a. e. smith’s official website

Well, after 40 hours in transit, I finally made it home. It’s hard to
believe I’m really back. Those of you who have seen or spoken with me
may have noticed I seem a little dazed and confused. I also seem to
be really enthusiastic about small things — like tap water, street
lights, hot showers and washing machines. Despite the happy
homecoming, I’ve been thinking about the things I’m already missing
about Ghana. Here are just a few:

- The abundance of singing and dancing in everyday life.
- Endlessly beautiful starry nights.
- Holding hands. [In Ghana people of all ages and genders hold hands.
There's really something great about having a 15 year-old willingly
take you by the hand. It's very common to see same gender friends
holding hands. I've never really understood why in American society
hand-holding is reserved for children or the romantically involved.
Now that I've returned, I'm personally hoping to change that (friends
and family: consider yourselves warned).]
- Fresh mango and pineapple — the kind that makes you really savor
every bite and leaves you wondering why you’d ever eat anything else.
- Speaking Ewe.
- Group discussions with my team.
- Friendly people.
- Being a minority. I think it’s something every mostly majority
person should experience at some point.
- Walking everywhere.
- Playing soccer with the neighborhood kids.
- Shopping for groceries at the open outdoor markets. (I guess you
could say I’ve been eating all organic for the last 2 months. Who
knew it could be so affordable?)
- Being the leader of 9 remarkable women.
- Using a machete.
- Spontaneous thunderstorms.
- Gorgeous fabrics and clothing.
– Being genuinely accepted by the community.

Things I won’t miss:
- Transportation. There’s really no safe way to travel there.
- The heat rash I developed as a result of walking around so much and
never being fully dry. (I have a new sympathy for babies experiencing
diaper rash.)
- Burning my own trash.
- Cold showers.
- Doing my laundry by hand in buckets of water.
- Negotiating prices with taxi drivers.
- Living on top of 9 other people. I miss my team, but I won’t miss
being so intimately aware of everyone.
- Hearing goats and chickens at all hours of the day.
- Frequent marriage proposals.
- Hearing strangers call out “white person” as I pass.
- All the insects and lizards that became common household fixtures.