I finally have my Ghana pictures all put together in an album. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
I love it.
And as I looked through the album that now holds snapshots of our crazy, wild, incredible journey: the Kissemahn kids, Coca-Cola, Togo & Benin, the beautiful coastline of Ghana, and our random photo shoots around Accra, I managed to find the photo album that I had with me while I was in Ghana.
This album was a source of comfort for me while I was abroad. It was nice to have a piece of home when I came across difficulties, when I was sad, when I was homesick, and when I was needing a little reminder of everything I had waiting for me at home.
In this album are pictures of my family, of various trips, and of course, my friends.
It has pictures from my mission trip to Vietnam, of the hockey team, of my incredible grandma, of my best friends and I jaunting around Hendrix, of hikes in my favorite parts of the mountains, and even of Buddy.
There are empty spots for pictures where Rukia, Salem, and Gloria took a few to keep in their homes back in Kissemahn. I think I'm going to leave it like that—a nice reminder of where I have left a big piece of my heart.
Though it's impossible to describe what my journey in Ghana has meant for me, with these pictures, and some story-telling, I can make a little headway.
As I look through the photos of familiarity—my parents, siblings, and friends—I like where I am going. I like where I have been. I like it, just right here. Right now.
That's the trick with photographs, you know. How to embrace them for exactly what they mean; to let them take you back, but also use them to propel you forward. I don't know when I'm going back to Ghana. I don't think that door has completely closed just yet. So, when I look back on these pictures, I will laugh, cry, and remember. I will cherish. And I will appreciate and know that is from these experiences that I am who I am. And, I have that forever. I am taking that with me. I am moving forward with this inside of me.
That is the value of a photograph.
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