So Long, Farewell...

After a several hour delay in the Accra due to the ash in London (yes, there was still ash in London like a month later), I made it home safely to Newton, MA. I arrived home and immediately gorged myself, obviously. Then, about a half an hour later, my dad tells me to go upstairs to my room because he has a present for me there. I open the door to my room and I see my brother on my bed with a camera and a chicken in the corner. I scream, of course. Apparently, my brother’s friend has chickens so my brother asked to borrow one as a nice welcome home temporary gift (we gave the chicken back).

Other than that, my adjustment back to life in the USA has been pretty smooth. I’m still amazed by the constant supply of water and power as well as the plethora of food options. And there has definitely been an element of shock; I don’t stand out any more and everything just seems to run much more smoothly. Also, it was really emotional to come back to America and reflect upon my past several months. I still sit here in amazement that I actually fulfilled my childhood dream. Not only did I survive 4 ½ months in Africa, I was able to maintain my level of observance. And on top of that, I even grew religiously (thanks to Rivky and Zahava). The three of us have taught countless Ghanaians, Americans, Togolese, and more about various obscure laws of being an observant Jew (Many Ghanaians now know that you can’t rip toilet paper on Shabbos). Though all Ghanaians have heard of Jews, most of them did not know what that means outside of the context of the Bible. One girl even told Zahava that she used to think negatively about Jews, and after meeting us she has changed her mind.

So in conclusion, my adventure to Ghana has clearly been a great success! Though there were definitely hard times, like not having water for days at a time, I am so thankful for this experience and that I was able to share it with Rivky and Zahava. I honestly could not have done it on my own and we were so lucky that everything worked out so well between the three of us. This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity that has permanently changed me (I don’t think that I can ever look at eggs or a faucet the same).