GIFTS

This was a very low-key holiday, with everything so different all over the world. The decision was to stay local and have a restful time. With my calendar (holiday planner) in tow, I attended a course online, read, wrote, travelled and stayed at home for most of the holiday.

Here, I have briefly recorded three parts of my holiday.

Driving out of the city is the most soothing feeling. I love nature, I did not realise this until a few years ago. The green that surrounds us as we drive out, the mountains covered in rain forest trees are images you want to hold forever. I went to a different part of Ghana this holiday. As well as the drive, the beach was beautiful. There is something about the waves and warmth of the ocean that sort of cleanses your whole being. Nature in all its parts is special.

Writing throughout this holiday has been great. I committed to joining my writing group (TeachWrite) many days a week and know I have benefitted intellectually. I have been able to pour my life and events into words and this has been refreshing. All my writing experiences this holiday will greatly benefit my students too.

This holiday led me to an altered diet. It’s interesting how taking an already established model to one’s context makes it a little difficult. For health benefits, I have decided to cut down on carbohydrates. I’ve researched different diet plans and the contents of each meal time. Interestingly, most of the foods are foreign, some of which I have never eaten or seen sold here in my corner of West Africa. I have had to adapt to the local vegetables, mainly organic and lace them with chicken or fresh fish. The benefits of the new diet regime are more than I can share, but it takes time, lots of research, replacing ingredients with local ones and coming up with my own recipes. I’m still at the beginning of it and hopefully writing about it will make me persevere.