International Travel and Arriving in Ghana

My travels started at the Detroit-Metro Airport. For anyone who has never traveled internationally it can be quite an experience. The reason I know this is because I am one of those people. The first flight I took was from Detroit to Amsterdam. The flight was very long but I really enjoyed the food. Though I did not sleep much I was not very tired by the time that I reached Amsterdam; instead I was very excited. The layover in Amsterdam was about three hours but half of the time was spent boarding the airplane. The lines were not bad and security was easy. The only issue I came across was that I could not use a pay phone to call home, but in the end it turned out to be fine.

The flight from Amsterdam to Accra was about half full so it was very comfortable. The Airplane company equipped all of their seats with television so the passengers could pass the flight by watching some shows, movies, or listening to music. I did all three and it was very helpful in quelling any nerves that I had during the flight.

Upon landing in Accra we boarded a bus on the tarmac which took us to the actual airport. Going through customs was not difficult for me, I simply showed the lady my passport and she sent me on my way. Though I made it through without any problems it is wise to note that some problems do occur but usually if you are attentive you can get through without any trouble. I walked down a long ramp and found that my student guide Awushi was there to greet me. We took a ten minute van ride with Mr. Thomas, our driver, to Legon which is just north of the city of Accra. The van ride was nice and we made it to the International Student Hostel (ISH) without any problems. The fact that I was really in Ghana finally occurred to me after I signed in to the hostel and put my things in my room. Though I missed home I was ready for the experiences Ghana had to offer.

Getting Ready for My Travels to Ghana

My name is Ian Moloney and I am a senior at Central Michigan University. I am majoring in History, Philosophy, and Political Science with a minor in Ethics. I have always wanted to travel outside of the United States to see what life is like in a different part of the globe. Through my studies I have learned many things about other areas; however, it always felt like I needed some firsthand experience. This disposition put me into contact with the Study Abroad office where I learned about the many opportunities offered. The opportunities ranged from studying art in Italy to an internship in Bolivia. All of the options sounded fantastic; however, there were three criteria that I had already set up to find my perfect destination. The first was that I needed to go to a place where I could maintain my usual 15 credit hour workload. Secondly, I found a great joy in helping others; therefore, I needed to find a place where I could truly be of service to other individuals. Thirdly, I needed to find an area that did not cost much more than my usual CMU tuition. With these three factors in mind I found my study abroad location, the University of Ghana.

Ghana is a former French colony with its capital of Accra on the coast it seems like a very beautiful place to call home for the next semester. I am very excited for this trip and I look forward to the new experiences that will be waiting for me the moment I leave the airplane. I have been told to not have any expectations about my time except that I will have a great time. Also, I am reminded that Ghana is much different than America; therefore, I need to “roll with the punches.” Neither of these sentiments should pose a problem because I am only expecting to have an experience that I could not receive in Mount Pleasant. Also, I am fully willing to allow the culture of Ghana to envelop me because I chose this place for a reason, and that reason is to become a part of Ghana. Overall, I am unsure of what exactly to expect, the only thing that I do anticipate is that I am going to have an amazing time abroad.