The Ghana

So, I went to Ghana for 3.5 weeks in July.

I have now sufficiently recovered enough to share some photos of the events, which are too numerous to even begin to describe. I must be getting old. Exotic global adventures are no longer as appealing as staying home to watch my yard and garden die. But now I can add to the internet trove of white-Americans-going-to-Africa-and-posting-about-it, so that's a benefit.

The entire Reproductive Health squad. Fabulous crew. 

I went to research reproductive health, particularly contraceptive use* for an extra certification with my master's degree. 

The better half of the Reproductive Research Team ;)
Just kidding guys. We were all great. 

I keep telling everyone, "It was educational, but not in the way I expected."

Fairly typical classroom in rural Ghana. 

I learned a lot. I experienced a lot. I felt a lot. I met a lot of really amazing people. I saw a lot of poverty and pollution and problems. I ate a lot of chicken.

Before

After

I can never eat chicken again.

Well, if this can't make it onto a Save the Children post I don't know what will!
This is on the soccer field/school behind our "hotel" where the local kids gather.
What a cutie!

I will never travel without my husband again. Good heavens, I have never had so many things go wrong in my life... and for those of you who are familiar with my history, that is significant. I've discovered that he is extremely lucky, so his presence tends to neutralize my bad luck and turn us into relatively normal people.

My luck with airlines is classically bad. Why on earth did I think it was a good idea to gamble and book United! (In all fairness, I had booked it before the #UA3411 incident. So when I did board the plane I felt like I was walking into a tunnel of doom...)

...I was.

#NeverFlyUnited
Since I missed my connection to Accra, United sent me
 to Vienna, Ethiopia, and then to Accra.
I will never fly on another United Flight again. EVER!!

This is my sweet Chicago airport friend, Bharathi.
We bonded during the SIX HOUR DELAY in the
Chicago airport to fly to Brussels. 

After adding 20 hours of flying to my 18 hour trip, with 2 additional ten-hour flights back-to-back, I arrived in Accra. THANK HEAVENS the rest of the Utah people's Delta flight was also delayed so I was able to meet up with them. I've never been so relieved to see Dr. Benson as I was when I saw that he was standing right outside the Ghana customs gate. #TenderMercy #Iwasreadytodie

I will never take this wonderful country--with its good smells and reliable plumbing and passing lanes--for granted again. 

WE ARE SO BLESSED.

"Don't worry about bringing a poncho," they said. "It will be so hot there," they said.

Okay, this woman cracks me up. She saw us (white girls) and got so excited that she LITERALLY was running all around their hut, leaping and dancing around. She wanted a picture with us, so she tore off across some field to fix herself up and grab her scarf. She was ECSTATIC to take a picture with us!
I look at the picture later, and she isn't even smiling! It looks like we coerced her into standing next to us!
(Yes, I recognize that I look like a giant.)

This baby was less than a week old. So sweet!
That was the best part of our "research". We got to find all the moms and babies.
No, I didn't bring one home... though I was asked and the temptation was sore. :)

We quickly discovered that African kids absolutely love posing for photos for/with white people. 

We got to go to church! Some of us just couldn't keep our hands down.
Others insisted on gritting their teeth for the picture. 

Riding a tro-tro.
Initially terrifying, but actually doing it wasn't so bad.

Meet Emilee (pronouced "emily").
What a kindred spirit in the language of sarcasm!

Walking, single-file, through the Kumasi Central Market (the largest market in Western Africa).
Initially, not so bad. Actually doing it: terrifying.
We practically held hands to escape. 

So, pollution is pretty bad here. 

This man is quickly painting elephants for me :)
I took that painting home.
I learned to drive a hard bargain. #LifeSkills

I got to see two elephants.
I am choosing to focus on only that, not what I missed out on.
...*cough* 60-100 elephant herd... 

So, I didn't make the jump. 

I threw away nearly all of
my clothes when I got home. 

But the charming
Ghanaian guide helped me.

Elephant footprint.
My (dirty) foot. 

Awesome Utah girls!

On the way to the airport, we stopped by a rope bridge course!
#DroppedAnotherLuckyCoin
#LostAbout3OnTheTrip 

For the last day, they took us
to paradise to help us recover. 

My sweet hubby missed me.
I missed him.
(I did warn him, while taking this picture, that it would be shared.
He insisted on keeping this facial expression.)

*Oh, the irony!