January 7, 2011 at 1:33am
Dear Friends,
Greetings
from . . . my couch . . . in Spokane. (Technically its Michael’s
couch). Well, its 12:30 am and I haven’t gotten anywhere exciting yet. I
just wanted to see if you were paying attention. I can’t believe the
adventure I’m about to embark on, even after all this time, it still
feels very surreal and I don’t think I’ll feel it completely until I
step of the plane in Accra (pronounced ‘uh-Craw,’ not ‘Ack-ra’ (?) for
future reference), Ghana. That is my final flight destination. I will
fly out of Spokane at 6:15am Friday, Jan. 7, and will arrive safe and
sound with my luggage and no mishaps at 1:20pm Saturday, Jan. 8 in
uh-Craw, Ghana. I have a layover in Denver and DC and then I’m out.
Gone. Away. Not here. Peaced out.
I do believe, despite my
apprehension and the poor communication with UCC (University of Cape
Coast) up to this point, that upon my arrival I will be met with a sign
that has my name on it being held be a friendly person from UCC who will
help me get from Accra to Cape Coast. I do believe I’ll probly be
spending the first night in a guest house in Accra before we drive or
ride the 77+/- miles down the coast to Cape Coast where I will take up
residence for 5 months. Yep! Five whole months!!! I am believing that my
accommodations will be taken care of and will exceed my fairly low
current expectations. Right now, I’m just hoping for my own room with a
bed in it. If I somehow am able to secure a small apartment or something
complete with my own shower and toilet, maybe a small kitchen area,
cause I love to cook!! Well, that would be just swell. A girl can hope…
and pray and wish and dream and work to make things happen and by golly,
its going to work out no matter what I am faced with!!! Haha!!
Ok,
so it may seem like I’m slightly delirious and that’s because I am. I
should be sleeping but if I were trying to sleep I’d be composing this
letter in my head and wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway so there you go.
Feel free to skim it. No need to memorize it all. The test won’t come
till the end anyway . . . maybe.
So I don’t know if
someone from UCC will meet me at the airport. I don’t know what my
living situation will be like. I don’t know much about the food,
admittedly because I’m sure if I knew more, I might not get on that
plane in a few hours. I don’t have an address yet, obviously. See
previous unknown. I don’t have a phone number where you will be able to
reach me after the 8th. I don’t know what the internet service will be
like and how much I’ll be able to update all of you. I don’t know what
classes I’ll be taking or how much time they will take up.
However,
here is what I do know. Even if someone isn’t there to greet me, I will
be able to make my way to Tesano Guest House where I will then plan my
next step. Regardless of what my room or apt. might look like, I will be
grateful for a roof over my head and a door on the room and anything
else will be a bonus. A bed would be nice, too. I know that no matter
what inedible items come my way that I am forced to try and swallow, I
will do my best to not expel them in an untimely fashion, I might even
like some of it, and by the grace of God, it will not make me ill. When I
get an address and a phone number, you will all know what it is.
Regardless of the internet service, and please be patient with me as my
response time will be greatly diminished I expect, I will be thinking of
you nonstop and when I get online I will remind you of that. :) Hehe. I
hope to be able to at least acknowledge my receipt of your
correspondences, however they may be received. If I take a while or
yours somehow gets lost in the mix, please know it is probly not done
intentionally, I will get back to you when I can, I don’t hate you, and
reminders and further communications are welcomed and appreciated. I
guess I’m just asking for some patience and understanding with this and a
little bit of faith, too. I know that’s asking a lot but I don’t think
its asking too much. Heck, this whole trip is the biggest leap of faith
I’ve ever taken! I’ve probly never been more anxious or excited in my
life. I also know that I will be taking 5 classes and regardless of the
time they eat up, I will do my very best to make the most of all my time
there and will be greatly rewarded in ways I’m currently unaware of I’m
sure.
Yes, for the record, I’m excited. I beyond excited .
