Practising the courage to imagine a future that includes Ghana
Detty December looks like fun on the surface.
Flights packed with people who “just came for vibes.”
Outfits planned weeks in advance.
Clubs, concerts, beach days, house parties that somehow turn into reunions.
Laughter, music, heat, joy.
And yes, all of that is real.
But if you’ve been paying attention, Detty December is doing something much deeper for those of us in the diaspora.
It’s quietly changing how we imagine our future.
For many people travelling to Ghana this December, this isn’t their first time. They’ve done the parties. They know where to eat. They have favourite spots, favourite promoters, favourite drivers, favourite aunties. Ghana no longer feels like a one-off trip or a chaotic adventure.
It feels… familiar. And that’s important.
Because when a place starts to feel familiar, you stop seeing it as just a holiday destination. You start seeing it as somewhere you can exist, not just visit.
What people don’t always realise is that Detty December isn’t only about fun, it’s about orientation.
You’re learning the terrain.
You’re figuring out neighbourhoods.
Understanding how things move.
Learning who to call.
Learning how to get things done.
You’re picking up information without even trying. And that knowledge stays with you long after the flights back.
At the same time, your network is quietly expanding.
Yes, you reconnect with family and relatives.
But you’re also meeting cousins you’ve only known through WhatsApp.
Friends of friends.
Diaspora creatives.
Entrepreneurs.
People visiting from London, New York, Toronto, Amsterdam, Paris.
People who care about Ghana.
Some conversations start at parties.
Some start in Ubers.
Some start at brunch, or after events, or during random moments that don’t feel important at the time.
But those conversations add up.
And suddenly, Ghana doesn’t feel like a place where “you don’t know anyone.”
It feels like a place where you’re starting to belong.
There’s romance, too; let’s not pretend otherwise.
Detty December has a way of making people open. Softer. More curious. More honest. Sometimes it’s fleeting. Sometimes it lingers. Sometimes it teaches you something about yourself.
Even when it doesn’t last, it leaves a mark.
Because romance, like connection, makes a place feel personal.
And then there’s the biggest shift of all — the one that happens quietly, almost accidentally.
You start imagining a future that includes Ghana.
Not necessarily moving tomorrow.
Not necessarily permanently.
But including.
You start thinking:
- “I could spend more time here.”
- “I could work remotely from here.”
- “I could build something here.”
- “I could invest here.”
- “I could raise part of my life here.”
Detty December gives people permission to see Ghana as part of their life story, not just their parents’ past.
It turns Ghana from an idea into a lived experience. And that’s powerful.
Because once you can imagine a future that includes Ghana, everything changes, how you plan, how you network, how you define home, how you understand yourself.
So yes, go out.
Dress up.
Dance.
Laugh.
Fall in love if you want to.
But also recognise what’s happening underneath the fun.
Detty December isn’t just a season.
It’s a rehearsal.
A rehearsal for connection.
For belonging.
For possibility.
And for many in the diaspora, it’s the first time Ghana stops being “back home” and starts becoming part of the future.
— Ama Dromo
#ammadromo #hotdigitalonline #dettydecemberghana
