Until Next Time, by Maria Renteria

With this blogpost, our time in Morocco comes to an end. This finality snuck up on me– as much as I missed my family and American food, I’d grown accustomed to everything Morocco was. It’s laissez-faire culture of “Insha’allah” (God-willing), and “msh mshkila” (no problem) have been ingrained in me. It’s not very efficient: there is a lack of accountability within government and many pressing matters to resolve, but people live a peaceful, relaxed life. As a person with anxiety, this was an amazing culture shock. Gone were hard, pressing deadlines, as this program was designed for you to actually fully immerse in Morocco. There was a lot of work to do, but the program was structured so that you immersed as you worked.
I’ll never forget the kindness of my host families. I’d never felt such warmth and welcome from someone who was a stranger to me at first. I enjoyed having dinner with my homestay family every night, learning Arabic from them, and seeing their interactions.
One of my favorite activities was to walk around and explore. Walking (semi)aimlessly is one of the best activities I would recommend to anyone visiting Morocco. That’s how you see how people live. I remember seeing little boys playing soccer on one of my excursions, and a lot of people waiting for big taxis on another. It’s the little things like that. Walking around is also one of the best ways to practice and learn Arabic. You force yourself to have to ask for directions in Arabic, and most verbal exchanges also happen in Arabic. It’s true learning.

1. I’m extremely grateful for everything Morocco was to me. I want to thank my group for sharing their stories and this part of their lives on this trip. This has truly been an amazing experience.