Tags
Adjustment, Church, Culture, Exchange, Exchange student, Fifty things, Gratitude, List, Morocco, Six months, Taxi, Travel, World
There are some moments when I’m struck with gratitude for being here in Morocco. Here, in no particular order, are some of those moments.
- When I step outside and it’s sunny, so I immediately feel warm.
- When I want to hail a taxi and one stops right away.
- When I hail a taxi and it’s empty.
- When a free afternoon turns into a adventure because I say “yes” to something new.
- When there’s wi-fi at a cafe.
- When I go over to a friend’s house.
- When I worship at church on Sundays.
- When youth group works with my schedule.
- When I show up for class and the teacher doesn’t.
- When we’re drawing diagrams all class period in Biology.
- When class is interrupted by a college presentation.
- When the Green Door (a restaurant near AMIDEAST) has chocolate cake.
- When I get a warm omelette sandwich from the Green Door.
- When I get home to my host family’s house and there’s tea waiting.
- When my host parents ask about how my day was.
- When my host parents ask how my family in America is doing.
- When I’m busy all weekend.
- When I’m free for a day and spend it at home wrapped in blankets.
- When you find what you’re looking for in the Medina right away.
- When I effectively say ANYTHING in Darjia (Moroccan Arabic).
- When my taxi drivers are chatty and nice.
- When Lily and I walk home together at night. (We’re no longer in the same family but we live right by each other).
- When my classes start at 10 AM instead of 8 AM.
- When I have time to play my violin when I come home.
- When dinner with my host family is full of jokes.
- When I take a hot shower (only twice a week).
- When I finish at the hammam and I’m totally warm.
- When I turn on the water at my host family’s house and it’s hot because someone just took a shower.
- When I make tea for myself in the evening.
- When I get to curl up in the salon and read.
- When I spend a free afternoon reading by myself at a cafe.
- When The Voice is on TV on Saturday nights and I watch it with my family. THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY.
- When I go somewhere with my host family. (Hammam, market, etc. )
- When I discover a new place in Rabat.
- When I teaching my English class results in new insights into Moroccan culture.
- When my English class is enthusiastic about my lesson.
- When I walk home and can watch the sun setting.
- When I impulsively go out to a nice restaurant for lunch.
- When it’s Friday and there’s couscous.
- When my hair isn’t greasy.
- When I’m on vacation.
- When I successfully ask for something complicated in French.
- When I find nice clothes in a second-hand pile.
- When I play my host family’s guitar.
- When the tram is empty.
- When I have a good conversation with a member of my class.
- When a teacher at school praises me.
- When I smell something that reminds me of home.
- When we take long bus rides as a group.
- When I’m alone in my bedroom after dinner and read.
- When the taxi ride to school is exactly 10 dirhams.
- When I don’t have to break a 200 dirham note. (This causes me more stress than it should).