Well I have officially reached the halfway point. It's scary. I have truly come to love Morocco as a country and I am so happy with my life here. Obviously not everything here is perfect and as with each country there are many ugly and beautiful things, but even with these things I have a complete desire to stay. Each time I start thinking about going home I realize how quickly these first four months have gone and that the next four are bound to go even quicker, and I am not ready in anyway to even think about going back to the States. For this post I am going to reflect on the best parts of my exchange so far and what I am looking forward to and hoping to do in the next four months.
My top ten most memorable moments so far are (not in any particular order):
1. Going to Ouzoud with both American friends and Moroccan friends and realizing that people weren't separated in groups of Americans or Moroccans and that everyone was completely enjoying their time. Plus the waterfalls at Ouzoud are an amazing view.
2. Spending the night in the Sahara and getting to ride a camel for the first time.
3. All the times when I have completely shocked people when I speak Arabic and being able to get tea or free things because of it.
4. Cooking tex-mex food for my friends and one of the host families.
5. This isn't exactly a moment, but more of a continual activity. I have loved having the opportunity to study oud in Morocco and even though at this point in my life I've realized my future career goals are not related into music in any way I am glad that I am able to keep music a part of my life.
6. Attending a Moroccan wedding. SO much food and dancing.
7. Observing English classes at the CLC and having a teacher that allowed me to teach his class.
8. All of the times that I've gone to Jemma al Fna. Something fun always ends up happening and it's just a constant reminder of the fact that I really am living in a completely different place.
9. Spending Christmas in Essaouira.
10. Eid Kabeer. The sacrificing of a sheep and sheep for lunch and dinner for weeks in short.
If I had known all of the things I would be doing in Morocco before coming here I wouldn't have believed it. Even though I am in a routine at this point there is still always something new to see and learn each day and I am very lucky to be here through a scholarship that provides many opportunities for more than just learning Arabic.
In these next four months I am truly looking forward to starting to teach. My first class is this Friday and I am a little nervous because this is going to be my class rather than the class of another teacher that is letting me student teach. These will be my students and teaching is something I've always had a desire to teach and I still have to pinch myself each day and realize that this is actually my life and in such a short time frame I am accomplishing more than I ever thought I would. I am looking forward to continuing to learn in Arabic, oud, and going into even deeper studies of the culture and history of Moroccan while sharing my own culture.
Time has gone by so much faster than I thought I would and I am looking forward to making the most of the next half of my exchange.
My top ten most memorable moments so far are (not in any particular order):
1. Going to Ouzoud with both American friends and Moroccan friends and realizing that people weren't separated in groups of Americans or Moroccans and that everyone was completely enjoying their time. Plus the waterfalls at Ouzoud are an amazing view.
2. Spending the night in the Sahara and getting to ride a camel for the first time.
3. All the times when I have completely shocked people when I speak Arabic and being able to get tea or free things because of it.
4. Cooking tex-mex food for my friends and one of the host families.
5. This isn't exactly a moment, but more of a continual activity. I have loved having the opportunity to study oud in Morocco and even though at this point in my life I've realized my future career goals are not related into music in any way I am glad that I am able to keep music a part of my life.
6. Attending a Moroccan wedding. SO much food and dancing.
7. Observing English classes at the CLC and having a teacher that allowed me to teach his class.
8. All of the times that I've gone to Jemma al Fna. Something fun always ends up happening and it's just a constant reminder of the fact that I really am living in a completely different place.
9. Spending Christmas in Essaouira.
10. Eid Kabeer. The sacrificing of a sheep and sheep for lunch and dinner for weeks in short.
If I had known all of the things I would be doing in Morocco before coming here I wouldn't have believed it. Even though I am in a routine at this point there is still always something new to see and learn each day and I am very lucky to be here through a scholarship that provides many opportunities for more than just learning Arabic.
In these next four months I am truly looking forward to starting to teach. My first class is this Friday and I am a little nervous because this is going to be my class rather than the class of another teacher that is letting me student teach. These will be my students and teaching is something I've always had a desire to teach and I still have to pinch myself each day and realize that this is actually my life and in such a short time frame I am accomplishing more than I ever thought I would. I am looking forward to continuing to learn in Arabic, oud, and going into even deeper studies of the culture and history of Moroccan while sharing my own culture.
Time has gone by so much faster than I thought I would and I am looking forward to making the most of the next half of my exchange.
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