When I first set foot in this serene Volta community as a CorpsAfrica volunteer, I felt like a fish out of water. But now, it’s as if I’ve sprouted roots here. Slowly but surely, I’ve started to blend in—maybe even too much. Give me a few more months, and I’ll be haggling with market women over prices so convincingly that you might mistake me for a local.
Every morning feels like a movie scene. I wake up, step outside, and there it is—the majestic view of the mountains staring back at me. It’s so calming, so fulfilling, that it feels unreal. I often find myself gazing at the landscape, smiling like a child who just got their favorite candy. The funniest part? I never realize I’m smiling until my daydream is interrupted.
The mornings here are magical. The harmattan fog sometimes plays hide-and-seek with the mountains, making them disappear entirely. For a moment, you think you’ve been transported to a different planet. Then there’s the infamous “burning mountain” view at night. When I first saw it, I was instantly reminded of the childhood song about running for your life because “there’s fire on the mountain!”—only to discover it’s just an everyday occurrence during this season. Apparently, hunters set bushes ablaze to catch animals—a strategy I never would’ve thought of, but have grown to find oddly fascinating.
The people here? Let’s just say they’ve made me feel like family. They’re incredibly welcoming and love seeing me attempt to speak their local dialect. It’s like a comedy show for them. Every time I stutter through a phrase, they light up with the same excitement as parents watching a baby say their first words. “She’s learning so fast!” they exclaim, laughing and clapping, while I try to remind myself that this is a good thing.
Living here has brought me immense satisfaction. The community members are accommodating and eager to teach me their ways—from their language to their customs—and I’m soaking it all in like a sponge. And every single day, that stunning mountain view drives me crazy—in the best way possible.
I know my time here will leave a lasting impact on me, just as I hope I’ll leave an impact on this community. There’s a sense of mutual growth in our relationship. I’m learning to see the world through their eyes, and in return, they’re embracing me as one of their own. While I may have started here as an outsider, Ewe land has claimed a piece of my heart forever.