Jumping in my Shoes of Peace!

With less than a week before boarding the plane for my next adventure, I sit here and go over my mental list of what needs to get done, packed, who needs to be seen and the ever important question of 'to blog or not to blog'. After much deliberation, blogging it is, then.

During our last week of prep month, while we were staying at a lovely cottage in Southampton, I was inspired with the blog name. A groupmate was recounting a dream she had and mentioned that her defense against her predator in this dream was to put on her 'Armour of God'. But, in the heat of the moment in the dream, all she could remember were her 'shoes of peace'. While this explanation does not do justice to the hilarity of the actual moment, it did lead me to think about what it means to wear 'shoes of peace'. To me, and for purposes of my upcoming trip to Ghana, shoes of peace are an important thing to be both packed and worn.

For those who are unfamiliar with this trip, allow me to explain. The first part of my stay in Ghana will be with a host family in the cocoa region, where I will will live simply and in solidarity with my family and the cocoa farmers in the region. Following my village stay, I will then make the move to the capital, Accra to work with the Centre for Popular Education on Human Rights Ghana (CEPHERG).

Part of our preparation as a group was to create a group myth, which sparked debates on proper punctuation, that's how seriously we took it. Ultimately, we decided on a group myth of jump.

I won't get into the details of the reasons, other than to sum it up that jumping - to us - symbolizes immersing ourselves fully, enjoying our time and being present, and remembering to jump again.

Shoes of peace, jumping and Ghana. Here we go. Here I go. What does it mean to jump into something? What does it mean to walk with shoes of peace? It means change. Change of environment, of people, culture, everything. It means that I will walk humbly, openly and with acceptance. It also means excitement! Looking back on the times I've jumped; whether it be in a puddle, into a lake, off a cliff, its exciting.

So, once again, I'm packing my privilege in my backpack, wearing my shoes of peace and ready to jump into a new adventure.