away and A W A Y

Heyy Everybody!

I can’t believe it’s getting towards the end of July! It’s frightening how quickly time can pass. I have about 12 months left here in Ghana. When talk a second to stand back and look at myself I’m still a scared trainee, wondering how I’m going to make it through 2 ½ years.  One on hand I want to dig my heels in and make it all slow down. I realize that this is unlike anything I will ever do again and that I should enjoy it while I have the chance.  But on the other, I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life. Whether that entails school in Costa Rica or a fantastic job in Maine or Boston…we’ll see where I end up! The freedom of choice is thrilling and daunting all at the same time; it’s hard to know which way to look.  I guess my only goal right now is to try, as much as possible, to stay living in the moment.

So coming up for me…

I’ll be traveling to Accra at the end of next week to help with Operation Smile. They are an organization that does operations all over the world for children with clef pallet and clef lip. I am excited to be working with them. I have been told by volunteers that helped out with the event last year that it’s an experience that reminds you what you’re doing here. I’m looking forward to a renewed sense of purpose.

Then, after Operation Smile I will go to Takoradi for a fellow Peace Corps Volunteers wedding! I’m pretty excited! Some of the other surrounding volunteers and I are throwing her a bachelorette party! My first one! There won’t be any strippers or phallic drinking straws but I will wear something covered in glitter so all is not lost. A few weeks ago I had a dress made by a local tailor out of a fabric that I really like so I’m excited to break it out for the wedding! I’m going to try and borrow a camera for the day so that I can take some pictures of everybody all dressed up!

The kittens are doing great! Pineapple and Mango are loving life out on the back porch. They’re getting bigger and badder, still working on growing some teeth and chasing chickens.

In the time between writing this and getting to the internet to post…

I don’t have too much to say about this except I live in Western Region, this happened in the Upper West Region…not near me. Don’t worry.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/16/world/africa/ghana-peace-corps-killing/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

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My grandpa passed away. Poppop. Nothing reminds you just how far you are away from home until something like this happens. I’m incredibly angry with the Atlantic Ocean for being in the way. I understood when I signed up for this that it meant that I would be away but I didn’t realize just how far “away” meant…and even more to the point, how far “away” can feel.

When I think about him I will always remember his jovial personality, is singing about pants and buttons, black licorice, but most of all I will remember his unconditional love for Nanny. 63 years of marriage isn’t something that everybody is blessed in this lifetime, but that’s exactly what he was…blessed. I can’t imagine having better role models in my life. It makes me believe that that kind of unconditional love exists in this world for us to find…they proved it.