Babs and I met while I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana. I was traveling and doing research for an art project, and Babs helped me out (we are both artists). He lived in Tamale and I was stationed in the Upper West, but I kept traveling to see him whenever I could. When I finally left, after 27 months in Ghana, Babs was my last goodbye, the only one who went with me all the way to the airport and waited there until my airplane was a little spot in the sky. I was so thankful for his help and support that last week.
Once the inarguable fact of the Atlantic Ocean came between us, I assumed we would grow apart, but instead we grew closer. Almost a year later, I was able to visit and spend 5 weeks with him. For the first time, he traveled with me to my Peace Corps site and met my friends, coworkers and "family" in Ghana. My headmistress dashed me five cedis and told me to take him out for a mineral, so I knew she approved. We sat in Babs' family's compound for days painting together, and cooking because he had to prove to me that Ghanaian men really can cook, too. I could not imagine waiting another year before seeing him again, and was determined to try to get back by Christmas.
When I returned to the States for the second time, however, I hit a rut in the job market and spent the next year looking fruitlessly for work. Babs always says that nothing good comes easy. Finally, in February 2010, we were able to apply for a K-1 visa! It was a huge relief, just handing that petition to the postal clerk and knowing we had finally taken this step. It's still difficult to wait, and to plan for this unpredictable process, But by God's grace, we will be together. Despite the Atlantic Ocean and red tape and everything between us, we are closer than we've ever been.
