Featured Blogs
i don't have everything but i have almond milk
i don't have everything but i have almond milk

i don’t have access to all the food i’d like to eat in morocco, but i learned how to make one thing I’ve been craving

water is life
water is life

what having a more limited access to water has me thinking

sacrifice is a tradition
sacrifice is a tradition

the sacrifice during eid al-adha, the holiest celebration of the year, and the sacrifice my host family made to move to a big city

time's up... jk
time's up... jk

how living in morocco pushed me to change my attitude about time

from one tradition to the next
from one tradition to the next

ramadan is over and the world cup is upon us, one national celebration to the next

why i'm fasting
why i'm fasting

i didn’t have to fast during ramadan, but this is why i did

ramadan
ramadan

if you don’t know what ramadan is or are curious about specific Moroccan traditions, mar7aba, or welcome

doubt me
doubt me

i had to let go of the pressure about sharing my singular experience that reflect upon a foreign country. it’s a single story, but it’s still my story

lost at home
lost at home

leaving the house at all can be draining living in another country, but i try my best

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in a lot of ways i’m happier than i’ve ever been. in a lot of ways i’m not. i no longer share my everyday life with the people i love most in life, and i feel nostalgia more often than ever. but i’m free from my old life and expectations and pressures. i am so grateful for this time to myself. i’ve learned to let go of what does not make me better. i’ve contemplated whether i’m only still here because i won’t give up, mistaking struggle for progress. but when i think of the person who got on the plane to morocco last year, i know without a doubt it’s been worth it and will continue to be. progress is slow but consistent. personal development is like any other change; if you overcommit too soon, move too fast, you’re just going to crash. be patient with yourself. don’t struggle for the sake of struggling. don’t feel sorry for yourself. work towards real change, no matter how fast. or slow.
naples was one of my favorite places. i can’t wait to go back to italy (hopefully next year) to explore more of the country. when i travel, i don’t like to plan too much of my trip because i don’t want to feel like i’m checking things off of a list. i prefer to wander, eat and live like the locals, and take it all in. it’s more about the people and lifestyle for me. i’ll still visit some main attractions in some cities- i probably wouldn’t go to paris and not see the eiffel tower- but i don’t put pressure on seeing a million things everywhere i go. i want to experience, not simply see, the world.
i’m in the middle of journey that for a long time felt like it would never end. i can’t believe i only have a little over a year left in morocco with travel planned at least every two or three months until then. . i’ve written about my changed perception of time here, on my blog if you wanna read it, which has been insightful. but having an end in sight has created a welcome and healthy sense of urgency to make the most of my time here. for awhile last spring i was overwhelmed by how much time i had left and always felt i had more time to accomplish goals before going home. but my return home will be here before i know it so i have to take advantage of my time left here. . urgency is a vital component of progress and growth. all about balance, like virtually everything else in life. now the challenge is balancing that urgency with being present during my final year ⚖️⚖️⚖️
had my first day back at work today. in a few weeks i’ll only have a year left here in morocco. a short and long time at the same time. i’m going to try my best during this last year. sometimes when life is hard, i make it harder by expecting the worst and rushing through it. but i want to be active in my last year, experience every little thing, no rush. this is year three of my test of patience, and i think i’m just starting to understand. i expect that this will all feel like dream one day, and i think that day is sooner than i expect. so i challenge myself to make the most of it. . . are you rushing through a challenging phase of your life? what might you be missing out on?
 
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peace corps purpose

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road to

peace corps

 
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darija