My time with you is coming to an end so fast. For the past weeks I had this sick feeling to my stomach. All the farewells, all the last things I wanted to see and do once more while being here, it made me feel lost and nauseous.
I feel so at home here, I have started to love so many things. I’ll be honest with you; in my first months, or even year, I wasn’t too sure what to think of you. You were messy and dirty and chaotic to me and very inefficient and sometimes really disappointing. I saw some beauty as well, but I struggled. But somehow that beauty grew bigger and bigger. And the things that bothered me either faded or make me laugh now.
I will not miss your smelly ditches, your pace of work or your troubled systems to get anything done. But God knows how much I will miss all the rest of it. I met the most wonderful, beautiful people. Found the most wonderful loving friends. I loved that the sun was up every morning when I woke up and opened the curtains at 6 am. Really, I never knew the pleasure of doing my daily sun salutations while actually seeing the sun rise. I even liked the sweat sometimes, or at least a little bit. You won’t believe me if you have overheard me yelling at assertive drivers, but I even love driving in the chaos these days. I will miss the colourful fabric and colourful women and the strong and elegant way they walk. The goats and chicken running around. Gin and tonics at the poolside and all the time of leisure. Coming to the office and giving people a hug and wishing them good morning. The naughty jokes of my colleagues. Their warm invitations to join them for some fish heads at 10am (still no thanks, but thanks anyway). I will miss the beauty of the north of the country. The dirt roads, the mud huts and the dust, the cool of the rainy season and the massive rainstorms. But it’s time to go home now for a bit. And it’s time to fuel my tank and fill my heart with love from the one I love most in this world and end the heartache of being apart. And new adventures are at the horizon. But Ghana, a dear friend who loves you dearly too once said she had a star-shaped mark in her heart when she left the country. And that’s exactly how I feel too. I will miss you. Yebeshia bio, I hope we meet again.
Love,
Iwanna
