A Volunteer Adventure

Yesterday was my first day volunteering for Women in Progress in Ghana.  The coordination began last September, but really it began several years ago.

Those of you under 40 may think of the following, "Um, what?"  Those much older may think "Whatever (get over it)."  Those of you like me, in the middle, might say, "Well, you're making a pretty big deal of it."  That is, turning 40 and entering the age I now call a Mid-life Adventure.

It was the typical turning 40, reflecting on your life wondering "Have I achieved what I expected? Am I where I thought I would be?  Are there things left undone that my knees won't handle in a few years?  Why do we only get 3 weeks of vacation in the United States?"

You ask these questions and then you pick something to do that gets you through the crisis and around the bend.  So after a few fits and starts (trying different things to satisfy my itch for change), I quit my job, rented my house, stored what I didn't give away, and headed off on an adventure that will surely change my life forever...if in no other way than to leave me completely broke.

I gave myself a year to do several things a person can't do with a full-time job and only a few weeks of vacation, though this time period may stretch a bit...or several months.  They are in summary: do nothing; hang out in Europe; hike in Nepal; utilize my skills volunteering for an organization helping women become self-sufficient.  Oh and one other thing which I FAILED so that just gets plucked from the list.

34c = 93f if you're wondering

So I now find myself on the last item - I am currently in Accra, Ghana, volunteering for Women in Progress (WIP).  They are an organization that does business under Global Mamas and they work with local women to build sustainable businesses so they can become financially independent which also helps the community as a whole.  Check out the links above if you're interested.

In the next several posts, I hope to document my time here and the progress made.  I hope to show all the wonderfully generous people who sponsored my project and WIP efforts what great things are happening because of their support, and maybe inspire others to jump off the cliff with me :)

-Charlotte