Packing with a Side of Nerves

Welcome to my first post, I have no idea if I am doing this the right way but I am going to try! Let me just say, this has been an intense process and journey so far, which I have been thankful for! I personally struggle with unknowns as well as uncertainties. Going into the process of teaching abroad, I wanted all "ducks to be in a row" as soon as possible hoping that would guarantee personal success while settling into another country. As many of you know I am a senior at Saint Norbert College, majoring in Urban Education and English, in hopes to be apart of the movement to reshape our failing system. I have received a very adventurous gene from my parents and been given the opportunity to travel frequently in my life, some would say it is an addiction. My family always encouraged authentic traveling and genuinely experiencing life in said destination, I am glad that philosophy rubbed off on me as I never want to just experience traveling at surface level but reach a deeper, more personal understanding of where I am.

There were an abundance of countries to choose from as I moved forward in the process, countries that I have been and others that I dreamed of going for years! I juggled ideas for weeks, I finally decided on Ghana because my intimate connections to the region of West Africa. As many people know, my siblings were adopted from Liberia, West Africa in 2008, Liberia is a small coastal country that is seated two countries west of Ghana. The decades of civil war and unrest made it difficult for my family to safely make the trip to their birthplace,  which is an extremely vital and important part of our lives. The election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and then George Weah improved the state of the country and since then has made tremendous strides. My decision to travel and teach in Ghana was the closest I could get to Liberia and provided a great opportunity for my family to make the journey as well if situations permit.

When traveling anywhere there are many percatutions and lists of preparation tips that are generously provided by friends, family professors and the internet! Every country is different when if comes to precautions and preparation, I found that when preparing for this part of the world that I have never been, there were many more vaccinations and medications to start to guarantee that my immune system could handle the change. It seemed that I was receiving vaccinations weekly and became very familiar with all the possibilities if my immune system did not like the new environment! The process has been a slow but I was reminded frequently not to rush the process,  no matter how much I wanted to! New information seems to trickle in,  but of the information I have and can share, I will be staying with a host family in Tema, Ghana which is a beautiful suburb outside of the capital of Accra andI will  be teaching ages 11-13 at Aves International School.  As I prepare for this trip I am looking for advice and words of encouragement, there are many unknowns and uncertanties that I am learning to be ok with as I wait for my plane to depart. I am thrilled to be in Ghana for three months and hoping to post on this blog every few days if not weekly! When given opportunities like this, I encourage you to take a step out of your comfort zone and do it! Adventure comes in many forms and is different for everyone but make sure to embrace the challenge in whatever form it comes in!

Until next time!

xoxo

Corrinne Ruth