Life happens while you are busy making other plans

One thing I learned and adapted in Ghana was facing time in a different way.

Me, as I grew up in Germany was taught to be in time when I had an appointment. Mostly I was, even several minutes before I showed up. In Ghana the understanding of time is different. You have an appointment but show up when you have got time. This can be even two hours later than set up. You don´t rush, everybody knows: You come, when you come; whenever it will be.

Sometimes it was very hard and I was always afraid of creating an intercultural difficulty, when I show up late but the other one expects me to be in time. So I was often waiting long time.

But the main thing I learned and implemented was not to make many plans. Before I made plans for everything, calculated my day, set dates long time in advance, even months before. This I started to stop. Of course I still do plans for important and regular events but this small planning I quit. Many times I made plans and had to change everything because of spontaneous changes, weather conditions, traffic and similar stuff. So I just stopped planning and did things from one moment to the other. After a while I really got used to and noticed: I have less stress, no pressure I create on my own. And the most important: spontaneous events are the most fun ones! Sitting together and then start a cooking session, go to a bar, dance on the street. Plan some vacation for a set time but no concrete one. Just head off to some place, look for a place to stay as long as you need to. Different conditions make you plan everything over and over again. This you can avoid.

Life happens while you are busy making other plans. Don´t miss a great event because you planned to stay at home and watch a movie. Don´t miss a sudden street carnival because you planned to visit a museum at the other side of town for that afternoon. Don´t miss going to the beach with your friends because it is your laundry day.

Some things in life will be there for long time, others can wait for a while. But it is the small, spontaneous, unexpected things in life which make the difference. Don´t let them go, catch them for your memories!

Don´t make plans for everything otherwise life is passing by.