I am at a point in my life where I am in desperate need of a change. As much as I adore New York City, I need to leave it. I need to escape the crowded streets and the rush of the people. This city is all that I have ever known, and there is an undeniable desire within me that wants to fly away. I am an individual that is usually bursting of energy and optimism, and the city is steadily taking that away from me. I know, for a fact, that studying abroad in Ghana will inspire the most incredible change in my life. When I go to Ghana, I will see a completely different world. I will be scared at first, and I will want to come home to familiarity. In time, I will adjust to my environment. I will learn the ways of a foreign culture, and fall in love with it. I will meet people that I would never meet in the city, and they will teach me lessons that I simply cannot learn from a textbook. I know the five months will pass by incredibly quick, and when I return to New York City I will tell my family and friends about my amazing trip. I will also tell everyone that they should all go see the world and how beautiful it is.
15 more days and I leave for Ghana.
If I got a dollar for every time I get asked, "Why Ghana?" I would be pretty damn rich now. Here's the real question: Why not? Too many people think that I am crazy for going to Africa instead of Florence or London, but I honestly believe that Ghana is the one site that will give me the experience that I cannot get anywhere else. I almost feel bad for those who feel bad for me because they do not understand.
Before I submitted my essay for the Gilman scholarship, I wanted Jason to edit it. The essay was about why I chose Ghana, problems I faced while applying for Study Abroad, and my expectations of the trip. What Jason gave back to me was completely different from what I had originally wrote. He told me that my answers were too "idealistic" and he was worried that the readers would think I was too naive.
However, I stuck to my gut. The beginning of this post is how I concluded my essay, and I won the scholarship.
A random thought: Odd how much I see my mom considering the fact that I am a commuter student, and all I want to do before I leave is maximize my time with her.
15 days seem too long and at the same time, it feels like it is not enough time. There is so much I want to do before I leave, but tomorrow is a start. Lunch with Sam, movie and dinner with Abbey and Michelle.
Chances are I will still write on this even if no one reads.
