Hillary's Moroccan Adventure

ThAnK yOu :)

2011-02-23T20:53:00.002-08:00

This will be my finale log update for this blog site. I am planning on starting a new blog soon to let any of my fellow readers keep up with what is going on with my life now that I am state side again. When I create this new blog, I will write the URL on this blog so you all can connect to it.
I want to end this blog experience with warm wishes and positive karma to all my readers and those who have supported me through my Moroccan Adventure ☺ I hope your life will be filled with opportunities, happiness, and volunteering (gatta represent). Please, go out within your own community and give back in any way shape or form. It is up to us to make the changes needed to improve the world in which we live in. Honor it and respect it.

I GOT THE JOB!

2011-02-23T20:53:00.001-08:00

I am officially working full time (seasonally) as a Visitor Services Associate at the Denver Botanic Gardens! This is amazing news for me. It is a great first step for me in this town into the non-profit world here in Denver, it is seasonal with a possibility for permanent or recommendations to other non-profits within Denver itself, and due to it being seasonal, I can keep looking around for something when the end of summer hits. It is just nice to know that after 27 plus months, I will be making money again to pay of debt and to build up a life again here in the USA. Readjusting has had its difficult moments, but I am feeling pretty good about life, my future plans, and what living in Denver will bring these next 10 months. I miss Morocco more than words can describe, but I know that I will return soon, hopefully before graduate school begins to see my family who I talk to once a month on skype and dear friends back in Skoura and Kehmisset. I feel blessed at this moment in my life. I have finished my life changing Peace Corps experience, I have seen over 8 countries while in service and afterwards, saw a little bit of my own home country, found a new place to call home, and got a job and apartment within the first week of living in my new city.
Here is the link to check out where I will be working starting Feb. 25, 2010:
http://www.botanicgardens.org/

It’s Official

2011-02-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

I am moving to Denver! Yes, the one city I wanted to move to that i mentioned in the previous post is becoming a reality! I have found a cheap apartment blocks from the Capitol Building near all the fun events, museums, and stores that I am interested in. I also got an interview the day after I fly into Denver. Wish me luck!

Back In Michigan… Future Plans

2011-02-23T20:51:00.000-08:00

Back in Michigan and trying to figure out what to do next. Out of all the places I have visited these past two plus months, I think I have an idea of where I want to go ☺ I do not want to say just yet, but I have a good feeling about this city and we shall see how the job and apartment hunting go for me ;) Now it is time to hang out with my mom, dad, little sestra, grandpa, and friends while I start applying like crazy to every non-profit/museum job I can get a hold of.

Boston, Mass. and NYE

2011-02-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

Well I finally made it to my last COS trip destination and what a way to end it. New Years Eve in Boston was the perfect way to bring in 2011. I got to see my old high school friend, Jenny, and hang out with her boyfriend and his friends for NYE. We spent the evening eating home made food and ended the night at a local bar listening to a 1970’s cover band. On New Years Day we spent it at a lovely café where we had a delicious brunch and got to grab a quick coffee at a local coffee shop before heading back to Jenny’s part of town. The Museum of fine art was crazy cool visit. They had an intense collection of Colonial American Art. That was a real treat. I hope to see Jenny more often once I finally settle down somewhere in the USA and show her the hospitality she so graciously bestowed upon me while in Boston. She showed me around to all the important parts of Boston including the Freedom Trail, the Boston Marathon marker, and some historic graveyards and buildings. Boston has such a rich history, it was hard to say goodbye.

Fairfax/DC time!

2011-02-23T20:36:00.000-08:00

I was welcomed with loving arms by my close friend, Amber, at the airport in D.C. It has been over a year since I saw her and she has been one busy lady with beginning graduate school and moving to the east coast to follow her dream. I am one proud friend ☺ I got to stay a week with her and her wonderful roomies, make an awesome Mexican Christmas Fiesta, and Christmas parties! It was not a dull time at all.

