part 1 of 2.

Overwhelming. Unbelievable. Remarkable.

If I had to choose three words to describe my time here in Ghana so far, specifically at the University of Ghana, those would be my three.

So, here's part one.

Sunday night we arrived at the orientation hotel, "Coconut Grove." This in itself was probably the worst experience since we arrived in Ghana. The hotel was waaaaay too nice. We had everything from prepared meals to hot water to air conditioning: exactly what you might expect in the United States, but near impossible to find in Ghana.

Two nights and one day of orientation were a little much. All the information was relevant to us, as we had never been to Ghana, and most of us never to Africa. Sitting down and listening to people talk for hours on end got a little annoying, though. Alas, it is over, and I do now know more than I did only a week ago.

Needless to say, the hotel was completely different than the hostel we stayed in for the three nights prior, with no prepared food, cold water, and only a single fan. I can't even explain how glad I am that Levi and I stayed in a hostel and traveled Accra on our own for those days before orientation began. Had I showed up on Sunday and went straight to the hotel, and experienced that comfort, I think I would feel much worse now that we have left the hotel. That simply was not Ghana, and did not represent the life I will be living for the next four months.

It is now Wednesday night (or it was Wednesday night when I started writing this blog), and we have been at the University for over a day. We moved in yesterday, and saw the campus for the first time. Initially, there were three living options: the Ghanaian dorms, the International Student Hostel, and staying with a Ghanaian family. I opted for the second, but was given the first. Lucky, and not quite at the same time, Levi and I were assigned as roommates. The living arrangements are set up as "suites," (but really not that "sweet"). As you walk in, there is a "common area," complete with one table and a few chairs. As you continue down the hall you can turn off to the kitchen, somewhere we'll be able to cook (hopefully), and a small porch area. After that there are two bathrooms, each with a sink, a toilet, and a shower, (sorry, no hot water). Finally, there are three rooms situated next to each other at the end of the hall, with two people per room. We have not met the others yet, but are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

It will be nice having someone I know to live with, and it'll be great going through everything together. It might not be the same as having a Ghanaian roommate, but we will have a few of them only a couple feet away. I think the biggest disadvantage might be that while most of the others have a local roommate, they were or will be met with many accommodations for their room. Meanwhile Levi and I both brought next to nothing. This weekend we'll have to do a little shopping, and try to make our room feel a little more welcoming. As of now we have two beds, two desks (two slabs of wood), two closets, and two mosquito nets. Everything you could possibly need, right? We actually did have a little bit of fun with our nets the first night… I think we have some pictures to prove it. We'll definitely have to do some fixing-up, though. A rug would be nice.

This probably sounds worse than it is, so please don't worry- yes you, Mom. It'll take some getting used to, but I'm adapting already. Had I not come from the U.S., or a developed country at that, this would be much, much easier. Ghana is only a developing country. Because of the luxuries available to us 24 hours a day back home, this is a huge change, and I'm looking forward to every minute of it.

Stay tuned for Part 2.