The following is from Road Scholar Meghan and her series of updates about her recent humanitarian aid trip to Ghana. It has been edited for content and length.
My second thought was..."What the hell am I doing??"
And of course the third thought was "How the hell am I going to pitch this one to the parents without someone having a breakdown??" A few weeks back, after I had already applied, and NOT told the parents, I met them in Washington D.C. for a mini family reunion/vacation. At dinner, with an alcoholic beverage in all of our hands, I spilled the beans. The conversation went like this:
Meghan: "So, I might have applied for a trip to do some medical volunteer work abroad."
Mom and Dad's eyes get big..the ears perk up and the hands start clasping together. They're bracing for the news. My sister's Eileen and Katie hold back a laugh, knowing that the next ten minutes are going to be a great show to sit back and watch.
Mom: "Where?"
Pause...wait for it.....
Meghan: "Slightly south of London....."
Mom: "Meghan...get it over with...where??!"
Meghan: (big chug of beer, then...) "Ghana?"
Mom takes a big sigh, with the "of course you are!" look on her face. Dad pops in immediately..
Dad: "I don't like it, it can't be safe. Is it safe?"
I spend the next ten minutes pleading my case that yes, it is safe, there is no war going on in the country, they have electricity, indoor plumbing and even two universities. I will have the proper immunizations and everything will be just fine.
Dad still isn't too convinced. And like the typical father, asks that other imminent question...
Dad: "How much is this going to cost?"
Meghan: "I'm paying for it all. Promise. We'll be doing fundraisers, raffles to raise money. It will be fine."
Dad: "I still don't totally like the idea of you going to a third world country."
I decide to shoot back with what I thought was a foolproof, win-win, comment.
Meghan: "You know Dad, Mother Teresa did all this charity work and you never disapproved of her doing it!"
And without so much as a breath in between...
Dad: "Mother Teresa didn't owe me money."
I almost choke on my beer. The table goes into hysterical laughter.
Touche.
Dad, 1. Meghan, 0.
As far as I was concerned, the hardest part of the trip was now over with. The parents knew. And I switched on the planning gears and started, well, planning.
We had our first team meeting in New York City two weeks ago. The group consists of about 19 people: six doctors, seven nurses, a photographer, a writer, a sculpturer, and a social worker. If you haven't looked at the Unified for Global Healing website, it's not just a medical team. They combine medicine with art to teach the population about healthcare. To get messages across about malaria, AIDS, diseases in general, they use art, since most of the under-served communitiescan't read and write. It's unique to say the least.
I've gotten all of my shots...six of them. Fun times. Paul, the nurse that gave them all to me, said I was very good and didn't cry. But for two days after my arms were in complete pain. That Hep A shot will kick you. I got a prescription for Malarone, the pill for Malaria and will take that right before I leave and while I'm there. I also got a prescription for Ciprofloxacin in case the food and travel takes a number on my system. Let's just say while I won't be drinking the water (only bottled), rumor has it I will be visiting the porcelin god a few times the first few days and losing a few pounds. I think that's a total upside; who needs the Atkins diet, just go to Ghana!