I got to spend time with a RPCV from my staj, John Wayne at his families Chinese restaurant and what yummy food! The Smithsonian museums were amazing in D.C. along with all the national monuments and buildings within my nations capitol. I got to spend a whole day just walking around enjoying the atmosphere.

Back Home ... for a week

2011-02-22T23:29:00.000-08:00

My MICHIGAN pit stop for a week was perfect!
I have been on the go traveling since November 12, 2010.. now being December 12, 2010.. I think it is time to pit stop, drop off some clothes and items, and see my family finally before I hit the road to the east coast for Christmas and NYE. I got to catch up with mom, dad, sister, and Emily, and g-pa. It finally felt like I was home. After 27 months plus traveling, it was nice to be HOME. December 22 though, I hit the road to Washington D.C. to see some good pals of mine who have been chilling on the “east side” since I began Peace Corps. I have never been out east so I am thrilled to see them and my nations capitol! Let’s just hope the weather will play nice. It has been one crazy month of bad winter weather across the USA.
I cannot forget to mention I got to chill with my GR pals for a few days as well. It made my week a little bit more brighter with spending some time with them :)

Mile High City Time

2011-02-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

Denver was my couple day pit stop before heading back to Michigan to drop off some luggage and head east for Christmas. I got to spend some much need quality time with my favorite Denver people, Melissa and Matt. They hosted me a night before they headed off on their fun weekend in Vaile and then I spent the rest of my time with my friend, Craig, from Grand Rapids and got to enjoy sushi, good company, and a Christmas party along with a viewing of a classic movie with the Peanuts Gang!

By staying a few days in Denver, it reminded me how much I love this town, the people in it, and the weather. It was sunny and in the 50’s in mid December. The cost of living is cheap and there is so much art and culture out here that I can not stop walking around this town and enjoying what I keep finding around every corner. It is going to be hard to leave Denver, but I sorely miss Michigan and my family. I cannot wait to see my hometown! Michigan here I come.

PoRtLaNd!

2011-02-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

Portland is The Emerald City for sure! While I was there for a short time, it sure was green and rainy and I would not of had it any other way ☺ I was picked up by my KCAD buddy, Sam, and we went right over to house just long enough to drop my things off and then we were off to see the city! We spent our time eating at Voodoo Doughnut, checking out the local eateries, funky thrift stores with odd yet awesome pickings, and meeting all of her crazy cool friends at a yummy dinner party and bar hang out. I cannot wait to return on a sunny warm day in Portland and go on a much needed bike ride around the city like the locals do :)

On American Soil! November 26, 2010

2011-02-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

After my long 23-hour flight, I landed in LAX and passed out to catch up on some much needed sleep. When I woke up, I realized that I was really in sunny California with my two awesome aunts Joan and Shirley ☺ We hung out for a whole week together checking out the California coast, The Getty, along with eating some yummy food and getting a little primp with hair and nails. Humdullah!

I got to also spend a day with my dear friend, Naomi and catch up with her and what she was doing now that she just moved in California. Once I sadly bid farewell to my aunts, I headed up north to Santa Rosa to spend some much needed quality time with one of my favorite people, Mr. Myhkeal! He showed me around where the famous Peanuts animator lived including a much-needed wine tasting adventure ☺ it was amazing!

Once I had my fill of Santa Rosa, I got on the next boat to the Golden Gate City where my old Quizno’s buddy, Amanda C now lives. She was such a great host! She showed me everything from the Golden Gate Bridge to the best place in town for pizza to the coolest little museum of vintage old games! It was so delightful! I got to meet her future husband and hear about their plans for their up and coming wedding. I am very excited for the two of them.

It has always been a dream of mine to check out the northern part of California and I was able to do so in good ole San Fran ☺ Maybe next visit I will try to get further north and check out those massive red woods, but not in late November early December weather. Too cold! Before heading to Portland, California has gotten me a little more up to date in the world via new phone, clothes, FOOD I have missed for two years, and catching up with old friends.

Turkey Day in Turkey

2011-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Turkey.. oh Turkey... I am so happy I got to visit and experience your capital, Istanbul. What a true treat and fun time. Istanbul is a real city to go in visit to see an authentic mix of where the East meets the West.

