· Mothers and Fathers and Parents, Oh My! Bridget and Victoria’s parents met us in Accra. You know those movie scenes when two people who haven’t seen each other in 27 years finally meet (generally in an airport or on a beach) and run towards each other in slow motion? That was Bridget and her mama. A high-pitched shriek, a couple of suitcase-encumbered shuffle steps, and the biggest hug you’ve ever seen. Victoria and I both teared up. Cheers to mamas and their babies.
· Bridget and Vicky’s Marathon! So this one time, my two friends ran a marathon. It was truly an African-style race event, in that it was close to an hour late, was short on all sorts of supplies (including medals for those who finished) and had maybe the least awesome marathon course ever: Pollution! Dead dogs! Dodging semi trucks on blind curves with no shoulder! Despite the obstacle course nature of the thing, the girls finished AND argued the lady into giving them medals AND have really hilarious knee sock-like tan lines now! So proud of them. :)
· Ghanaians Are So Nice. All six of us (three of us, three parents) got a free ride home from a late dinner. Some lady I didn’t even know asked my name, told me she loved me, and then traded me a whole handful of coins (coins!) for my one cedi bill. This is a true story. She gave me change!
· Sexual Harassment: Even in the Land Of Milk and Honey. The first couple of days in Ghana, Bridget, Victoria and I were with Jim and Bob, and because of that we didn’t get harassed at all. We thought the country was this magical place of unicorns, bubbles, and respect for women! Then, when we were on our own, we learned that that was not actually true, and that being harassed in your own language is somehow more jarring than in French. On the upside, though, it’s kind of twistedly really nice to know that it’s not just Benin.
· There Was A Mall! With a fake Costco, a fake Apple store, and a real live food court. And some sort of teacher store, which I avoided on principle.
· A Short List of What We Ate: Accra (not Ghana, just Accra) is like America. Thus: Diet Coke, a cheese, bacon and avocado sandwich, real wood-fired pizza, a cappuccino, egg rolls, a cheesy grilled chicken sandwich, watermelon, a margarita, so many plantain chips, frozen peas, wheat bread (and wheat toast!), a quesadilla, and a beef and bean burrito. Boom. It should be mentioned that most of my caloric intake would have been impossible without the support (emotional and otherwise) of Bridget and Victoria’s parents. Thank you!
· Day Trip to Winneba. We took the parents on an adventure via tro-tro (the transit choice of the masses, minibuses with benches in them) to a little beach village an hour outside of Accra. Well, we thought it was a village – upon arrival, we learned that it’s actually the third largest city in the area! So we found a hut on the beach, got a beer with the parents, and watched the waves. :) It was a semi-successful outing anyways, mainly because we got to see the parents eat African food, and I got to try bush rat! (Google: agouti, grasscutter, or bush rat... mmmm.)
· Batik Fabric! K, we’ve been over my addiction to textiles, yes? Particularly tissu. In Ghana, they have batik: hand-dyed fabric in incredible colors and cool, African-looking patterns. I bought too much! And it made me so happy!!
Dear Ghana, thank you for my latest adventure, a reminder of why I love Rice kids so much, my exciting fabric purchases, and my newest, most ridiculous Band-Aid sunburn line yet. Now, as Victoria says, “from the land of milk and honey to the land of dirt and gari.” Benin, we’re hoooome! 
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