Meditative Story Home will be with me wherever I go, by Nadia Owusu
Nov 25, 2025
Nadia Owusu, a Ghanaian-American writer, shares her journey of identity and belonging shaped by her childhood as the daughter of a UN diplomat. She recounts stepping off the plane in Ghana after 19 years, experiencing a mix of nostalgia and novelty. Through family ties and traditions, she reflects on her connection to her heritage, from sensory memories at a roadside market to the joyful embrace from her grandmother. As she participates in familial celebrations, Nadia discovers that home is not just a place but a living culture she carries within her.
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Return To Ghana Awakens Memory
- Nadia describes arriving in Ghana after 19 years and feeling the humid air, markets, and language awaken buried memories.
- She notices familiar sensory triggers like food, sound, and smell that reconnect her to childhood trips with her father, Baba.
Grandmother's Embrace Restores Belonging
- Nadia arrives at her grandmother Nana's house and is enveloped by family song, dance, and warmth upon being recognized.
- The embrace from Nana reawakens a sense of bodily belonging and safety Nadia had suppressed since her father's death.
Dancing Into Clan Membership
- Nadia visits her ailing grandfather and sees echoes of her father in him, deepening her connection to family history.
- At the clan celebration she initially hesitates but then flows into the dance, feeling part of the circle and clan.