Maggie and I had a blast hanging out with our coolest CS Maggie, Sondra, and Yunis! They were so welcoming, helpful, and they put on the yummiest Thanksgiving for all the Ex-Pat friends in Istanbul and fellow CS like Maggie and myself, these two guys from AZ.

The bars were a lot of fun to go to in downtown Istanbul and had pretty cheap drinks. One bar had a Quiz Bowl Night going on and I took part in that interesting event. The highlights of Istanbul were for sure the architecture, people, and the boat ride from the west to the east side of this old and historic city. The Blue Mosque, Haja Sophia, Toksim Square, and the awesome one of a kind watercolor I bought at a unique art gallery down the street from the Blue Mosque will be memories and treasures I will never forget, ever.

It was nice to say goodbye to this part of the world before I board my next plane, which will be taking me to LAX! I will officially be back on American soil for a while ☺ I just wanted to say best of luck to my travel buddy, Maggie, who starts her India/Europe journey after I leave to the USA on the 26th of November. She is a great friend, fun travel buddy, and is one of the most honest people in my life. I hope to see her soon in AZ. When I come to bug her in the spring/summer ☺

EgYpT!

2011-02-18T16:39:00.001-08:00

Maggie and I are now on our little COS Adventure and our first stop is Cairo, Egypt! What a beautiful and unique city it is. Christians, Muslims, tourist all mixed in together in this museum filled city with wonderful architecture and history. The Pyramids were breathtaking, the sphinx was HUGE, and the food was Oh My Allah Great! Sorry Morocco, but Egypt’s food kicks your foods butt☺ the people of Egypt are super nice, helpful, and sweet.

Luxor was the other city I got to visit and while I was there I saw The Valley of The Kings, Queens, and other little ancient treasures! I wished I had more time to see more of these two cities. A fun highlight would be having yummy coffee at the Winter Palace in Luxor
and Sailing at sunset on The Nile. What an amazing site to have experienced. Everyone should go to Egypt!

I AM DONE! November 12, 2010

2011-02-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

HUMDULLAH! After 27 months of service, I am done! What a rewarding feeling I have coming over me. It is hard to describe. It is a mixture of excitement because I am ready to go on vacation and see the world and start my life back up in the America. I am nervous because I am not sure what the next step will bring, but hopefully the traveling will clear my head and show me the next step. The last emotion is sadness because I am leaving my Moroccan family, dear friends, and my wonderful students and I am not sure when or if I will ever see them again. All of them are welcome to America if they get the chance to visit, but that is a pretty expensive ticket, but Mahurbikum dima klushi men Skoura u Kehmisset ☺ I know that one day, hopefully in the next 5 years I will be back in Morocco visiting my family and hopefully a few students and friends if they are in town.
I am currently in Rabat planning my COS trip with Maggie, my travel buddy for Egypt and Turkey. It is almost done! So excited that all this planning is actually going to happen. I am looking forward to meeting my couch surfing hosts and all the sites listed on our “Must See” list.

The hardest part of leaving thus far has been saying goodbye to my host family. I have grown very close with them and had a hard time saying goodbye without it becoming a total water-works show. They know I will return and promise to keep in touch, but at this moment, I am sad about leaving them and Morocco, the place I have called home for over two years. I will also be missing my PC crew very much. After 27 months together they have become close to my heart and a support system I feel I can count on even after COS. They are all amazing, loving, and passionate people. I wish nothing but great success and happiness in their lives after Peace Corps, truly.
The last night all of my PC friends and I were together we had a nice dinner and yummy McDonalds sundae ☺ Tomorrow we say goodbye, sign that little red book and stamp it to officially be done with PC. That is when we al will start to leave and live our own lives again. I hope to keep in touch with most of them, def. a couple of people for sure, but what a interesting time now in all our lives… everything is changing and nothing will be the same as it is tonight starting tomorrow morning. Best of luck to all my fellow PCVs and Moroccan friends and family. Goodbye Morocco, hello world/fate.

