Segen Tekle-Ghana, 2013

We were nearing the end of a month in Ghana when we stopped at the Makola marketplace for handmade goods. A short, middle-aged merchant greeted us with a warm smile and kindly asked, “Where are you all from?” 

“The United States,” my classmate responded as if it weren’t painfully obvious.

“I’m from Denver, Colorado, but my family is from Eritrea,” I interjected proudly, hoping he’d recognize the latter. 

“My African sister, kemelehe?” asking ‘how are you’ in Tigrinya, my native tongue. He continued “You are from the Centennial State. The state animal is the BigHorn Sheep!” 

Floored at his response, all I could mutter was, “Sir, how do you know all of this?!” 

After his impressive recollection of facts of each of our hometowns, he mentioned knowing the capital of every single country in the world and told us his dreams of traveling. He shared the story of how both of his parents died when he was just eight, so he left school to work with his grandparents on their farm in the rural countryside. For years, all he studied was a world map he took from his childhood home, then began reading about other cultures and places as he grew older.

“Learning about the world helps me understand and connect to the people in it,” he smiled humbly. 

The man from the market is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met-- I cherish the lessons I learned from him that day. Travel has allowed me to become a life-long student and believer in the strength of humanity. Wandering slowly, diving deeper into a place and culture, allows for sincere gratitude for the experience and the people you are privileged to meet along the way.