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 wa...

What have I learned so far? Well, I really wanted to take some time to write about different race and poverty issues that I've been faced with since I arrived, however, something else has kind of come up… regardless, I think we know that so many issues coexist as it is, right? Whether it is evident to us on a visual level or not… So, I shall continue… Moments ago I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and complete my "nightly routine," befo...

What you've all been waiting for: Part 2 of 2. (Sorry, this one isn't very exciting...) The University of Ghana campus is enormous, and just a tad overwhelming to say the least. I think initially this will be a different experience for those who come from large universities, say UW or Illinois. But believe it or not, this entire campus is even bigger than that of the University of Wisconsin. So many buildings, and thousands upon thousands of people. It wil...

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 con...

Well. What I do know is that I can walk outside of our hostel and within 100 meters find numerous small shops and stalls selling fried chicken and fried fish, but it takes a few hundred meters more to find any sort of cookie or cracker. Just a little difference I've noticed... I think the most unbelievable things I've encountered thus far are the Ghanaian people, and the Ghanaian traffic system. The people are some of the friendliest I have ever met. For examp...