Living as expats in Accra Ghana has been a wonderful adventure for our family. We moved here not knowing what to expect, with very little knowledge about Ghana, but today we proudly call Ghana ‘home’ and are thankful for the rich experiences we have had here and for the memories we have made. It is in the blog posts below that I have reflected on our experiences of expat life in Ghana.
I have written about moments that are now humorous in hindsight but at the time were far from it from we lay in bed listening to rats go wild in our kitchen downstairs!! I’ve relished in beautiful quieter, slower paced moments with my children while eating yam chips on the Accra pavements. I’ve moaned about the crazy prices of certain vegetables in stores and how we regularly have to visit 4 different shops to get a weeks worth of groceries. And I’ve cherished the reflecting and healing I’ve experienced walking the streets of Accra and how grateful I am to our Ghana neighbourhood in An Ode to my Road.
Having spent the lock down in Ghana I marvelled at the freedom I felt when we were allowed to walk freely outside again and I wrote about the smiling eyes I saw of people out and about, when we all suddenly had our mouths covered with masks. When we thought we had to leave Ghana a year ago and my husband’s work situation was uncertain I spent a rainy morning on the outskirts of Makola Market and took photos that will stay in my mind forever, and wrote about our muddled up emotions. And when I first decided to start this blog I shared my initial inspiration to start writing again and the birth of this online space.
Whether you are considering coming to Ghana to experience expat life, are already living in Ghana or have lived here in the past, or are an expat somewhere else in the world perhaps these posts will help you or maybe you can relate to certain situations we’ve found ourselves in. I’d love to hear from you in the blog comments section or on email.
Of Mice and Men – our very own Jack Black in Ghana who helped our Accra rat problem!
A few weeks ago I had a small chuckle to myself as the Rat Man entered our home; a plumber arrives at ones house with a grubby grease stained shirt and his tool box, an electrician in much the same manner, but the Rat Man simply arrives with a small black packet in hand. His…
Eating yam chips on the pavement on an ordinary Tuesday in Accra
After being home for the last 4 months without our usual weekly routines, I know that whenever anxiety or a hint of sadness/depression threatens we need to get outside very quickly and feel the sunshine on our backs and breathe in some fresh air. How absolutely grateful I am to Ghana for giving us the…
A new family member lying in the suitcase and the stupid price of that red pepper – Accra expat musings
9 suitcases are on the trolleys. We are almost there now. I watch the carousel closely for the last red one to makes its appearance. Suitcases on an airport carousel never seem particularly cheerful to greet their owners as they wearily trudge along the conveyor that reminds me of Jack’s first Thomas Train track and…
An Ode to my Road – a tribute to my neighbourhood streets in Accra Ghana
Oh prettiest road we have ever lived on, as we turn into you we are met with such a exquisite tunnel of green and home is where all the light is at the end. Thank you for your trees that have sheltered me from the Ghana sun as I have exited our compound on my…
The smiling eyes I see on a walk in Accra post lockdown
“Good morning Madames! It’s nice to see you, do you have face masks?” I ask as I approach the group of ladies patiently sorting through large silver trays of ground nuts, most of whom aren’t wearing masks. I want to give them some of the ones I have sewn if they don’t. “Yes, we…
Rainy day Reflections in Accra in both senses of the word
*These photos were taken in the rain on the outskirts of Makola Market, Accra. To read more about Makola market see my blog post The Magical Madness of Makola Market I woke up on Friday feeling a little strange and a bit down, these are not unique emotions in these peculiar times given what the…
A full plate for my first post – the birth of my blog about expat life in Accra Ghana
After living in Ghana for the last 3 years I have started a blog about our colourful experiences living as expats in Accra. I will post about Things to do in Accra and other parts of Ghana and I hope it can help those who are interested in coming to travel or live here.
My Marvellous Mundane 