What do you miss most about being in Africa? Also, on the flip side...is there anything you don't miss? Was it hard for you to adjust to a certain thing?

I miss the carefree lifestyle. We were able to play like kids and run around laughing and going anywhere at anytime. There are no bills, no credit, no debt. You don't have to go to work when it rains and you don't even have to go when you're tired and guess what? You will still have a job the next day. I love how everyone is so focused on family. Everything is centered around community and even when eating evryone shares. I remember one time 7 of us were eating from the same big bowl. I also loved the hustle and bustle and beautiful colors and palm trees. Also, they have the best juciest mangos I have ever seen! I also miss the cold bucket baths and how the cold water made me scream.

Liberians are very Americanized in their thinking so I didn't have a very hard time adjusting, BUT the one thing that I wasn't used to was the amount of attention I received/caused. It was actually kind of exhausting to be stared at and greeted all day long. I don't see how celebrities survive with people in their face all day. Sometimes I found it hard to be polite ALL THE TIME to anyone and everyone. Everyone wanted to shake my hand or touch me and I just found myself wanting to be alone, but I didn't want to be rude so I had to endure it. You know how it is when you are hot, sweaty, and your make up is running? I know sometimes I would be cranky and tired and hot and the whole neighborhood would randomly pop up to come visit and I would have to force a smile out of politeness. It wasn't so bad, but that is the only thing I had a bit of trouble getting used to.

I can't wait to go back to Africa next year.

I miss everything about Africa. Pretty much all you said hit the nail right on the head. I truly miss the togetherness there and the openness. Love was shed abroad everywhere. I was treated like I was a celebrity. If I could move there to live I would. It's just that family, especially my mom, keeps me from moving there.

I miss the pineapples that were so sweet and tasted so real, unlike the pineapples here in the U.S. tasted ok. Everything there is made of real stuff, i.e. real sugar, whereas stuff here is made of high fructose corn syrup to make things taste better. Everything is natural there. I miss the rich foods. I was brought up on rich foods anyway. I loved the okra soup, the egusi soup, and stews with rice and pounded yam.

I miss my fiance's mom, she was so sweet and open. She always hugged me when she saw me. I was like a real daughter to her(I missed the way she called me "my daughter"). I missed the house help that wanted to wait on me hand and foot. I miss my fiance's brother inlaw and friends who wanted to buy me everything even after I kept refusing. The people I stayed with wouldn't accept one red cent from me to help them out. I think their rent was like $225 U.S. dollars per month and they lived in a pretty nice place, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, large living space! I always said to myself, "man, if I could move here...."

I truly don't miss the cold water, however, I did get used to it. I missed the warm showers at home. I remember having to boil water and mix it with the cold in order to get a warm bath while I was there. I miss the power outages that made people say funny things when it happened, "how could this be ooooooh!" or "HEY, dey bobo Nepa turn off power again, Chei! I dey miss my telie!" I would laugh everytime it would happen.

LOL, I remember my fiance and I had a conversation before I went about whether we take cold baths or not. He said he did and I gasped and told him I would NEVERRRRR succumb to cold water. He laughed and said "Ok, we'll see." I got there and the first night there I was hot and sweaty and wanted a bath so he went outside and boiled the hot water to mix with the cold to make it warm. Well, once I got done, I was still miserable because my body was still hot. From them on, I begged him to just leave it cold. He fell out laughing and pointed out the time I said NEVER, lol. That first warm bath was the one and only time I used warm water while there. I had completely converted into a cold water sucker. It was shocking to the body, but actually very helpful in fighting off heat.

Speaking of the things they say, I miss how Ghanaians and Liberians add "OH" on the end of everything. I would always laugh and add "oh" on my sentences and they would laugh at my American accent.

Princess, you did hit the nail on the head. I love Liberia and have every intension of living there at some point in time. Solo and I will have a house built there within the next few years. I agree also with the school system issues. Solo wants babies so unless the school systems get better (which I anticipate they will) we may not be living there permenantly until after they graduate or at least until they're later years of high school. But at least we'll have a place of our own when we go home. I may have combined two topics in that response but I definitely plan to live there AND I miss Liberia alot!

It's funny you mention the attention. My daughter said "do we have antena's growing out of her head" because of the way the people in Liberia were looking at us. I thought it was obvious to them because we are 'bright' (as they call us light-skinned folk) but I saw a few light-skinned (non-Lebonese) people. Sometimes it was nice and other times....

I definitely miss the food. I have the privilage of living in the same city as Solo's family and get the opportunity to eat Liberia food pretty often but getting it straight from the motherland is priceless.

