Readjustment
Except for the babies screaming on both flights coming back home, an Indian politician being paraded around SFO, and SFPD making an arrest at customs, it was a fairly normal and chill flight back home to the states
Its been a little over a week since I have been back home in my cushy house where the lights are always on, air conditioning exists, and where my super comfy bed was waiting for me. The first thing I did coming back home from the airport was take a shower.
I appreciate hot running water and being able to drink water out the tap so much more than I ever would have thought.
When people ask me how my trip was I say, it was both extremely fun yet frustrating at the same time. I knew going into the trip that business and work culture would be different going into the trip. I knew I was going to feel uncomfortable or confused while I was on my trip. I also knew that going into the trip I may feel like I didn’t actually contribute or accomplish as much as I would have hoped to do while I was there. But looking back on it, only a week out of the trip, I can start seeing myself appreciating things much more and understanding different viewpoints. People, albeit in different parts of the world, are much more alike than different
Yet at the same time, I also see myself changing in that I refuse to accept barriers that would get in my way of me doing what I want or need to do. For example, when it came to traveling around by ourselves, our group made it a point to be independent and figure things out. We listened to everyone's advice, but at the end of the day, if we wanted to do something, we made it happen. I feel that the same principle should be applied while doing business, so long as I am respecting the culture and people I’m working with.
As for my routine, it definitely has been a bit wonky. The first couple nights were fine in terms of my sleep schedule, but for some reason, the jet lag was super delayed and ended up hitting me like a wall a week after being back. I’m really happy to finally be able to make my own meals and spend time with family. But one thing that kind of sucks is realizing how expensive everything here is compared to Ghana. Because the exchange rate was about $1 US dollar to about $5 Ghana cedis, we were ballin’ on a budget. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how cheap, delicious, and filling buying lunches were in Ghana.
Throughout this experience, I don’t think my perceptions of Ghana had really changed from before the trip versus after the trip. I think what changed for me is my appreciation for the people, culture, food, and way of life in Ghana. I miss the people the most. I couldn’t believe how kind and generous everybody was to me. And speaking about people, I think my biggest lesson of the trip was learning how to deal with different types of people. I think throughout the entirety of the trip, learning how to live with, question, communicate, disagree, and work with people from a different country has been the most valuable lesson that I couldn’t get anywhere else.
Ghana truly was an amazing and unforgettable experience. This trip really has me wanting to travel and experience more of the world and start traveling more. I know that for sure. Here is a photo dump of some pictures and stuff recapping the trip.
For the last time,
Sahil Sagar
