Britbird.

I don't want to get too far ahead of myself but this past week has been one of the happiest of my life. I'm waking up everyday with bursts of unrecognizable energy. My host mom always has breakfast waiting for me at the table and although the shower has worked once I feel enter than ever. Before I get to the good stuff there is something I need to attempt to explain of an awful and only negative experience so far. I'm going to try to explain about what happened to me one week ago from today. To most it won't make sense but to those who may suffer with mental health issues, we may begin to relate.

Saturday morning started out normal, I forced myself to eat drank some water and took my malaria medicine. Doing so is a requirement while being in Ghana because of the outbreak of malaria season from mousiqtoes. I walked to the proworld office and we began our drive to the slave trade tour. on the drive there I started to feel my senses slowing down. I tried to talk and my words came out long after I had forced them. everything was blurry and my insides felt like they were outside. I told myself that I was probably just dehydrated and didn't feel the need to tell anyone although my voice inside of my head said "you need to tell someone ASAP that something is wrong". I tried to say one more word before realizing that something was psychologically wrong and that I was now going to be like this for the rest of my life. I convinced myself that I would deal with it and train my brain how to think clearly and re-teach my senses how to work properly. We finally reached the destination and as the voice outside of my body guided my legs on how to step out of the car another volunteer looked back and asked if something was wrong. I tried to explain but knew my words were coming out slurred and in the wrong order; I started shaking unconteollably and then I'm pretty sure I passed out. Some of the girls were there to comfort and one of our directors did the explaining and phone calls. I was rushed to the nearest clinic (luckily 30 seconds away) and hooked up to an IV. after four hours of this awful hallucination and outer-body experience I felt normal again and decided that I needed a newmalaria medicine. Although rare, these are side effects that occur from the medicine I was on. It was a frightening experience and one I hope to never have again. for a split second I considered going home, but then I had the best week of my life.

I can not pinpoint what was so great but I believe that fully embedding yourself in the service of others brings about a happiness unlike any other. I want to give me time and attention to the children of the orphanage as many chances as I can. I am constantly smiling at the children in the streets who scream for my attention. Life here is so simple. People don't live their lives based around Facebook, or fashion, or who has better pictures. They just live day-to-day hoping to make $1 off their booth in the bustling streets of Abura junction. The children at the orphanage have 29 other siblings wanting the same attention from the "mother & father" of the home. They eat what they are given and they do as they are asked. No one complains and no one has a negative outlook. Everyday is thee exact same day and routine. They don't have concerts, parties, dinner-dates, football games, beach days etc. to look forward too. It inspires me to take their happiness and way of life back to America. I don't want to just say "I loved living in Ghana it was a learning experience." I want to remember everyday what I have been taught, who Ghana has made me, and how they may seem like they are worse-off BUT they don't know any better life. They know simplicity, family, dancing on torn up couches, recycled bottles as toys, and piles of dirt as a yard.

Fruday all of us volunteers got to go to African drumming and dance classes. It was so much fun, I laughed and sweated my butt off the whole time. The drummers were extremely attractive, which was a plus. We all then traveled to a beach "resort" in Elmina and spent the whole day in the ocean and soaking up the smell of chlorine in the pools. It was a wonderful day filled with non-stop smiling. I have met some people here who I get along with great. People who have traveled the world, people who are one with the world, and people who are lost but still happy in the world. I will forever treasure this time of pure bliss.

I love Ghana.