This week is a special look back on our last two years of moving, settling in, and blogging about all the changes in our lives!
I can’t believe it’s already been two years since I started this blog and reflected on the move from Charleston, South Carolina to Accra, Ghana. When we first found out about our move I had so many mixed feelings about moving, especially moving to Africa, a place I hadn’t really visited or seen. Of course, I had lived in both Egypt and Morocco, but living abroad as a young student was completely different from living abroad as a young mother with two young children. I had so many questions and concerns that did get answered quickly, thankfully. But at the time, it seemed so daunting to resettle in a different country, on a different continent. But I had no idea that it would end up being as easy as it was – well, relatively easy.
Our House
I had so many ideas about life here that weren’t really true. Firstly, I thought that the only accommodations we’d have would be a small three-bedroom apartment. We were coming from a brand-new house that we had settled into with our little ones. I didn’t think that we’d be able to find enough space for most of our furniture or other things, so most of it went into storage. While we did spend some time in a smaller accommodation when we first arrived, I ended up being wrong, and seeing that there are a lot of different places to find a comfortable home similar to what we had left behind. And as time has gone by during our stay here, we have worked to make our house here in Accra more and more homey for our little family.
When we first moved from Charleston, we also had an infant and young toddler in tow. We have, gradually, watched our two little ones grow right before our very eyes.
Abigail
Abigail is now the same age that Sara Gail was when we first moved here. It’s been unbelievable to see her grow so quickly. She went from a rambunctious infant starting to get on the move when we first came her, to a full-blown toddler. She has really only known Ghana as her home since she was so young when we moved here. She has loved the whole journey and been such a smart and brave little girl the whole time! From being tied on my back like the locals when shopping at the local market, to getting an emergency CT scan from a scary fall, to trying her hand at virtual learning and finally going to school onsite with all the COVID protocols that now have to be in place. We’ve been so lucky to witness this amazing transformation, and I can’t wait to be here for the rest of the ride.
Sara Gail
Sara Gail had only just turned 3 years-old as we started our move from Charleston to Accra. She had already moved from Houston to Charleston, so she had done a move previously. But she was still too young to really understand the full impact. At 3 years-old she was becoming more aware of things, and it was clear that she was having a hard time adjusting to a smaller living space, leaving her toys behind, and trying to make new friends here. But she did find the fun of looking at snails and lizards, and then was thrilled when she got her toys back and a bigger place to live. Plus, she was so happy to have a friend to play with at the house as Abigail grew up and started playing with her in all her imaginative games. And now Sara Gail has grown up into an amazing, smart, and talented kindergartener who is curious about everything. And she is more than happy to be living here in our home in Ghana, with all her new friends from all over the world. I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow and thrive from here!
Overall, this adventure overseas has been worthwhile for our whole family. While it’s had it’s hurdles, from moving from an apartment to a house, organizing the house once all our things arrived, all the unexpected (and frankly unwelcome) travel for Varun, and then of course the shock of COVID, it’s still been a rewarding experience in the long run. For Varun and I, we’ve been able to live in and adapt to a culture that is completely different, and make our own friends from all over the world. We’ve experienced the challenges and rewards of expat living. And we’ve got to watch our two girls grow through it all. Even though I will look back on this experience and be glad for the opportunity it has given the girls to expand their cultural awareness, and the educational opportunities they’ve been given here, my fondest memory of this journey will be watching the two of them strengthen their bond as sisters. They love one another more than anything, and to watch them laugh and play together is pure joy. And I feel more than lucky that I’ve been able to witness this in a place that is new to all of us. We’ll just have to wait and see where the rest of this journey will take us, and how much longer we will get to enjoy it here in Accra!
Come back next week to read about our adventures in March and our very first guest to visit us in Accra!!
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