Words I put into sentences......

On March 2, 2010 I arrived in Casablanca, Morocco. It was windy, a bit overcast and I remember saying that it reminded me of Santa Cruz, CA. We got our bags and made our way outside where two buses were waiting to take us to Marrakech which is about 2 hrs away. Right outside the airport was my first introduction to Morocco. There were men waiting outside near the bus to help us with our bags and in exchanged they wanted HELLA money. I remember a guy asking for 20 dollars and I just laughed. I wouldn’t give someone 20 bucks in the States unless they did more than put a bag under a damn bus. Right away these men were calling us cheap Americans and blah blah blah. I didn’t really care and I just got on the bus. I sat next to a future training mate, Mina, who didn’t seem too interested in talking to me at all. I even seem to remember her not really liking me and probably thinking I was just being annoying. I was just trying to make conversation. Little did I know I would turn out to love this girl haha. Weird.

We got to Marrakech and of course had tea and it was HORRIBLE!! Now I’m not Moroccan but I have had my fair share of tea here and some is awesome but this Marrakech tea was awful!! It was salty and I was not a fan and afraid that this very very very popular tea was going to ruin my life with its nasty taste. I was wrong. If anything it has increased my love for sugar and probably ruined my nearly perfect dental records…..sorry Mom and Dad :)

So skip ahead to March 2011. In a year’s time I have learned so much, I understand a little bit more and a little bit less about the world, gained appreciation and pride, been offended and judged beyond my own belief and seen kindness and generosity that I thought was lost in today’s world. Of course it really isn’t that easy to sum up a year but here are some key points for me: 1. Americans who aren’t from California are still pretty damn AWESOME! Meeting people from all over the country has been amazing and has sparked my interest in touring the States when I return.  2. My training group mates: Steven, Anton, Mina and Colin are some of the coolest people I’ve ever met and I was so lucky to have been put in a small 500 person Berber village outside of Ouarzazate with them. 3. Just because my water shuts off every day or sometimes doesn’t come on at all doesn’t mean my life is over. This one is key because I moved into my house last July and there were days when I had no water. No one in my neighborhood did but still kids would be sent from other peoples’ houses to bring me water. Now while I would automatically want to hoard and conserve the water I have, my neighbors gave, gave and gave! 4. Adaption is key to living in this world. I don’t mean just the Peace Corps world either. BUT I must say that I may not have learned this lesson that well if I had not joined the Peace Corps. Everyday something happens, I show up for a meeting and no one else does. I get stuck having tea and dinner when I just ate. I end up saying yes to something when I don’t really understand haha (this happens A LOT!!!). Every time something goes wrong you have to try and adapt to the new situation. I’m not saying this is easy, if anything it’s the complete opposite. I’m not one to let people just offend me and not say anything. I’ve walked down streets in Morocco so angry that I could punch a hole through a wall but would rather hit a person. But I haven’t. What good would it do? It would make me feel a hell of a lot better but really, what good would it do? So I’ve tried to pour my anger into something else: my music. Thus far it’s sort of working haha. 5. Good friends and priceless. 6. You have to have an outlet to release whatever feelings you have pent up otherwise you will burst! 7. There are assholes EVERYWHERE in the world. 8. My host family in Idlsan, Morocco are some of the BEST MOST AMAZING people I’ve ever met. Generous to the max and loving beyond belief. These people went from never meeting an American to having a strange one live in their home and making me feel like I wasn’t such an outsider, that I was really a part of their family. I will FOREVER be greatful to Idlsan because they remind me that there are still really genuine people in this world and that you can find them in the little corners. 9. What is “work”? The American definition is very different from the Moroccan definition. Work ethic is something different too and it is a constant frustration and reminder of how weird the world is. This is one of the biggest lessons that I’m still learning and probably won’t ever really understand. You have to find that line between you and them and how you can work together with people who are different from you. How to do you all get something done when you aren’t on the same page. Well maybe you aren’t on the same page but you have to at least be in the same book. I never knew that all that group work we did when we were kids in school would amount to me living in a small village in Morocco haha. Funny. 10. Shwiya b Shwiya (little by little). The phrase of a lifetime for me. Everything is little by little. Living in Morocco and trying to adjust and be accepted and function is little by little. I’m getting this tattooed when I get back home. FYI. 11. My house leaks, it’s cold as HELL in the winter and hot as HELL in the summer but I’m still alive. Relax every once in a while and really look at what you have versus what you don’t. I do have clean running water, electricity, a roof over my head, fresh veggies (amazing!) to eat, great neighbors, my guitar etc. I have a lot of stuff here and I’m learning to be more and more thankful for it every day. So any who, those are just a few and I’m sure I could come up with more. But mainly you just learn to still live your life but just in a couple of different ways haha. Now it’s unrealistic for me to say that just because I’ve learned these things that I won’t forget a little when I get back home. But I think it’s safe to say that I am forever changed since living in Morocco and I’m hoping that I can take home some really important lessons and memories when i do get back home. Change is hard for anyone, especially someone in their mid-20s who barely knows anything about the world haha. But I’m trying and I think that’s all you can really ask for. I’m having my coffee, sitting outside and I’m trying to just live my life to best that I can :) Notes: 1. Mom try not to cry when you read this. 2. I miss and love everyone back home! 3. I’ll be updating my picture blog on picasa soon! Peace, Socorra