Off To Celebrate Thanksgiving

It is almost that time of the year where I would normally be boarding a flight to head down to North Carolina and enjoy some home-cooking (or take part in the cooking) with family and friends but this year is different of course. I miss the family of course, but rarely do you get a cordial invite to see the Ambassador's house and have some victuals to boot. All of the volunteers within Ghana are invited to partake in a Thanksgiving meal while stationed here and I am taking that offer.

I think I am bound to miss some things though. Back home we always made sure to have our dried corn served right along side the mashed potatoes and gravy. I doubt that is something that I will have this year. Who can forget the jellied cranberry sauce that still held its shape from the mold of the tin whence it came? Not me, I loved that stuff. And the nice fat bird coming from the oven with the smell that filled the whole house up from den to bedrooms. Ah, good memories.

I think this year holds a hot city, a crowded pool (one of the only times we are permitted to swim in the country without fear of picking up a parasite), and some home-y cooking with a little bit of a Ghanaian flair. That and I hope to see some more volunteers that I could not see during our In-Service Training. This party is not only for our class of course, all volunteers from prior years who are still here are invited as well so I will meet more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones.

Since I didn't get my invite until a bit late I had to make my own arrangements for a place to stay. As luck would have it my brother had a friend who had a friend that currently lives in Accra. Myself and the other volunteer from Hohoe will be sleeping at that house during the two days that we are there. That was a great relief to know that we had a place to stay. An added bonus is that a movie was released back in the U.S. that we may be able to watch here. Harry Potter may be in the works on Friday and I have enjoyed the movies so far.

Still, this will not be the same as my old Thanksgivings. I will be in touch with the family in spirit (and by phone) for the holidays and that will have to do for now. I am extremely fortunate to have this chance to be in Ghana and doubly fortunate to have an Ambassador who likes guests to visit. I am off to find my swimming trunks and sunscreen.