Performer during Chale Wote Festival. Ghana with open arms…

December is always prime time for returning home, no matter where in the world you are from. In Ghana, thousands of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation family flock to the country at this time of the year. It is full of joyous occasions. For both the young and young at heart it is also a time of constant movement. Accra, the capital city, feels electric, as thousands of people briefly increase the population and the city’s energy: moving, networking, loving, maybe shedding a few tears, creating, building, and partying. Lots and lots of partying. This year is going to be a little bit different though. The very reliable WhatsApp rumor-mill has it that close to 800,000 visas were distributed for travelers travelling from November through January.*

If you are among those “800,000“ then you likely recognize what the Year of Return means to so many people of the African Diaspora. But if you are not familiar with #YearofReturn then you might be familiar with the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project, initiated by Nikole Hannah Jones of the New York Times this past August, created wide impetus to acknowledge and place larger contemporary significance on the historical implications of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to British Colonial America 400 years ago. Transatlantic slave trade had commenced prior to the year 1619 in North America and the Caribbean, so in some regards, West Africa’s extension of welcome to the diaspora has untold and immeasureable historical weight. But the #YearofReturn much like the 1619 Project is a start in what is hopefully just the beginning of healing processes.

Initiated by the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo- Addo, the Year of Return has been a year not just of celebrity PR endorsements, but one of programs and events to celebrate the resilience of the diaspora and reckon with our pasts. I do think that the campaign(s) could have spoken just as eloquently to average Ghanaians throughout the country as it did to the diaspora, but we are a hospitable bunch, so I do believe that the pan-African spirit will prevail. And as I mentioned, we’re used to festive Decembers.

Distinguished Ladies of The Diaspora. Photo credit: Nana Adom Brempon @kiss_deezy

This December 2019 is on a whole ‘nother level though and already in full effect. The roughly two-month long holiday season is jam-packed with opportunities to jubilate and reflect. So, in addition to generally feeling overwhelmed due to holiday travelling, you might experience some severe-#FOMO, even if you are in the thick of everything. Whether it's your first time on the continent or you hundredth, this week’s posts will be full of useful tips to keep in mind on your journey.

Each day this week I'll post either an abstract or concrete tip on how to tackle and embrace all that the Year of Return has to offer. And also to complicate the notion(s) of what “home” is, in all of its messy and glorified generalizations. You can use these posts as guides-- helping you navigate your Year of Return experience. From parties to moments of solitude, I’ll list real suggestions about how to have the most holistically turnt-up experience you could imagine.

I hope you will share and (constructively) comment on how you plan on enjoying the festivities. Meda Wo Ase Paaaa and Akwabaa (Thank you very much and Welcome [Home]).

* The linked QZ.com article indicates that closer to 500,000 visas have been issued for the whole year of return from December 2018-December 2019.

~ Ohemaa Serwaa

Forecast: Sunrays, Good Vibes, and Good Looks. Photo Credit: Nana Adom Brempon @kiss_deezy

Year of Return…