International v. local

Today and yesterday have been tough days for me, or at least tougher than the rest. At the beginning of my time here, I really through my arms wide open and met everyone I could meet. Now I know a lot of people here, about half Ghanaian and half international students.

I made a firm commitment to myself that I wanted to learn as much about life in Ghana as possible, which for me means spending a lot of my time with Ghanaian people. It also happens to be much easier to spend a lot of time with other international students who are experiencing the same struggles and excitements as I am.

Unfortunately, cliques have started to form. Not in a malicious way, but Ghanaian students are hanging out with Ghanaian students, and international students are hanging out with other international students. I am caught in the middle, and I am feeling isolated and strung out. I was trying to spend time with everyone, but that is not possible. Now I am feeling forced to decide who to prioritize my time with, and the answer is obviously the Ghanaian students. That just means that there are a lot events I am missing as groups of 30 obrunis (white people) head off to the bar together.

I am happy to stay and visit with my new Ghanaian friends. Sometimes it is just hard to watch relationships form without you.