I love the environment, the climate, plus the no credit and no debt is the gravy on top. Although his parent are deceased I miss his other family members who treated me so special. I miss shopping on Broad and Randall streets... all the beautiful clothes, watching the clothes being hand made. The whole experience was wonderful but with only having two weeks you try to fit as much in as possible. If I knew I had an unlimited amount of time it would be even better. I look forward to that.

My daughter and I stayed in a Hotel the first 4 nights with full amenities (plumming, electricity & central air) and then for the remainding 10 days we stayed at a Missionary Compound on the beach in Sinkor where we had plumming and electricity (from 6pm - 9am). It was basicaly a two bedroom apartment. I guess this means I didn't get the full effect of Liberia but after the hot days in the heat... a warm shower and a cool fan blowing with my sweetheart by my side was heaven on earth. This is what I miss the most!!!

V-

ooooh Broad and Randall street...I miss that too!!! I wanna go back NOW, boohoo! Did you eat calla while you were there? We are also going to start building our house once he comes. I'm excited about that because like you said, we will have our own place to stay in.

About the attention, I am considered "dark" in America, but they were calling me white in Liberia. Even in a taxi cab full of people, I was still spotted and stared at by pedestrians. It made me wonder how white American people must feel when walking around there.

I miss Ghana. I miss my home.

I just got back from spending 2 glorious weeks there so everything is still fresh in my mind.

The smell is one of the top things I miss. You step off that plane and the smell is just so....African. I don't know what it is but that is always the first thing I remember. I refuse to take cold baths (which my whole family laughs at me for) and I bath with scalding hot water, rain or shine.

The whole African vibe though is just so relaxing. People do things on their own time (which can be annoying if you have other things to do) but the point is that it will get done.

I miss the food! It is just sooooooooooooooooo good. Even when I make it here it does not taste the smae no matter how authentic I try to make it. I actually brought honey and peanut butter back from Ghana and those are going to last me a loooooooooooooooong time.

Surprisingly I miss keeping on top of all the things going on in the world. When I am in Ghana I don't obssess over e-mial or the internet (probably because we have to go to an internet cafe) and so I can't keep track of all the stuff going on. Its a nice break from the craziness of the world around us.

I just loved walking around too. My poor fiance has to deal with me asking "Can we walk there?" whenever we want to go places. I just love walking around and soaking up everything Ghana has to offer.

What I do not miss: the insects and the fluctuating electricity service (even though Ghana now has a schedule which makes it easier to keep track and plan your days/nights).

Like Zee, I miss the smell of Africa and it is hard to explain unless you've been there. I miss hearing the standard Nigerian greeting, "Your Welcome!" I miss just sitting and doing nothing and not feeling guilty about it. I miss the rooster that crows and lets me know when it's 5, 6, and 7 a.m. I'm telling you you do not need a clock as long as you have a rooster nearby. I miss the people staring at us because I'm holding my fiance's hand in public and they are very conservative people. I miss the people asking me about my hair (I have locks). I miss going to the African Market on Tuesdays and hearing the people say, " Aunty I have what you need."

I miss climbing onto the bus, that looks more like the scooby doo mystery van, and having to squeeze 5 people on a wooden seat (lol). I miss going to the Black Market to exchange money. I miss all of our friends coming to the house and me showing them how to play different card games. I tell you those people became addicted. I simply miss the love and hospitality that everyone displayed and continues to displays. Those people have so little materially, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually they are rich. Most of all, I miss his family. I always joke that if I could get his brother here to live, I would be the happiest woman on earth because there is nothing like two African men living in your house and treating you like a queen! In my opinion, there is no better place than Africa. Liberia sounds wonderful. I would love to travel to other parts of Africa.

give thanks Princess, nice thread!

i miss the motherland everyday and i am so thankful i've been blessed with travels in every region in Africa except central so far. i miss Ghana soooo much and i also miss Senegal and South Africa and Eritrea esp!
but this is an ode to Ghana, happy birth-year Black Star!

i miss mylove, oh chaley i miss Ghana English oh! i miss hearing twi, ga and fante too. i miss the beach, i miss toking the nicest sess with my beloved, i miss the children, the chubby chocolate babies, the sweet little girls with their short afros, the little boys in fierce football stances barefoot dusty and free.

i miss hearing conscious reggae music on the radio, i miss the taxi cab and tro-tro dramas, all the Accra city antics, the crowded markets with everything from the US to China to Bukina Faso, bargaining for this and that, folks just stopping by the house to hang out with us/me. i certainly miss fish and banku, red and black pepper, eating with my hands, sharing the same plate/bowl, chilling at the spots, street food like plantain and groundnuts, all the beautiful fabrics--tie-dye and batik, and my favorite fashion designer's gear i miss politikin', dreamin, and schemin' with my Accra crew.

