Not A Typical Day

Andy's adventures in Ghana as a Peace Corps Volunteer

Thanksgiving 2025

Disclaimer: “The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Ghanaian Government.”

November 23, 2025

Hello, it’s high time I sent you an update, but it just doesn’t feel that there’s much new or exciting. Let me express gratitude for the things I’m thankful for:

  1. I had a very enjoyable break for a month in Minnesota, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Every day was filled with the delight of wonderful food and stimulating conversation. Thanks to all who invited me to stay in their homes and/or share meals together. It felt absolutely wonderful to get my bike out of storage and go riding almost every day, even if I was woefully out of condition. I especially enjoyed visiting my friend Dee, who was my first boss at 3M. She’s in her mid-80’s now, but is doing very well. We met twice and talked four hours non-stop both times and got in some nice walks as well. I can’t begin to count the number of people I visited with, yet I know there were some who were disappointed that we couldn’t get together. I promise I’ll be back to the US before you know it.
  2. Very happy news that I received while visiting my elder daughter Gina in DC was that she and Vincent are engaged to be married. An upside to the government shutdown that idled both of them was that they had time to explore options for their wedding celebration. I have a firm commitment to be in DC during the latter half of October next year. I’m really looking forward to it.
  3. I’m comfortably settled in my new location in Ghana. I’m in an apartment that’s less than half the size of the house I lived in for the past two years, but that’s alright. One advantage is that I now have 24 hr running water (most of the time). Also, the town is more than 100,000 people, which means that there are bigger shops that offer more variety in food. It’s only a 10 minute walk to shops where I can find butter, Greek yogurt, and other treats. The only challenge is that it’s harder to meet people here, although I’ve been making headway.
  4. Lastly, I’m thankful for all of you and the kind and supportive thoughts and wishes you send me. I miss you, but knowing that you are there helps me get through the challenges that still arise on a regular basis.

Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and safe travels if you’ll be on the road. I’ll leave you with some photos from the last six months in Ghana.

Until next time!

A friend left me his bike. It has 3 gears on the crank, 6 gears on the cassette, but only one speed. That’s OK, it’s mostly flat around town.
I spotted these ladies in front of a hair salon. Given that it was Halloween, I couldn’t escape the thought of zombies.
Another slightly creepy mannequin.
Snails for sale at the market!
Although it may look like a hideous monster, this is the remnant of a coconut that someone enjoyed and the stem it was attached to.
This image brings to mind the story of Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians, but rather than tie down their quarry, these ants are actually working together to drag it to their nest. (The grasshopper was already dead.)
You know you’re tired when you can sleep atop a brick wall. This little girl was sound asleep after the excitement of Culture Day.
The cattle in the background are in for a rude surprise.
At my farewell celebration, I’m receiving a gift from the headmaster of the school where I taught. I’m wearing a smock that was presented to me by the town Chief.
I’m presenting a certificate of appreciation to Edward, a fellow teacher, who taught me so much about all aspects of work and life in Ghana. I look forward to attending his wedding in a few weeks.
My friend and fellow teacher Esther on her way home from school with her daughters.
On exam days, the students put their knapsacks outside of the classroom so they’re not tempted to cheat. The rooster took up this position just to be sure.
There’s no science textbook to rely on but my friend Osafo does an excellent job illustrating the topics of his lessons.
There’s no tally of how many latrines USAID funded around the world to improve sanitation during its existence. They also funded countless wells and boreholes to provide people with fresh water. The “PROUD HOUSEHOLD LATRINE OWNER” t-shirts were a popular bit of swag. We received the funding for our project the day after US Inauguration Day this year. I suppose that makes our borehole one of the very last USAID-funded projects.
Cutting the ribbon on the new water supply!
My headmaster really, really, really wanted to put my name on the commemorative plaque, but from the Peace Corps perspective a key aspect of projects like this is for the community to master the skills that will help them undertake similar projects on their own in the future. In the end we compromised on this wording.

One last observation: I haven’t spotted any funeral homes in Ghana. Instead, carpenters build caskets and the families of the deceased collect the body from the mortuary and prepare it for burial. My favorite sign advertising carpentry for caskets is along the road to my new location:

Exodus Funeral Services

ghanaandy

One response to “Thanksgiving 2025”

  1. Stephen Katz Avatar
    Stephen Katz

    Good to hear from you! Your Ghanaandy Blogs are always fun and informative. Thanks. S. Katz

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment