Most Recent Adventures

So, I have a bunch of stuff I've done recently and haven't been able to keep up that well with this blogging thing so from the top.

At the end of the school year, I was awarded by Fairmont State University's Fine Arts Department for being an Outstanding Theatre Student in Academics. Only four other people received awards like this from the Theatre/Communications department and all of the others were graduating seniors who had been in school for at least 4 years. I was incredibly honored to receive the award AND the theatre faculty even gave us each gifts to accompany the awards. I received a book on playwrighting (one of my many theatrical interests) and a book on Ghanaian theatre movements.

My award

I went on a trip to the Southwest for 10 days this summer, right after school ended, to do some front country camping and whatnot. We first stopped at Mammoth Caves in Kentucky and camped there. Then we went on to see Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe National Park, where we camped and hiked. We continued on to New Mexico and Arizona where we saw White Sands National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, and finally the Grand Canyon. To wrap up the tour we drove through Flagstaff, Arizona by Mt. Humphrey and through the Navajo Reservations, stopping a few times to shop along the way. It was an absolutely amazing trip that I definitely want to do again.

Mammoth Cave Formations

Another cool formation at Mammoth

Mammoth Cave

Carlsbad Caverns formations

Carlsbad

Carlsbad

Guadalupe Mountains

Me at Guadalupe

Hiking back down at Guadalupe

Reading plays in the van

Ross and I at White Sands

Sunset behind the Mts. at White Sands

Me at Chiricahua

Rock Formations at Chiricahua

Holding up the pillars

Chiricahua

Ross at Chiricahua

The Grand Canyon (South rim view)

Ross and I at the rim

The Canyon at sunset

Grand Canyon sky

Grand Canyon sunset

Donkey rides down the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon as we hiked down

Grand Canyon Angel Bright trail

Grand Canyon hiking back up

More recently, a few days ago, I went out for gelatos with Ross (my boyfriend), and accidentally knocked my scoop off the cone and tried to catch it but just hit it so that it landed on the gear shift for my car (p.s. this is while Ross is driving). My next (totally epic) move was to proceed to pick up the scoop of gelato and put it back on the cone, checked it for hairs, and then continued eating it. A day in the life.... lol


Also, I just landed a job at Rider Pharmacy in town working at the back register, which is pretty cool. I've never worked in any kind of retail and I've never had any job pertaining to something as complex as medicine can be, but hopefully I'll catch on quickly. I have only been training for 2 days, but I enjoy it so far. They are really great about being flexible with my rehearsal schedule and the work schedule I already have with my job at the Admissions Department of Fairmont State University. They hired me on to work for this summer (at least until I leave in August) and then again when I come back around Christmas. That means I'll already have a 2 jobs lined up for when I come back from Ghana (Admissions and at Rider Pharmacy) which is freaking awesome. AND it means I while probably have enough money to pay for all of my vaccination costs. So I have to re-schedule an appointment for that and start on all those. Not exactly looking forward to it but I'll deal.

Where I work now : )

More news- I have my plane ticket now (thanks to my father who graciously loaned me the money to pay for it- meaning he bought it and I will pay him back).
I officially leave Thursday, August 4th from Washington Dulles International Airport at 2:40pm. Arriving in Accra, Ghana on August 5th at 11:10am.
That means it's legit now. I am seriously going to Africa for 5 months!!!!!

Map of Ghana

Sign at the University of Ghana

Beach in Accra

Market in Ghana

Ghana Address

So, I promised everyone an address for when I go to Ghana sooooooo here it is:
 For regular mail:                                                      For packages:
Elizabeth Huff                                                           Elizabeth Huff
Private Mail Bag L4                                                C/o ISEP Office
University of Ghana                                                K.A. Busia Lecture Theatre
Legon,Ghana                                                              Annie Jiagge Road
West Africa                                                                University of Ghana
                                                                                           Legon

It apparently takes about 2 weeks for a letter or a small package to get to Ghana from the U.S. Plus the bigger the package, the longer it can take. But like I've told most of you, the University has free email and computer facilities on campus and Internet Cafes are right around where I'll be living. So, feel free to email or if you have the time and the interest I would love to talk over Skype. It's free and all you have to do is install it on your computer. I have an account currently so if you have it and want to find me my screen name is ehuff7721 or you can just search for me as Elizabeth Huff OR you can find me with my email address, ehuff@students.fairmontstate.edu. I haven't had occasion to log on for a while, but I'm definitely going to be using it when I go to Ghana so I'll be getting on more often now to add friends and whatnot. So add me!!!