OMG

2011-02-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

I have been so on the go that I have not written what I have been up to since November, so in the next few blogs are the entries I made months ago and now will post. ENJOY!

I Finally Got Inked In Morocco!

2010-10-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

It finally happened! I got my Morocco tattoo! Every country that I have lived in I have gotten a tattoo or has a cultural heritage symbolism for me. One in Italy while study abroad in the summer 2005. A Croatian tattoo in honor of my heritage and the close bond I have with my wonderful sister, and now I have the khmissa, the Moroccan version of the hand of Katima. It is beautiful. I took over two hours and it was the most painful tattoo to date, but it was worth it :)
I do not have a photo of it totally healed, but above is my tattoo artist, Ziki, showing off his talents on my upper back. SHUKRAN SIDI!

World Map Done!

2010-10-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

With the money that my mother's church donated towards my dar chabab to denefit the kids that come to the building, I used their money to buy the supplies needed to create this world map. My wonderful mudir, Khalid, donated the canvas and white paint from his studio (yes, he is an artist! awesome) to put towards making this map.
It took a couple weeks and some very dedicated Moroccan youth, landlord, and site-mate, the map is now done!
Enjoy the photos and I want to thank my mother's church again for donating their money to something that brought many students together to create something that will last years and affect the youth that come to the dar chabab to further their education and curiosity about the world around them. God bless your parents :)
** Local kids helping out with the map**

** The map SLOWLY coming together :) brush stroke after brush stroke**

** Thanks to Abdou and Lisa for their hours of labor and love towards this project**

**Thanks also to Marissa and Faye, my fellow YD staj-mates. They were amazing and so helpful! this project could not of been done without their help**

Tanger, Tetouan, and Chefchaouen- Last Moroccan Vacation

2010-10-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

What a trip! By far one of my top 5 mini Moroccan vacations. Once COS conference was over and things settled down, I went on my finale vacation here inMorocco as a PCV. One of my close friends in Peace Corps and a friend from Khemisset came along with me on this littleadventure. We had a car so we really got to see a lot of all three of these cities. We began with just wanting to see Tanger, but once we had a car, we decided to make the most of the time we had and see the other two cities too.

> Chefchaoen

Tanger>

Tanger is by far my favorite northern Moroccan cities. It had the perfect mix of Spanish, Arab, and Africa blends in culture and architecture. I got to walk around the city for a while, visit the famous American Legation, and got to chill at the cafe where they filmed The Borne Supremacy.

Once we got our fill of Tanger, we hit the road to Tetouan for a quick coffee break before arriving to Chefchaoen.

The Tetouan souq was HUGE! I almost got lost. There was a beautiful palace that was right in the middle of town. Tetouan was one of the most Spanish/European influenced towns of the north. The architecture of the townmade me feel like I was in southern Spain walking around the main streets. Also being spoken to in Spanish the whole time was wonderful. I'd rather be

"Hola"ed than"Bonjour"ed any day.

Once we left Tetouan, we hit

the road to our finale destination, Chefchaouen!! Located in the Rif Mountains. This town is famous for the color blue that is used throughout the city and the location within the Rif Mountains is one of the most breath-taking locations in Morocco. Check out this link for more on this information on this city: http://wikitravel.org/en/Chefchaouen

If anyone decides to visit Morocco, you have to check out Ozt, Tanger, Wester Sahara, and Chefchouen for sure.

Chefchaouen stairs>

Just A Little Taste of Being A Woman In Morocco

2010-10-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

I love Morocco. I truly do. The majority of the people here are some of the most kind and welcoming people I have ever met, but at times, the men in this country take it upon themselves to remind me the ranking in this culture really is when dealing with gender issues. I understand that they think that the way they greet non-Muslim women is a compliment and that out of 100 women ONE will enjoy these kind of comments, but the 99 others do not. I took this comic from a fellow PCV's blog and wanted to share with you. I am happy to of joined Peace Corps because it was one of the best things I have ever experienced in my life thus far, but also, one of the hardest experience I have ever been through. AGAIN, I remind you that not all Moroccan men do this and I do not see every Moroccan man in this light, but since moving from a small rural village to an urban town filled with foreign women married to Moroccan men, it is hard to even walk to the local haunt to buy milk without some daily harassment. I just want to share another side of my Peace Corps experience. Both the good and the not so good.

link: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/09/02/women-and-street-harassment/

COS Conference DoNe!

