When you step outside of your comfort zone, this is when the real learning begins. The Trent-in-Ghana (TIG) program was the most intense, overwhelming, difficult, challenging and real experience of my entire undergraduate program. My time in Ghana was such a unique privilege. It amazes me that after four years removed from this program I am still regularly reflecting back to my experiences in Ghana, and they continue to shape who I am today.
While in Ghana I learned to appreciate the true complexity of life. To find the beauty in what often seemed like chaos. I learned to find humour amongst the confusion created by living in an unfamiliar culture. The rich rewards of the joys of making a new friend and coping with the continuous realization of never fully fitting in are a small part of what make the TIG program a wonderful experience.
The most challenging part of my year abroad, living in the remote town of Wa in Ghana’s rural north, has also proven to be the most important part of my year abroad. It was from this experience that I gained new perspectives on the fragility of the relationship between livelihoods and healthy environments. It has inspired my interest in exploring the importance of local knowledge for resource conservation and management, and is part of what eventually led me to pursue my current studies in Ethnobotany. The opportunity to live and study development in a country struggling with many of the challenges of ‘developing’ is a priceless part of any degree in International Development Studies.