An Astronaut, Christina Hammock Koch has described her learning experience at the University of Ghana two decades ago as “life-changing and perspective deepening.”

In a tweet on Wednesday, Koch compared her stay in Ghana to spaceflight and how it positively impacted her viewpoint of life.

“I was studying abroad at the @UnivofGh. Like spaceflight, it was a positive, life-changing, perspective-deepening experience. Seeing the beauty of Ghana from space reminds me of the amazing people I met there and how in exploring the world, we learn about ourselves,” she tweeted.

20 years ago, I was studying abroad at the @UnivofGh. Like spaceflight, it was a positive, life-changing, perspective-deepening experience. Seeing the beauty of Ghana from space reminds me of the amazing people I met there and how in exploring the world, we learn about ourselves. pic.twitter.com/zK3CfRWJHY

— Christina H Koch (@Astro_Christina) December 12, 2019

Before exploring the stars, she wanted to first know more about the planet we live on. So while studying to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Physics at North Carolina State University, the Astronaut took a semester to study in Ghana.

Upon her arrival, she learned the University was no longer offering many of the courses she planned to take, but she decided to stay in the country and teach local students.

Koch is a NASA astronaut of the class of 2013. She was selected as one of the eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

She completed astronaut candidate training in July 2015 and was assigned to her first space flight, a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, in 2018.

On October 18, 2019, Koch was part of the two first women to participate in an all-female spacewalk.