Different But The Same
You would think it would be a stark change, going from the red dirt of Ghana to the concrete jungle of Manhattan. The buildings here are bigger, sure, and my pale skin and lack of Twi/Ga/Ewe language skills no longer mark me as an outsider in the way they once did. However, every day I notice something … Continue reading
From West Africa To The East Village
Growing up in suburban Canada, I often dreamed about the places I wanted to see, the streets I wanted to walk, the experiences I wanted to live. I would see photos of the red dirt in Sub-Saharan Africa and yearn to muddy my shoes with it. I would read about a little independent coffee shop … Continue reading
Golden Goodbyes: A Tribute to Fleeting Friends
On my first flight to this place, I was too scared to sleep. I had hours to ponder the unknown, to hide my shaking fists beneath scratchy airplane blankets, and to attempt to drown out fearful thoughts with music. It was the last day of my 22nd year and I was certain that I was setting … Continue reading
That Time I Thought I Was Going To Be Murdered By A Baboon (And Other Safari Stories)
A bit delayed but… Back on Easter weekend, I went on my second African safari! Here’s the story. It’s long and chronological. Deal. I’ll be honest, I was a little on the fence about heading up North to go on safari. In Kenya a year and a half ago, I spent thousands of dollars on … Continue reading
That Time I “Acted” on a Ghanaian Soap Opera
Living in Ghana definitely has its downsides. There were the injuries from falling into an open gutter, my flooded floors after a rainstorm, those weeks my bed was infested with biting ants, that time I had malaria and the water was out, and those nights spent staring at the ceiling during a power outage when … Continue reading
BIG NEWS (again): I’m moving to NYC! (In October)
I am overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation yet again (this is becoming a regular occurrence). I just booked a 3-month stay in the East Village, Manhattan, from October 4, 2013-January 4, 2014. I’ve wanted this my entire life, and I can’t believe it’s finally happening. I’m not leaving Ghana just yet, I’ll be completing my … Continue reading
Prettiness and Primates
After a whirlwind weekend I am now recovering with a new limp and some puncture wounds on my arm. Both maladies were totally worth it though, because I got to play in not one but two waterfalls, make friends with monkeys, and climb my first African mountain! The trip started on Saturday morning as I … Continue reading
That Time I Had Malaria in West Africa
Well, it happened. After a little too much ambivalence about the whole malaria prophylaxis thing, a little bugger bit me and infected my blood with gross parasites. Welcome to my malaria story. A week before the symptoms showed up, I was at a pool party when we began discussing malaria while bobbing in warm water … Continue reading
Hundreds of New Friends- A Visit to Rural Ghana
Power and running water are two things I definitely took for granted back in Canada (also: sidewalks and relatively cheap cheese). Over the past few weeks, I’ve had to endure cold bucket showers, going without internet for over 48 hours (the horror), sweating more than I’ve ever sweated before, and other unfortunate things that ‘modern’ life … Continue reading
Exploring the “touristy” side of Ghana
This past weekend I got a head start on my African travel resolution and headed to Cape Coast, about a 4-hour (with traffic) drive West of Accra. The weekend was a great mix of historical education, relaxation, and fun, and I’m glad I finally got a chance to visit some of Ghana’s “touristy” destinations. After … Continue reading
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Kelsey Parsons 