Proud American Places

On the bus ride to our hotel in Accra, one of Africa’s safest capital cities, all of our eyes were wide open to take in all of the sights (Briggs 121). There were Ghanaian flags everywhere, and I began to wonder if this was the result of the upcoming inauguration of the new president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, January 7th or if the country was merely beaming with pride. I would be surprised to return to my hometown and see American flags displayed everywhere; instead, some Homeowners’ Associations try to prohibit the display of flags. Although Americans characterize themselves as being proud Americans, our method of showing it is nothing compared to the pride exhibited through the streets of Accra. When we were in front of the Flagstaff House, a building of impressive architecture that serves as the presidential …show more content…
We were up, dressed, and ready to leave promptly at 10am; however, we waited and waited, but our bus never came. I was shocked and frustrated because I am a person that likes to follow a set plan; nonetheless, I soon found out Ghanaians are less focused on time and schedules. They would rather be happy and carefree than stressed over deadlines. I envy this way of living, and I would love to bring back to Elon this Ghanaian mind set. Around three o’clock our bus driver arrived with a giant smile, and at last we departed. Our bus was bombarded with not only stares but also people selling anything and everything. There was like a drive up grocery store directly in the middle of the road, which was so convenient. Their method of carrying was even more impressive: the women were carrying pounds of products directly on the top of their head. It was eye opening because I had never seen civilians standing in the middle of road and blocking traffic in order to make a sale. Americans are too lazy to lift or even carry that much weight on our