Thanks Morocco!

          Today is my last day at ALIF and it has been an amazing ride! I have become friends with some truly incredible people. Whether it was having a Texas shoot-out in the middle of school or building a giant sand castle on the beach in Assilah, I have had so much fun. The thing about seeing the same few people for maybe 8 hours every day is that you come to either love or hate them and I have definitely come to love everyone here!

My roommate Colby has helped me endure the hardest parts and enjoy the fun parts. I have no idea what I would have done the first week if I hadn’t met her in the Madrid airport!!

A shout out also, to my host brother Driss who treated us like sisters from the first day. I really loved how he hung out with us and helped us whenever we needed it.

My class!

          Both of my teachers have also had a huge influence on me. Every time any of us had a problem, we would spend time in class talking about it and trying to find a solution. The last few days have been really hard for everyone because people are getting sick and our brains are starting to combust from all the Arabic we are inhaling. Our teachers were always completely understanding and willing to listen to our rants.

          Everyone is starting to speed up- both at school and in the city. I have my final exam in 8 hours and Ramadan starts on Monday. Everyone is trying to cram as much studying and fun into these few days before the Americans leave and the Moroccans begin Ramadan. I am lucky that I am staying in Fes until Tuesday because I will be able to experience two days of Ramadan with my host family. (In case you didn’t know, I’m going to be travelling around Portugal and Spain for a few weeks so my adventures are far from done!) I came to Morocco to learn Arabic and also to learn a new culture. Living in Fes has been difficult due to the heat, people, food, and culture. I can’t help but to compare the culture that I grew up in with the culture that I have come to know and usually it makes me more patriotic and thankful for the way I live. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back to Fes soon. Once I get to know a different way of life, I can’t stay away for very long.  I’m excited to get back to Seattle, though. I really miss my family, my friends, my dog, and the weather there!

Family!

          When I first started learning Spanish, someone told me that you understood the language when you could order tacos without stammering. After six weeks of Arabic, I am proud to say that I can order Marcouda off the streets of Fes without a single stammer. I have learned how to eat an entire meal without a fork and what to say to the men who call out to us on the street. I have come to appreciate clean, cold water and laugh when I make a blatant cultural mistake. I’m so excited for starting the next part of my adventure and then return home to my family. These past six weeks have been an incredible adventure and sometimes I am still in shock that I’m actually here. Thank you, Morocco, for making my time here so amazing!