A VERY SPECIAL GHANA REUNION

LISA&SAM’S #travelsundaystory

Our First Ghanian Wedding Reunion!

WE HAVE OUR FIRST WEDDING

This is SUCH a special Sunday story to tell.

6 years ago, in early 2013, I decided to spin a globe. I’d split up with my first boyfriend, was feeling low and wanted to go away but it was my first trip by myself and I hadn’t a clue where to go. I took my dusty globe off the shelf, shut my eyes and decided to spin it, telling myself I would go wherever it landed…

And where did it land?

GHANA

Yes, Ghana.

Some random country in Africa for my first holiday by myself. I laughed/panicked a little, looked up volunteering opportunities and booked flights for October, before running downstairs to let my mum know.

“You are joking”.

– Was uttered three times before Mum realised I was in fact not joking. I didn’t have the money to even go, so I worked as many jobs as possible before flying off.

I arrived at Accra airport in the evening, travelled three hours up a mountain, convinced I was going to die from the amount of cars we were over taking on an apparent motorway – fast forward 6 years and I LOVE overtaking in foreign lands – and arrived at my volunteering house. For the next 6 weeks I would be teaching children English and going on village missions, distributing food, medication and supplies to poor communities. I got close with a girl called Lisa who had already travelled all over the world by herself, and was the one of the most fiercely, independent people I think I’d ever met. We were both volunteering for the longest amount of time and became really good friends, talking about my breakup and her utter repulsion of ever wanting to settle down with someone. She was passionate, vibrant and had no fears of being alone, in fact, after 6 weeks I didn’t imagine her being with anyone ever. I pictured her on a farm tending horses, happily leading her care free, solo life.

In those six weeks, people came and left and a group of us formed, who year after year would meet for a reunion – Lisa and I, Fraser from Scotland, Molly and Annie from Norwich, Amy and Evie from the Peak District and Tracy and Dean, an older couple who had travelled to Ghana leaving their sons Ben and Sam at home, to work in the Ghanian hospital and build facilities. We’d meet at Tracy and Dean’s once a year, and we’d meet their sons (who were close in age to us) and extended family for a weekend, even having the privilege of being invited to Ben’s wedding.

2014, Our First Reunion!

6 years later, our latest reunion took place in a church, watching Tracy and Dean’s son Sam marry our dear friend Lisa. The most surprising, beautiful, happiest story to have come from such an incredible experience. I never thought I’d witness seeing Lisa beaming walking down an aisle, let alone to the son of our great, travelling friends. We missed Annie and Mollie at this ceremony, but had the best time watching this wedding and partying together.

Goes to show, you never truly know what’s going to happen do you?