.. whatever that might be. I can’t even express the level of my
excitement for this adventure I’m setting out on. I dare say all of you
have probly posed that . . . how shall I say this somewhat nicely . . .
tedious and fairly absurd question to me in the process of the planning
for this trip and I imagine I probly looked at you as if I didn’t
understand the words you were speaking or something like that. Well,
its because it is the most absurd question you could possibly ask, and
I’ve heard some good ones. Of course, I accept that it is something
people ask when they don’t know what to ask and so I will have to
forgive you this time. However, in the future, I expect more unique
questions and thoughts. Just put a little thought into it and ask me
what you really want to know . . . about my trip, that is, though, if
you ask me bout other things I’m likely to answer those, too. It really
does make conversations much more exciting and fulfilling if there are
intriguing and unique questions posed. So bring it on!! Lets see what
you got!!
Okay. What else. . . We’ve covered the knowns
and unknowns briefly. I’ve challenged you to challenge me with
thought-provoking and laughter-inducing questions and thoughts. I’ve
assured you of my undying love and devotion. I’ve written a very odd
letter that may result in my getting “please remove from mailing list”
emails in response which I’m ok with. I make no promises that future
emails will be this way. One can never tell, though. Consider yourself
warned. What is to come will be. Hmm .. . That sounds very Zen or
something. Ah well, deal with that in whatever way you feel you need
to.
It is my hope and intention to send out lengthy,
possibly tedious and mind-numbingly detailed letters via email where I
will share my experiences with you as I am able to express them, that
includes photos so keep your pants on, sheesh!! I have heard your
demands to ‘take lots of photos’, almost as much as I’ve heard the
excitement question and to which I respond in much the same way. Feel
free to reread that part if you are wondering at what my response might
be. I hope to do shorter, more easily readable notes and such on
facebook with the same sort of regularity. Weekly. Did I say weekly?
That’s what I’m aiming for and we’ll see how that goes.
Skype!!
If you are on skype, track me down. catstoothoff is my user name or
whatever and this email address will get you to me, too. I hope to be
able to skype with many of you, ok, maybe not many as lots of you aren’t
on skype, for one thing, but should you join us, I’d be happy to
converse with you when I am able. For another, lets face it, some of you
would rather just read my letters or look at my photos than talk on
skype. Its cool. I get it. I’m not offended and I hope you aren’t
either. Lol! ;)
Umm . .. I don’t know what else. Its 1am
and I think I’m opting for a couple hours of sleep at this point. I’m
off tomorrow morning.
Oh, one more very important thing!!
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!! To all of you for supporting,
encouraging, and helping me in so many ways with this trip and for
making time to hang out with me before I depart. I am humbled and
blessed by your willingness to send me off into the unknown with a
knife, pepper spray, some clothes, lots of snacks, some essentials, a
camera and laptop to a foreign land full of more unknowns. You have made
this trip a possibility and very soon, a reality and I am so very, very
grateful to you all. I look forward to sharing this with you and living
as much as I can since many of you are living vicariously through me.
I’ll do my best. Just keep in mind, my best is not your best and I ask
for some grace in this. I am carrying you with me, even though I’m not
willing to pay the fees for the extra luggage to fit you all in my
luggage, and I am lighter for the privilege. :)
Alright. I
think I’m done. This is the oddest letter and I love it:) I hope you
enjoyed it, too. I also hope to hear lots from you all about what you
are up to and what’s going on in your lives. Being on the other side of
the world doesn’t mean I no longer care about you and the things that
matter to you. Quite the opposite in fact. So feel free to regale me
with the same level of tedium and detail that I share with you, if you
want to. Or just a short note once in while would be nice too. Or
jokes!! I like jokes .. . or “Get Fuzzy” quotes. Prayers are greatly
appreciated, too.
And if I cry in my good-byes or
see-you-laters, of course there is sadness in that- I love you and I‘ll
miss you dearly but I also am no good at leaving. Leaving is a big part
of being able to go and so I do it, but grudgingly and with some tears
usually. Don‘t be frightened, its only ‘cause I love you and I hope that
doesn‘t frighten you too much. If it does, well, I don‘t know what to
say right now about that. Check back later if you are one of the
frightened ones. And I’m a girl, I really am, though I try to hide it
sometimes, and crying is something I do on many occasions, one of them
being leaving so don’t worry too much. I will be fine. They are only
tears and they will dry.
Ok. I’m really done now. Love and blessings to you and I’ll be talking/writing to you soon!!
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