i miss the breeze, the mountains of Aburi, the green lush hills towards Kumasi, the spirits who forever roam Cape Coast---i shall never forget, i miss the shrines in the Northern region, pouring libation to my Ancestors on ancient, sacred ground, i'm missing Panafest right now! i miss dancing in the sand at the wednesday reggae beach party at labadi, i miss the easy vibes at legon-- neighborhood and discussing with the brilliant scholars at the university, i miss the bookstore too! i miss the goats, chickens, pigs, horses milling about and part of the everyday life, i miss the beautiful birds flying in the beautiful sky, i miss how mama moon looks different on that side of the world, i miss the stylish ladies with high-heeled sandals and babies on their back, oooh yes i miss the huge juicy mangoes, pears (avocados) and fresh coconut water, i miss Ghana style ital/vegetarian food at Asase Pa and 37, i miss people calling out "rasta!"

i miss seeing beautiful Black people everywhere, shaking off the minority blues and sucking up that natural feeling in my skin that heals the Diasporic soul, i miss long rides and watching and looking at all things African, Ghanaian, Accra-an, i miss the red, yellow and green flags, i miss being in the proud nation of the great Kwame Nkurmah and outrageous stories people tell about Rawlings, i miss people asking me what my day name is, i miss the fisherman and their painted boats, i miss the hand painted signs that are so clever and interesting and funny.

i miss being a witness to and part of African peoples' tenacity and creativity, i miss the red soil, the cowries and sea shells, i miss the trees, i miss waking up early to another sunny, warm, long day on the continent, i miss the been-to's and wanna be-s, and a very special soon to be, lol...

oneness!

I miss the fruit. These people live it up over there with all this fresh fruit. The pineapples are to die for. I miss the way we got together every morning at 6am and sang and prayed with the whole family. I miss my mother in law fussing at my fiance for keeping me out late at night. She is the best. I miss going to sit and listen to the live bands and sipping Swepps. I miss the sound of this lady singing this African song early in the morning before anyone wakes up.

I miss the morning prayer time and singing at 5am too. Every morning I'd hear singing coming from the living room while I was sleep. I was always reluctant to join into their family ritual. Now I wish I would have!

I miss the kindness, the beautiful flower's growing wild, the wonderful fruit and the simplistic lifestyle. The sense of family is amazing, we American's could certainly learn some things from African's about family. I loved how I was accepted and how well I was treated. I was humbled by so many things and amazed at how many things we take for granted. The biggest ajustment for me was the heat and humidity, I have a true appreciation for the head tie and scarf, lol. A girl can't have great looking hair in Africa, lol. Or at least I wasn't able to. Although it was amazing how everyone always told me how beautiful I was even when I look my worst. African's are the kindest, lovingest people I have ever met. I can't wait to go back! Cold water or no cold water. Oh and the power black outs sucked! lol.

What I miss most about Africa, Nigeria is the people. They are wonderful, Loving and careing. Would give you what ever they had. My stay there I was treated like a Queen. Americans have alot to learn from these people....They truely know what is most importent in life......Family.......I loved they way they took care of each other and ate off the same plates.....How my Husband would feed me by hand himself...LOL LOL .....The Children taking care of and feeding each other......I miss them comming into our room and jumping on the bed waking us up in the mor. Ohhhhhh and Yes the Pineapples....Ohhh they were the best........I miss everything good and bad about Nigeria....

I have not been to Nigeria yet! My husband immigrated from Canada. At first, I was freightened to go to Africa. I am a spoiled brat and I need certain things to survive, but becoming addicted to Nigerian movies has made me interested in visiting Nigeria. I know I sound crazy! I feel so much love in Nigeria. Families are so close and life is so simple in Nigeria. I want to meet my husband's family. They are so nice and caring. I hope to go to Nigeria very very soon! You all are making me even more excited! How did everyone overcome their fears of Africa? I worry about not having my nice shower, eating my american food, and etc.

Oh my gosh, a few weeks ago I was going craaaaaaaaaaazy at work because something was making it smell like Tanzania. I was feeling so nostalgic and cry-y, and then I realized; it smelled like burnt garbage and diesel. :-p But it's amazing how a scent can conjure up so many memories and emotions. Even before I realized that it smelled like Tanzania, I was feeling all weepy.

I was worried about getting eaten by lions and coming down with Ebola, not about showers and American food. I think like me and everyone else, you'll get over the lack of luxuries pretty quickly. Especially if you just go for a few weeks. It's humbling to be there and to realize that hey, this isn't a roughin' it vacation for the people you're staying with. This is the way much of the world lives, and experiencing it first-hand really helps it sink in. You'll be ok!