Wanderlust: Ghana

Open your heart, release expectation and experience a place with brand new eyes.

This post comes from our blog intern, Emily!

I arrive in Ghana, Africa on the full moon. I walk from the plane to the tarmac in the city of Accra. It is dark, and I can’t decipher where I am as I leave the airport. It feels good, though. The air, humid and warm, transports me back to my childhood in Indonesia. I reach my night’s destination and open the curtains to find a beautiful moon glowing over the sprawling city. I know it’s going to be one special trip.

The skies are so different; it’s a world I feel obliged to share. I can’t put my camera down — there is an unspoken desire to snap pictures of everything. But as my trip progresses, I learn to balance that and be present enough to capture at least a few moments with my heart.

It is loud, music playing all the time. Alarms ringing frequently, car horns that never end — it’s the hustle bustle of Accra that fades into white noise and becomes almost soothing with time. Traffic is inevitable and the narrow roads fill with cars and people. The country is vibrant, buzzing with people who wear amazing colors made up of ornate designs and patterns.

There’s a mango tree outside that people pick from during the day. The best part of the morning is breakfast, which consists of heaping amounts of tropical fruit. A woman in blue velvet leggings has been sitting on a “shanti” (handmade African stool) over a tarp and a fire pot. I think she’s making a a traditional local food called “fufu,” made from cassava root and plantain. It’s enjoyed by everyone and produced through very hard work — pounding and stirring over a hot fire for an hour is not easy. A man bathes himself with a rag and a bucket of water outside while another man chats away with him and laughs as he pulls weeds around the area. The rituals of a community, made up of 20 or more people living behind the row of shops on the street.

There are so many things I take for granted. I see a group of people gathered around a table chatting, relaxing, and drawing with a little one. A mother wraps her arms around her boy and holds his hand with a pencil; she helps him draw in the dirt. It’s heartwarming and reminds me that it’s the simple things. Life is short and the people, places and moments are what matter most. I get a little discouraged when I think of the culture I live in sometimes — are we losing that? Connection, on a real level? It’s so alive here. It’s humbling to watch Ghanaians live life.

Fresh coconuts are my sweet daily ritual.

Chickens frolic, cars roll by, the generator roars, wind blows, people chatter and children laugh. People are passionate, gentle and kind. I feel grounded. It’s been a beautiful, real and expanding journey…

Foreign travel can be so very exhilarating, yet so very intimidating. It’s difficult to pack, we anticipate, we fill ourselves with expectations. Maybe we think we’re fully prepared and ready for whatever…or maybe overwhelmed and anxious. Each journey is different.

As I check things off my list before departing for Ghana, a place I’ve never been before, I catch myself going about it differently. When I get ready to travel, I usually prepare items, materials, clothes…but, for this trip, something changed. I pack the essentials, but what I need most is to prepare myself — my mind, or better yet, learn how to empty my mind so I can travel with an open mind. I didn’t build up the usual pre-trip thoughts. I let these go and what I got in return was — freedom. Beautiful, unbeatable freedom.

So, wherever you go next, regardless of whether you have been there before — I promise your experience will be nothing short of unforgettable if you let go of your expectations and open up to whatever may be . Soak it up, baby, soak it up.

+Where are you headed? Do you have any tips on how to really get to KNOW a place? Let us know in the comments below!

Have the travel bug? Check out more travel posts by the BLDG 25 Blog.

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Leisa
8 years ago

BEAUTIFUL post. I met my son in Ghana. So blessed by adoption and my time spent in this colorful, unforgettable place.

8 years ago

Ghana is such a great place! http://www.thepaarblog.com/

8 years ago

Looks like a very special place to me, and full of good-hearted people!
https://www.makeandmess.com/

8 years ago

Great post! This put Ghana on the list of places I would love to visit.

8 years ago

I echo many of your feelings on adventures around the planet.opens heart eyes understanding a greater meaning of peace comes it humbles one educates one tremendoussly. One is ever closer to knowing oneself with each new fantastic journey

Emily
8 years ago

What a beautiful post!! And so inspiring! I cannot wait to travel the world one day. Your photos and words make traveling seem so rewarding. A life filled with new adventures, beautiful people and places. Love it!

8 years ago

Great post Em. Writing and photography! Keep on traveling.

Eliza W
8 years ago

Love the photos! And so true about traveling heart first. What a treasure to receive another culture with an open clear mind. Cheers to many more travels to come!

8 years ago

I like this post so much! Your pictures give me the feeling of coming home <3

Beks
7 years ago

Love the posts so motivating and inspiring! :)