Amaral in America

This will be my last blog entry... in this blog, anyway. I'm not sure if I want to start a new one or not. While I have enjoyed writing for everyone back home, it has been a commitment to do so. I'm back in New York City as of this morning. Going from 90 degrees, every day, to 10 degrees has been an extreme adjustment. Walking through, shoveling snow, and in general returning to a winter environment is strange.

I'm not sure what it says about me that I find myself more comfortable in an environment where people keep to themselves in an aura of "urban solitude." Being an introvert in NYC is easier than being one in Ghana, perhaps.

The trip was life-changing for me in that I was placed for the first time as a "disabled" person in a totally foreign environment. I experienced so many things that would have been impossible to do if I was simply browsing through somebody else's photos. If I was simply reading about the experience, someone else's experience, it wouldn't have made the impact that it did on me. To see the struggle for disableds is real in Africa, in a country that is full of patriotism for their progress, was difficult. It also has opened my eyes to looking at accessibility issues back home. (I realize that carrying a suitcase, laptop, SLR, 14 days worth of clothing, a Trashy Bag, approximately 12 yards of Woodin fabric, five pairs of shoes, a small cat in her carrier, African jewelry and artwork, and three dozen eggs from a subway stop to my apartment is not the same as being disabled, but I did appreciate those ramps for the wheels on my suitcase. Saying that was intended to be humorous, but I also realize it could come off as me being a bit of an ass because I am blessed with so much and encumbered with so little in terms of disability.)

If you're a student who is considering the pros and cons of taking two weeks to travel to Africa to take this course, I would definitely recommend going to you. There were a lot of difficulties about the trip for me, make no mistake. I never really adjusted to the spiciness of the authentic cuisine. The hot weather was a struggle every day. We got up early and went to bed late (and I didn't even go out to see the nightlife) every day, with new things to read, new photographs to take, new notes to process, and new questions to ask. There were a couple of days where I skipped lunch in favor of taking a nap before class in the afternoon, I was so exhausted. Would I do it again? Yes!!

The sense of community I experienced was refreshing, to say the least. I feel like I made some new friends over there and each of us had something unique to contribute towards our class experience. We were all in it together and I felt like we had made some strong bonds by the end of our trip. I learned a lot about people - both sick, and well, and in places far from home. I think that was overall the bottom line for me. I was able to be immersed in a culture that was so different from white, upper-middle class Americana where I'm from (East Lyme, CT I'm looking at you).

I'm still a bit conflicted about the topic of my final paper is going to be. It's got to be related to how the trip will effect me personally and as a practitioner, with journal articles applicable as necessary. I've got until mid-February to complete it, so I'm going to sit on it for a while. Not too long, though. I want to complete it while all of my memories from the trip are still fresh in my mind.