6am Thoughts: The Whirlwind Week, Part 1

I'm writing this about fifteen minutes after I got up. I'm sitting here in bed listening to the roosters crow and watching the room grow just a little lighter by the minute. The Telecenter that I am staying at in Accra has pretty slow WiFi but, it runs best in the early morning so I thought I'd get a jump on the day and write a little post.

I'm writing this blog to document my travels abroad and as a personal therapy. This trip to Ghana is the first time that I have every gone abroad for longer than a couple days so I hope to show my changes, my emotions and my experiences. I also hope to be authentic in the way that I share stories and capture the daily lives of normal people in the countries that I visit. I hope that these stories and experiences will be inspiring and uplifting!

So let's dive right in...

The week leading up to the start of the trip here was crazy! I wrapped up my fourth semester back from my mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That semester was probably the hardest months of my life. I carried three heavy classes, Organic Chemistry, Human Anatomy and Statistics for Scientists. And the last week of the semester wasn't any different. 

Here's how my last state side week happened: This past Sunday I broke up with my girlfriend, Sunday night from 12am to 7 am I studied Human Anatomy and drank probably one to many Rockstar Energy drinks and took the final at 8:30am. Tuesday morning I studied Organic Chemistry and took the online multiple choice for the O-chem final. I also slept and relaxed a little that night. Wednesday my dad arrived from Boston, we packed up my room and partially packed for this trip.

Side note, the sun is starting to really rise on Accra and the room I'm in has these red blinds so I'm getting a nice warm red glow on my computer.

Anyways, Thursday I finished packing hung out with my Dad and his side of the family in Bountiful, Utah. Thursday night I start taking my Malarone, the large red anti-malaria pills and the fact that I am going to be in Ghana starts to really sink in...what is it going to be like? Will I like the food? Do I have enough packed?

The whirlwind really picked up Friday. I woke up excited and ready to go, had a light breakfast and spend some time tying off loose ends re-checking my suitcases. Every suitcase I have is packed to the brim, the large checked bag is full of reading glasses and weights about 60 pounds, I have my life from clothes to some American candy packed up in my carry-on and my backpack. Lunch is a burger and fries from Five Guys with my Dad, his parents and my aunt Kay.

We drive to the airport, checked in, went through security and then wait. My aunt Kay wait together. She waits for a flight to Seattle and I for the first of flight of my two flight journey to Africa, a flight to JFK International Airport in New York City.

I'll pick this part of the story up tonight with so details about my first day out helping these clinics, its just about 7am and the van to the St. Thomas Eye Clinic is scheduled to arrive around 7:30am.