Part 1 of 3.

(Don't worry Mom- I've only lost 2 pounds since I left.)

"People cope with adversity in many different ways, ways that are deeply personal. I think one way people cope is by developing a skewed perception of themselves that allows them to overcome and do things they thought they couldn't do before."

I just finished A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey- a graphic and horrifically real novel, to say the least. The truth in his words was something unlike anything else I've read. I would recommend the memoir without hesitation. Reading for fun is something I have missed tremendously, and it has been great having time to just sort of relax here in Ghana.

So for now I am left with only one more book to read- Letters to a Young Teacher, which is supposed to be pretty good. And thankfully I just ordered three more from my friend, Amazon.com.

Days have seemed to drag on without end, but weeks have sped by- I've been here for more than three already. In a way, it is "the best of both worlds."

Needless to say, I have quite a bit of free time so far. In case you're wondering what my weeks are like, my usual schedule is as follows:

Monday- I will be doing my internship at "La Wireless," a compound of primary and junior secondary (middle) schools. I'm not really sure where the title came from, but this will be what I do almost every Monday. I've been told I will be something like a "teacher's assistant," which could mean quite a few things. But, I'll let you know!

Tuesday- A course in Political Science- U.S. Policy Towards Africa, from 11:30-1:30, and a Twi Language course from 3:00-5:00. Twi is spoken widely throughout Ghana.

Wednesday- A seminar-like class on Development Studies in Ghana, and Africa, from 10:00-1:00, and Twi again from 1:30-3:30. Finally, a course in Social Work- School Social Work, from 5:30-7:30.

Thursday- As of now it looks like I will be spending most of my day on Thursdays at "The Beacon House," an orphanage located in East Legon (which I will be writing much more about). Then, my last class of the week is Twi, again, from 3:00-5:00.

Friday- Nada! I hope to take advantage of traveling throughout the country on many weekends, and maybe even head to neighboring Togo, or to the north, Burkina Faso.

In general, classes have been going well so far, though I've only really had one of each (as each class only meets one time, for two hours each week), and we just finished our second week of Twi. While I'm no pro yet, I'm starting to get the hang of it… I can successfully greet people, ask how they're doing, find out where they are from or what they do, and even congratulate someone ("mo!"). We've come to discover that if you make an effort to speak the local language with Ghanaians, then it's far easier to make friends and not be looked at like you're crazy. It is a little disheartening knowing that my Twi will be completely useless when I go back to the U.S.

I'm looking forward to the classes I'm signed up for, and the internship and volunteer opportunities that I'll soon be undertaking. I'm looking forward to learning from everything I experience in the coming months. Most of all, I'm looking forward to sharing as much as I can with the people I meet here, and in turn bringing home my experiences and interactions with those same people…

…starting with the Ghanaian U-pals, the South Korean trying to learn English, the French-speaking foreign students from Mali and Burkina Faso, the hostel acquaintances hailing from England, Denmark, Germany, and Australia, my two Nigerian roommates, and even those from America, embarking on the same journey that I am.

The best part is, that's only the beginning.