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. Passed the language proficiency test with an intermediate low (the needed score). Now this was the day we were to find out where our final sites would be. Then the next day we were to be sworn in as official volunteers and begin the journey to site.

PC loves to build the anticipation. We were told towards the end of the day. They had headshots of each of us and cycled through a map with each person’s face flashing on screen announcing their site. This was for all 65 of us. It was agonizing not knowing when your face would appear and the location.

I was towards the middle of the announcements. While I can’t say now where I am located, I can say that out of everyone in the cohort, well actually every volunteer in the country, I was placed at the farthest south site. I was definitely not expecting that. There was a furious amount of googling by everyone to figure out where and how far their sites were. However if I learned anything here is that the internet is not a reliable indication of resources available in a rural site.

We traveled by region with a mixture of taking two grand taxis (bags on top of course). Due to PC rules of not traveling at night for safety, we had to do a stop along the way. We traveled directly to Agadir, spent the night, then early morning caught a local bus to the large taxi stand in Inzegene and from there we separated into two groups based on the direction of sites. I went with 4 other volunteers. I was to be the last one dropped off. The views were incredible. I even saw my first wild camel!

I  got to the final site of one of the volunteers at which I was supposed to switch taxis to my final site. But we arrived late afternoon and most things shut down for a while during that time before opening up again at night. So I was invited to stay for lunch and wait till things opened up again because taxis weren’t headed to my site. After a two-hour wait and then another two hours of actually driving, I finally arrived at my site!

The nerves being the last dropped off, the first time seeing the dense rock-covered mountains surrounded by hills of sand in the distance inevitably filled me with some trepidation. Was I really about to live in the desert for the next two years? I know this site will present many challenges but that also means more opportunity for growth and a more authentic experience.

I’ve been at site for a little over 2 months now as I write this. I’ve finished the homestay period and officially moved into my own apartment in the village! I am working on getting the work schedule solidified with the Dar Chabab, various apartment elements (later post about the apartment hunting experience as a PCV), and of course still doing the work of integrating into my new community. Chwiya bchiwya (little by little) as the Moroccan saying goes…