After 6 months of talking about it, I was finally in Ghana with the hot weather, nice people and beautiful landscape. But it was only like this for a few days until I started missing my family and saw my placement. I knew I was coming to Ghana for one reason and one reason only, volunteering, however 2 days before I’m about to go home I feel like I’ve got so much more out of this trip.
I thought I came on this trip as one person however others saw differently. It hit me when Michael said “ I’m lazy and I’m cruising ” this got me thinking and I realised when shit gets hard I always seem to hide behind someone. So am I really one person or am I just a shadow?
I was angry at first, how are these people I’ve known for 5 minutes going to tell me I’m not one person. So one night I went for a walk and got thinking. I know I haven’t got the best confidence in the world and I know I find it hard to hold a conversation with someone I don’t know, but come on.
The next few days I could see a change. I started conversations with people in the group I don’t normally talk to, I went to the shops on my own, I taught at my placement and I finally learnt my own way through the refugee camp. I know it doesn’t sound like much but for me it was. People in the group started telling me the good change they’ve seen in me which made me feel better.
I’m so glad I came on this trip, not just for the volunteering but because I have learnt so much more about myself. Maybe I have been hiding away as someone’s shadow for the past 17 years because I’m scared of what people might think about me but I know I’m going back home as one person and I’m ready to find out more about myself. Thank you Mo!!