Lizzie Leaves

The reason I could not stay to see the thief being punished (I'm not sure I would have wanted to anyway) was that I was meeting a friend, Lizzie for dinner. Normally, I would not take the time to tell you about each individual dinner I eat, but this was Lizzie's last dinner in Ghana. She is from San Francisco State and has been in Ghana since the end of last July. Due to progressively worse migraines, she eventually decided that it would be best for her long term health to go back home, and I wanted to have a meal with her before she left. Lizzie in many ways represented the benefits of coming second semester to lean on the students who have already been here and done so much. She was a wonderful reminder of San Francisco and taught me one of the most important lessons of being here: it's ok to have bad days where you feel like you are crazy and hate everything about such a new place. You bounce back, just be honest and nice to yourself. I hope that she has returned home safely and knows that she is appreciated here.

To see somebody actually going home also brought about a new flash of memory. For most of my day I don't think about Berkeley or San Francisco. I have fleeting memories, but I am mostly trying to stay in the moment and appreciate where I am. It was in many ways nice to hear Lizzie talk about the college friends she will see and the restaurants and sites she will visit (after the reverse culture shock subsides) in the city. I might just be able to balance loving home and loving it here.