I'll post more later!!

Travel Update

So, just as an update, I've sent my paperwork for a visa for Ghana, which cost me a whopping $135 including shipping costs and photo costs. So far my running total is $360 for the first application, $280 for the international insurance through ISEP (International Student Exchange Program), $100 for WVU international programs application fee, and finally this $135 visa cost for a current subtotal of $875 just for the preliminary costs. Remind me never to eat out or leave the lights on again, cause I am gonna be paying for this forever.

Anyways, on to happier notes, I have been having an interesting response from people about this blog idea. Mostly, I've heard that I should talk about more than just my trip to Ghana. So, I think I am going to change the title of my blog to "International Adventurer" instead and just update those who are interested on all my recent adventures. So, although I can't imagine why anyone would be particularly interested in my life, I will acquiesce to popular demand.

So, a little prior information update now, for those of you who don't know I recently traveled to Turkey during the 2nd week of March and I recently came home from a 10 day camping/hiking stint in the Southwest of the U.S.

View from my hotel balcony

Turkey was a wonderful experience (only the second time I have ever been out of the country-- the first was to Mexico, specifically San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City). We started in Kusadasi (pronounced Koo-sh-ah-dah-see), where we had a gorgeous hotel on right on the Aegean Sea.
The first site we visited was Ephesus. Some may know Ephesus as the resting place of the Virgin Mary, others may know it from the biblical story of Paul who tried to preach repentance to the people of Ephesus and was run out. I showed up knowing little more than the above information, and was absolutely blown away my the history and the majesty of the architecture from the Hellenistic Greek and Roman societies who founded the city. We saw many different things there including the Library of Celsius, The House of the Virgin Mary, the theatres, and even a traditional Roman bath house. We also visited a rug co-op, where there were women making traditional Turkish rugs.  

Small Theatre at Ephesus

Me crying in the theatre at Ephesus

The theatre where Paul preached

Me sitting on a Roman toilet seat

Statue at the House of the Virgin Mary

Mary's House

Turkish Woman working on a rug at the co-op

The Gorgeous Turkish Rugs

 

Library at Celsius

We also visited the Basilica of St. John, the site of the Temple of Artemis, Pergamon, and an ancient hospital site called Asklepion.

The Temple of Artemis Remains

One of the columns from the Temple of Artemis

Some of the columns at the Basilica of St. John

Theatre at Pergamon

Emblem from the Ancient Hospital of Asklepion

 

Ross & I at the Temple of Dionysus (Theatre God) at Pergamon

After that we drove up the coast stopping at the fabled city of Troy and the site of the Battle of Galipoli, before entering the city of Istanbul. In Istanbul, we went to the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, The Church of Cora, the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace (including the Harem), and the Turkish Spice Market.

Monument at Galipoli

Trojan Horse Replica

The Blue Mosque (outside)

Troy Ruins (levels are numbered)

The Hagia Sophia (outside)

The Blue Mosque (inside)

Hagia Sophia (inside)

Church of Cora

Cora mosaic of Mary's parents

The Grand Bazaar

Spices at the Turkish Spice Market

View from Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace

 
Overall, the trip to Turkey was eye-opening and quite informative of my own fears and prejudices when put in a foreign place and made to sink or swim. It was great to be able to travel to Turkey before this trip to Ghana. It has helped me to mentally prepare myself a lot better than I otherwise would have, and it has released me of a lot of my initial fears about studying abroad and has given me confidence in my ability to face new situations with a more open mind.

That's it for now, but I'll post stuff tomorrow chronicling my trip to the Southwest and sharing some funny stuff that has happened to me recently. I'm sure you're all waiting with utter suspense. :-P