Bringing Home Souvenirs

After unpacking all of my things I’ve realized that I brought a lot of things home! I have a pretty large family and several friends with birthdays during the time I was away so I brought home presents for everyone. My only dilemma is I like everything. I have a rule when buying gifts, if I wouldn’t like receiving it I don’t get it for someone else. Well that can sometimes make it a little tougher giving everything away. Everything that I purchased has a memory associated with it. The fabric reminds me of being completely overwhelmed in the market, just Lea and I on an adventure. The wooden bowls remind me of the boy who followed me through the whole market trying to get me to offer more then I had not understanding that I really only had 30 CD left and couldn’t offer any more. The wrap skirt made from the fabric that we bought from a woman who had made it herself, sewn by the woman who came to our hotel, measured each of us and brought back beautiful skirts and dresses made just for us. At least I am sure that my family and friends will appreciate the gifts I’ve brought them.

Unfortunately there was one souvenir I hadn’t counted on bringing home… a parasite infection. I started feeling sick Monday morning, the morning we were heading to the airport to leave Ghana. I felt sick on the plane and was just hoping to make it home to my bed. I thought I just needed some rest and some good food to put myself right but by Thursday I knew something was really wrong. I went to the doctor and they diagnosed me and gave me medication. Little did I know the medication would make me feel worse. By Tuesday I honestly thought I was going to die. My friend told me “why don’t you go lie down”… I said “no, I’ll just stay here”…wrapped in a blanket shivering… not admitting that I was afraid I would go unconscious, no one would find me in time and I would die in bed by myself. I was sick for a good two weeks before I started feeling better. It was difficult explaining to people that Africa was great and that I had an amazing experience, when they could see how sick I was. It will be easier explaining what great place it was now that I’m not green. Just this week, I had to take another round of medication and am sick again not as bad as before. Hopefully this will be it. My illness has made me very appreciative of our medical system and my insurance. The children in Ghana that get sick as I have may not be able to get the right medication to make them better. In that way, I am very lucky.