Lists are good for keeping thoughts straight.

Six days and I'm off. I'm so overwhelmed with emotions, plans, excitement and fears that I can't keep my thoughts straight. I hope this is normal.

Things I'm trying not to freak out over:
1. Loneliness and culture shock. It's inevitable so I'm building my stockpile of coping mechanisms now. Music, books, etc. And I need to overcome my introversion.
2. Language barrier. English is the national language but most people, especially older generations, speak local dialects.
3. My living space. I can handle no electricity and no running water. But if I can't find privacy and space, I'll go nuts.
4. My health. Even stuff that should keep me healthy, like my malaria medicine, could make me sick. Its side effects include hallucinations and vivid dreams. It doesn't help that I just listened to a This American Life podcast about a guy who lost his memory while using the same medicine.

Reasons why Ghana will be awesome:
1. New people! I can't wait to meet my fellow teachers at the school. I don't know if there will be any other volunteers there, but it would also be nice to meet other international workers.
2. Kids! Working with kids is good at revealing what's really important.
3. Warm Weather! Philadelphia is getting two feet of snow tomorrow. The high in Ghana today is 82 degrees.
4. Escape! Sometimes it helps to take a step away from normality in order to understand it. I'm looking forward to what I will learn about myself.

Aside: To all those who have supported me with well wishes and funding, I owe you a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU! It is both humbling and motivating to know that you all care about me that much. Many thanks.