A friend from a nearby village came to visit for a couple days. First visitor in my Moroccan apartment! Overall, a much-needed mini staycation. However, I’ve noticed hosting here to be a little different mainly for one reason; food. Back home we have so many more options for last minute stops to the grocery… Read more

Living in the desert region means there is always some sort of level of sweeping away dust needed. We use traditional brooms  but for mopping it is not the type of easy swifter or mop used in the U.S. Here it is like a squeegee and some people even wrap a towel or cloth around… Read more

Around the 90-day mark of settling into our final sites, PeaceCorps hosts the first of two In-Service Training events (IST). This time it was held in Meknes and the goal was for each volunteer to bring a Moroccan counterpart to participate in the project design and management training. Lofty goals for just the first 3… Read more

The highlight of last week was an impromptu lunch invitation that turned into an unexpected learning event. I was invited to a friend’s house for lunch and to catch up with the host family. We had a lunch of chicken tagine and apple soda. Usually, it is customary to sit together for a while having… Read more

I wake in the morning to have my overnight oats and coffee to build the stamina for this foray into open air markets. Today is souk day… What is a souk you may ask? Let me tell you.. The anticipation of Tuesday morning comes, something in the air as the trucks drive past my window… Read more

This was the most important day of my pre-service training. I completed all the online assignments pre-service and during training. Attended all the language and culture lessons (save for one day due to a parasite). Crushed the teaching practicum and recreational activity (even with said active parasite). Attended all the required HUBS and admin work.… Read more

Some parting pictures from my CBT site and the life I had there for the past 2.5 months with some amazing people… .   Read more

Today was an adventure for sure… It started quite wonderful actually. It was the first time I had the house to myself. My host family went for the day to Beni Mellal to visit their brother and I had a blissful morning of doing my laundry and playing my own music. Today was also the… Read more

What is community-based training (CBT) you may ask? For my Staj (aka volunteer group) it was an intensive 9-week language and culture training that was conducted in small groups of 5 volunteers and 1  Moroccan Language and Cultural Facilitator (LCF). We were all placed within the Beni Melal region but still close enough to gather… Read more