What I learned about myself

Over the course of my time in Ghana, I wrote in my journal almost every day. I knew that ample reflection would greatly enhance my experience as a whole. Most importantly, I learned that I cannot put away my passions for anything or anyone. In my last journal entry I wrote: "I don't have to have my entire life mapped out as long as I am enjoying myself in what I am doing." I have spent so much of my academic career doing what I thought was right and aiming only for that. However, when I saw how happy I was being in a foreign place and going into a new adventure with no expectations, I realized that I need excitement in my life. At the end of the day, I am still only twenty and I still have so much ahead of me. I now know that what matters most to me is experiencing the world. I used to be afraid to ask questions and risk looking anything short of intelligent. Ghana taught me that I, believe it or not, do not know everything. Even more so, I accepted that that is okay. And the only way I will get anywhere close to knowing everything is to ask questions and to seize opportunities as they come instead of doing everything by the book. A Ghanaian said it to me better than I could ever explain it, "Westerners have knowledge, but the only way to gain wisdom is by traveling away from what you know."