Mid-year Reflections

According to my program timeline, I've reached my mid-year mark. It's crazy to think that I am half-way done with my exchange experience! I have been in Morocco now for about four months and my, my, my has the time flown by! At first things started out great, I was on that exchange high (or honeymoon phase as commonly referred to). Everything was new, shiny, interesting, and full of mystique. After that things begin to settle down, you realize that you still have to go to school, people are still people, and life is still life no matter where in the world you find yourself. Isn't it crazy that when you think of going on exchange you never actually consider how much work and effort goes into it? I came here thinking "yeah, yeah, I'll learn Darija, be fluent in French, make lots of friends, and have a blast everyday". FALSE. It's not that easy or quite simple to be honest. It takes a lot of effort, persistence, creative thinking, and active pursuit. You find out that school is the complete opposite of what you imagined, relationship dynamics are different, communicating is more complex than you thought, and sometimes all you want to do is curl up in your pajamas and cry while watching 15 episodes of your favorite show.

My point in saying all this is not to complain about my life and issues I've faced abroad but to portray a more accurate picture of what life is like for me now. Not every day is peachy-sweet and quickens you to sing, dance, and express your love for your host country. Some days you face minor road blocks; like not being able to understand what someone is saying in Arabic, or failing to effectively communicate to your teacher at school, or even just explaining to your host family (who wants to serve you milk everyday) that you're lactose intolerant.

I've learned a lot about myself and Morocco these last four months. One thing is for sure; I don't regret taking this journey at all. I have met some of the most amazing, kind-hearted, welcoming people ever. I have had the opportunity to travel to Fez, Casablanca, Azrou, Moulay Yacoub, Oum rabbia, Meknes, Volubulis, and Khemmisett. I have seen the mountains in the Middle Atlas, the ocean (which I live 5 minutes away from), the city, and the countryside. I am so thankful to YES Abroad for providing me with this opportunity of a lifetime. There is still sooooo much I want to do, experience, and accomplish before my time here is up; but it's also nice to glance back to see how far I've come. I leave you with this quote from Gail Sheehy:

        “If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.”