By: Allegra Czerwinski
Before
traveling to Ghana, I was quite frequently warned about the inevitable
culture shock.
I braced myself as best as
I could, but no amount of preparation could have readied me for the experiences
this past month would hold.
Everything
we experienced, from Mercola Market (Ghana’s largest market) on our first day
until our last night at The Republic Bar, never went as expected. I was probably most taken aback by our
trip to Tawala Beach [a weekend gateaway on our own]. The shore
was covered in litter continuously brought in by waves; I nearly stepped on two
syringes. As we were preparing to
leave, a family of emaciated pigs appeared running down the beach. They were attempting to scavenge for
food among the trash.
Though
culture shock is perfectly normal, its effects never fully culminated within me
while I was in Ghana. I was lucky
to have an amazing support system of peers who could bring humor to any
situation with sarcasm. Of course,
there were many meaningful discussions as well, but if there’s one thing our
time in Ghana taught us it’s to not take everything so seriously. Between my fellow Americans and our
welcoming hosts at AUCC, I’ve never felt so supported.
|
View from African University College of Communication (AUCC), where we had lectures and classes with Ghanian students. |
What
I failed to account for was the culture shock I experienced upon returning
home. How was I to assimilate back
into the life I lead before, having experienced what I had?
Looking
back, I can hardly believe some of the things happened to me. I actually have a hard time explaining
some of my experiences to my family and friends because it’s so unfathomable to
them. Maybe the shock I feel is
because I finally have time to reflect on my time in Ghana, but I think it’s
really shocking to see how complacent I’ve been.
I
planned to pursue a career in Public Relations within the fashion world. I was perfectly
content with finding my place in driving the consumerist society that defines America. But now as I sit in my classes I can’t
help but draw on my experiences.
One
of our more insightful lectures gave way to the fact that many African countries
struggle to find competent leadership partially because of western interest in
their natural commodities. Without
a stable governing body, social issues fall to the wayside.
So
many of the luxuries we take for granted are not even accessible to the average
person in Ghana. Actually, things
we don’t even view as luxuries such as universal education, trash collection,
even running water are not standard in Ghana. With that in mind, I’m starting to view my life through a
different perspective.
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