United States of America

“I could never resist the call of the trail.”

~ Buffalo Bill

Home is not a place it’s a people.

In my travels over the years, I have learned that wherever you go in the world you will see much of the same when it comes to character, suffering and human empathy. No matter what country or continent you are in these things rarely change. Yes, cultures, foods, religions, and traditions change, but all people commonly face the struggles of life together and overcome them in any village, town, city, or capital around the world. We are all human and we all face the same things around the world.

Many people travel to run away from something they don’t want to face, but in the end, it will follow them to their destination as well. You can’t always run from your problems, and you can’t solve them alone. We weren’t designed that way.

Our creator designed us to work together for Him and for each other to prosper in His beautiful creation.

Our home is the people we surround ourselves with and this doesn’t change as you move across the globe. Whatever country you end up in, at the end of the day you won’t be talking to and telling stories about your grand adventures to the food or the grass or the architecture, but you will be telling them to the people that are around you and those people will be your home.

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by an amazing group of family and friends, some here in Ghana with me and some back in my home country of the United States, and recently I was blessed to go back to see my family and friends at home for the Christmas holidays.

I grew up all over the United States, but primarily lived in West Virginia (WV) and South Carolina (SC) for most of my life. I spent my younger years running around the mountains of Parkersburg, WV, catching snakes, swimming in rivers, and sliding down hills over beehives. I was so blessed to be able to grow up in such a beautiful state and my grandparents still live there today.

As we grew older, we moved to Charleston, SC. Rated one of the most beautiful cities in the country, this charming town does not disappoint. Growing up surfing in the cool waters of the Mid-Atlantic or exploring ruined plantations in the palm tree strewn low country, me and my three brothers were never bored.

This past Christmas I decided to go back to visit both of these places with a couple extra stops along the way.

After a long 12-hour flight on Christmas Eve, I landed in the “Holy City” (as Charleston is called) and felt the cold brisk winter air on my face. Coming from Ghana this was quite the surprise.

Over the next week I was able to spend Christmas with my whole family and explore the town I grew up in with many of my old friends. It was a time to relax and enjoy the slow things in life. An idea that I think is usually forgotten by Americans.

Spending time at restaurants and cafes, playing board games with my family, or exploring hidden trails and lighthouses I didn’t know existed, I thoroughly enjoyed this time back with the people who had spent so much of their lives with me. But my family is not just in one place.

My grandparents have lived in the small quiet village of Comfort, WV, for a long time. A place where time stands still and traditions don’t fade away. Every time I go there it’s like you step back in time and you can surround yourself by peace, so naturally I decided to I wanted to head that way while I was back.

Braving a snowstorm coming down from the Northeast, I rented a car and drove North.

I met my older brother at my grandparents and spent a few days enjoying hearing their stories and just spending time with them as much as I could. I even got a run in when it was about 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside! But my time was too short and sadly I had to keep driving North to two more stops.

One of my best friends in the whole world lives in our nation’s capital: Washington, DC. And with it being the start of a New Year soon, I decided what better way to start off 2026 than to see him.

I drove from West Virginia to Washington, DC, through a mixture of snow and ice on the roads and made it just in time to spend New Year’s Eve with my good friend and fellow ocean engineer up in the nation’s capital. We took the metro through downtown at night and went to a New Year’s Eve party with some of our old classmates!

After this quick excursion, I had to make one final stop on my road-trip. There is a small church up in Rhode Island called Sacred City Church that totally changed my life! I had moved to Rhode Island a few years ago and with no friends and no direction in my life, these kind people stepped in to support me and help me find a way. That is what home means to me.

My last stop on my trip was up through the snowy hills to the beautiful city of Providence, Rhode Island, to see my church family there. I had an amazing time enjoying the cold weather and seeing snow for the first time in a while before finally heading on a plane and flying back down to Charleston!

When I landed, I had one week left in the United States before I left for Ghana again, and it would turn out to be one of the best weeks of my life.

I enjoyed every moment of the time I had left in Charleston. I spent time with old friends I didn’t see the first time, family that would surely miss me, and someone new that really made me smile. Overall, it was one of the best weeks of my life and it went by way too fast. Before I knew it, I was on a plane headed back over the Atlantic, but I would still be at home because home is not a place,

It’s people.