Travel
11: Ghana Trip | Resort Life
Since I’d slept in my bathing suit last night, I put on a cover up shirt and skirt once I woke up. I shared with RC that I came to rock the beach, not walk the beach. Tiny off-white sand crabs scurried along the beach. We took a longer walk than normal because we had … Continue reading
12: Ghana Trip | Reappearing Women
Ever have one of those days where it seems as if the universe itself conspired against you? As if the same sour note keeps being replayed throughout the day. This was that day. We all got a bonus shower during our morning walk, leading me to found a new superstition: “Rain Goddess.” Anytime a certain … Continue reading
13: Ghana Trip | Wine & Chocolate
I awoke with a thought: either the spices, the amount of food consumed, or brushing my teeth with tap water throughout this trip had kept me regulated. Sometimes twice a day, but not diarrhea. Supposedly, a healthy digestive track is SUPPOSED to eliminate after every meal. Could it be that even down to my bowels, … Continue reading
14: Ghana Trip | Celebrations
Lord have mercy! I actually slept well on my penultimate night in Ghana. I took pictures of European and African dignitaries, and Al Gore, in the hotel hall of fame prior to walking. (Please click on individual pictures to see the full view, then click on the browser back arrow to return to blog view.) … Continue reading
15: Ghana Trip | The Plantation Strikes Back
At 2:20 AM, the airline emailed that my flight to JFK had been cancelled due to air traffic control safety concerns. Fortunately, I’d slept well. Better to deal with the emotional toll. I’d celebrated coming under budget while on vacation. Now that would be put to the test. Another tour member had been the first … Continue reading
16 Ghana Trip: Five Angels Defeated My Demons
With my flight cancelled, I devised a new plan: pick up my luggage and rent a car. I went to baggage claim. I avoided a long, seemingly unmoving line. Instead, I asked an employee who stood off from a distance. She told me that no luggage, even for a cancelled flight, would be on the … Continue reading
2025 Family Reunion: Quilting Narratives
For our 84th consecutive Strange Family Reunion, we had some brand-new activities along with improvements on classic activities, making this year’s gathering fresh for everyone. One of our continuing traditions was the flag display. The Ghanaian flag represented part of the story of where our family DNA came from. As a matter of fact, that … Continue reading
Even Tastier
The first time I attended a pole-dancing competition, I was brand new to the sport. I couldn’t analyze many of the moves, but the most impressive thing I witnessed was different body types poling very well. Up until that point, I had lied to myself about losing around 20 pounds in order to do certain … Continue reading
Socks Bonus
In the nick of time, my bonus socks from work arrived on a Saturday morning. Their arrival had taken so long that when I’d asked for an update during a past meeting, one supervisor said that she’d heard that that email, asking for our sock size, was a hoax. Seeing is believing. I packed my … Continue reading
Packing for Ghana
The vast majority of my international travel has been financed by working as a secondary math/science/ELS teacher. Schools automatically took care of the many details. Yet for this trip to Ghana, no school is picking up the tab although, thanks to a very seasoned tour leader, many of the bureaucratic details such as getting a … Continue reading