bslama el Magrib!

I’ve been adding things up in my head and onto this list for a few weeks… forgive the out of order-ness! J And also forgive the fact that I sound like I’ve been away from all civilization for years instead of simply in a different country for a few months… but it’s funny how appreciative of the small things I’ve become.

Can’t wait to:
Shower on a regular basis (Thus shave my legs and have clean hair regularly as well)
Wear make up
Use a hair dryer/put any effort into my hair whatsoever
Have running hot water—especially out of a sink faucet
Eat Indian food
Eat sushi
Eat Mexican food
Eat Trader Joe’s frozen mac n cheese
Eat mac n cheese everyday for one week
NEVER eat meat again!
Go to Taco Bell
Drink Sprite Zero/Fresca and cheap vodka—with a lime—with my best friends
Catch up on Desperate Housewives and Grey’s
Drive a car
Have the freedom to take a vehicle to the destination of my choice
Buy new clothes
Have my old clothes back!
Wear any clothing other than the 6 outfits I’ve been wearing for 3 months
See my entire family
Laugh with my grandma
Read a good new book of my choosing
See Twilight and HSM3
Have the option of wheat bread
Eat good quality cheese and crackers
Have a glass of wine with my mom
Give my gifts to everyone
Send the gifts to the people I still won’t see for a while
Know at least a smidgen about current sports news
Go swimming with my brothers and sister (yes I promise!)
See Ash and D
Pinkberry
Snuggle with Quinn
Rent movies
Drink tea without sugar!
Have available to-go cups
Ordering a regular coffee without it just being espresso and cream
Having my own water glass at the dinner table
Quick internet access on a much more regular basis
Noodles that don’t taste like play-dough
Men whispering—or shouting—in my ear as I walk by
Not feel genuinely oppressed because I’m a woman
Hot showers that aren’t over the toilet
Exercise without being harassed
Wear shorts/tank tops/dresses
Listen to the radio
Watch the news
Not having cookies for breakfast
Getting mail in a somewhat timely manner
Have some sort of income to counter balance my love of spending money
Two very important words that I miss a lot: Cream.cheese.
Washing machine/ clothes dryer (aka feeling as though my clothes are actually clean)

So although I’m ecstatic and so anxious to fill all those wants, I also have been collecting in my mind all the things I love about Morocco that I will miss a lot. I’d be crazy to assume that I only want my old life back. There are actually so many things I will miss terribly!

What I’ll miss:
Tea being served 3 times a day no matter what
The tea being real and freshly made with just tea leaves, mint leaves and sugar. (Although I complain, I will miss the fact that the tea is ALWAYS soo sweet that it makes it like a legitimate satisfying dessert!)
Street meat sandwiches that are to die for and only cost 50 cents
The fact that you can buy a freshly made, legitimate meal for less than one dollar
There’s always another pastry shop around every corner
I can go anywhere by foot
I can walk 20 yards from my front door and be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city
Hearing the call to prayer outside and knowing almost everyone in the country is, at least for a second, thinking in a peaceful, pious way
Headscarves as just another accessory to match an outfit
Bootleg DVDs for one dollar or less
Everything in general being cheaper
Being forced to take off my shoes before I walk onto carpet (It’s really an ingenious idea! The carpets are hardly ever dirty!)
The Hammem (the entire concept of this oasis for women away from men where we can spend hours and hours AND the woman herself who you can pay to scrub your entire body for $1.50)
Pastilla!!! (food overall is one of the things I miss the most from home… but chicken pastilla in Morocco is now on the very top of my “all time best foods” list)
Having cookies for breakfast (I realize this is on both lists… but you can imagine why haha)

Leaving Morocco tomorrow will really be bitter sweet. I can’t believe it’s over! This time around (compared to being in Costa Rica) was totally different and I think a lot of that was my maturity level and the amount of time spent away. First of all, I was definitely ready and equally (if not more) anxious to go to Costa Rica but spending 6 months in that foreign, third world country when I was 16 and not used to living away from my family was, imaginably, very hard! I also didn’t have regular communication with other Americans when I was there and that just intensified the cultural differences. I’ve really loved being with other American students on a regular basis here simply because it’s made this entire experience more fun and it’s allowed me to analyze and think about this cultural experience in an out-loud way—and I think this has actually really deepened my cultural gain of Morocco.
But more importantly, I’ve begun to realize recently that 3 ½ months is a better amount of time than 6 months—unless you’re going to commit to at least a year in a foreign country. In other words, if I were to go abroad like this again it would either be for 3 ½ months or a year. Anything in between (like 6 months in Costa Rica) seems like an awkward time. I say this because after 3 ½ months, I really feel like I understand this country and culture. And although there’s always going to be SO much more to explore, I couldn’t do so within just few more months. I think this was the perfect amount of time because I never felt really anxious to leave and like I was being punished by being stuck here so long (I did in Costa Rica).

Anyway, I can’t believe I’ll be on an airplane in 12 hours! (We have to be ready to go at 4:30am tomorrow morning YUCK) I’m spending 12 days in Europe with my friends Hanne in Paris, Irina in Basel and Val in Spain. It’s going to be a crazy, very tiring few days but totally jammed packed of awesomeness tooJ hahaha. I’ll be in 9 airports and 2 train stations throughout the 12 days and 6 airports in the last 48 hours… AH!

Also, thanks so much to everyone who was a committed blogger!! It was so great to write for you and it totally enlightened my entire experience, so you all deserve a big thanks on my part!! I will also try to upload one more blog of photos when I get home at the end of Dec. if you’re still interested!!!