The Final Reflection on Ghana
What. A. Month.
Showing up at Boston Logan, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had never in my life spent time with the same exact people for an entire month, which was compounded by being in a totally different culture than what I was used to. I felt like I was a pretty seasoned traveler because I spent all of last summer backpacking through Europe, and that I had a pretty laid-back attitude that would probably avoid any conflict or unnecessary stress through the Dialogue. In hindsight, there were quite a few things that I experienced that I really wasn’t expecting pre-departure.
First and foremost, the people on this trip made a huge impact on me. The 17 other students on this trip (and the great TA’s and professor) were all outstanding. We all got along much better than I could have anticipated, and I had many opportunities to get to know everyone in the group. But additionally, our in-country staff were awesome. At first, we were told that we’d have in-country coordinators who help us with planning and day-to-day operations. This sounded like a pretty hands-off role. I assumed this would be someone in a company polo who’d constantly be on the phone and would occasionally have a conversation with us if we were doing something wrong. I couldn’t have expected how close we would get to the Michael, Eddy, Samuel, and Stephen. When we left the airport, these guys ended up drawing the most tears and were definitely highlights of the trip — and I really hope that our paths will cross again.
The culture of Ghana had a pretty strong impact on me, in particular the calmness in the face of so much adversity. As I plan for my future, I know that I want traveling to be an integral part. Since I’m graduating in December, a formal study abroad would only be possible in post-grad schooling. My next goal is to go to South America, and this goal has been further cemented through this Dialogue. I learned a lot of specifics about healthcare in the developing world, but what’ll stick with me most were the people — the friends, locales, and teachers who shared their insights and company.
