Cape Coast

 We didn’t have internet all weekend, so I wrote this on Monday night and am posting it now:

Our placement is complete. There are no more classes, tests, students, notes, or khaki pants in the Africa heat. We left our home in Kumasi for Cape Coast and arrived Saturday evening. We stayed all of Sunday and Monday on the coast, and it was an amazingly relaxing sort-of-vacation. 

We woke up and had breakfast early on Sunday at a beautiful outdoor restaurant owned by some Europeans. I had crepes and I am not sure why I have waited this long to have them. I had mine filled with fresh pineapple and it was perfect. I also got eggs and toast (don’t judge, I was hungry and knew I was skipping lunch).

I spent the entire day at the beach. Aside from some little Ghanaian boys running around naked (I didn’t really get it, and was very scared from them when they were swimming near the sharp rocks), the entire beach was ours. We lounged and unwound and took in lots of sun. I did absolutely nothing but lay in my chair. I didn’t read a book, didn’t listen to music, didn’t play games, and it was perfect. I was in a very comfortable place in my mind, and in person. My mind was and is still completely blown that I was swimming in the same ocean that I swim in at home and that I have now been in either side of the Atlantic.

Unfortunately, I totally forgot that I was in Africa and not at Robert Moses or Gilgo, and that the sun is the Africa sun. I baked to a boiled lobster shade of red. I wore my SPF 50 even though I usually only use 15 and let my Italian skin do the rest of the work, and yes, mom, I even reapplied once. Somehow I got the worst burn on my stomach, so sleeping is not very easy. I also stepped on a sea urchin while I was out swimming. I thought it may have been a rock, but upon the examination, I found a bunch of little spikes stuck in my foot. Luckily it wasn’t poisonous, or else I would have had to go to the hospital. I tweezed most of the little spikies out, and I’m hoping my body can push the rest out with some help from a little Neosporin.

I felt like I was in a Corona commercial.

Pretty killer sunset.

At night on Sunday, we decided to drink and be merry. We were, and made some Ghanaian friends, who insisted on calling me Mr. Michael just like my students. It was great having all the time during the day and at night for some reflection on where we actually are, what we just did, and how truly amazing it is. I am having a lot of difficulty putting all of my thoughts together. There is so much that I saw, experienced and learned and it is so overwhelming to try and process. Hopefully I’m able to gather my thoughts and write one final post that expresses a lot of what I feel.

We spent another day at the beach today, but this time I stayed in the shade. I am exhausted and am getting a good night sleep tonight, because we leave for Accra tomorrow and depart Wednesday night! It is hard to believe that something I have planned and prepared for this long is coming to an end, but I am excited to get back on the Island and see my family and friends.