2010-10-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Close Of Service (COS) Conference is DoNe! Last week was one filled with LONG meetings to help my staj "reintegrate" into American life again, getting my teeth checked out along with my finale physical and the many trips to the lab to drop off samples of bowel movements and blood. Also I cannot forget to add the usual unemployment protests and enjoyable walks from Rabatville to Agdal. Honestly, it is not a truly authentic stay in the capitol of Morocco without at least a couple protest going on outside of the Parliament Building which was located across the street from the hotel all the volunteers were staying at last week.

I had meetings with David, the Country Director along with my programing staff YD lovingly calls "A-Team." It was nice to be able to share my experiences and recommendations from these past 2 years+ of my PCV life.

It was good to see SBD together again with YD chilling at HQ. Catching up over drinks at non-Moroccan food restaurants was great! I got to sit down with a lot of other people in my staj that I never had the time to get to know as well as I wanted. That was a blessing.

After the COS conference, it was nice to see that most of my fellow staj-mates are in the same boat as I am with what the future holds for us once we sign that little red book on November 12th. When I was able to talk to other PCVs and listen to the RPCVs (retired peace corps volunteers) talk about what they went through, it took some of the stress off of me and reminded me that I need to be patient with myself and that things will work out.. also this traveling bug I have is something that will always be with me. We shall see how long I stay state-side until I start getting antsy again:) well that is all for today! Hope all is well in your world and keep a look out for my next entry which should be up by the end of this week, Inch Allah.

Connecting My Peace Corps Experience with Belle from Beauty and The Beast.

2010-09-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

I’m shamelessly stealing this from other shameless blog thieves. I don’t know who deserves the credit, but I’m pretty amused.If you ever wanted to understand what I go through as female Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco check out this clip from Beauty and the Beast. What Belle experiences in this clip is my life in a nutshell here in Morocco:

Popout

1. She reads books, and people think that’s odd. It’s especially odd because she carries them around with her all the time.
2. People scream “Bonjour!” at her from windowsills and alleyways.
3. She lives in a “little town…a quiet village.”
4. Everyday is “like the one before.” (also see: “Every morning [is] just the same since the morning that [she] came to this poor provincial town.
5. She sees the baker first thing in the morning with the “same old bread and rolls to sell.”
6. Minute 1:00 – She excitedly recounts to someone an important story (in her mind), and is politely dismissed because the story has nothing to do with the number or price of produce that day.
7. Minute 1:07 – People in town start talking about her behind her back. She doesn’t notice — it’s almost as if they’re speaking another language and she’s happily strolling through town, oblivious to their comments…just smiling at them the whole time.
8. Minute 1:20 – She hitches a ride on a horse/donkey cart. This is a common occurrence in Peace Corps (though I can only comfortably speak to my experiences in Morocco). Sometimes there’s no other transportation available, and hitch on a donkey cart, you must.
9. Minute 1:24 – People are greeting each other, not only saying hello, but asking about their families. Although their greetings here do not extend into the 30-second long salutation that we experience in the bled, I’m sure it would if the song had been longer if American audiences were judged patient enough to sit through that kind of thing.
10. Minute 1:30 – There is an exasperated woman with multiple babies in her arms.
11. Exasperated woman wants 6 eggs, but that’s “too expensive.” Six eggs would also be deemed preventively expensive in many places here as well.
12. Minute 1:35 – Belle says, “There must be more than this provincial life!” She’s complaining again. She didn’t say, “I miss peanut butter and Mexican food,” but that’s pretty much what she meant. Again, note the complaining. Peace Corps Volunteers are EXPERT complainers.
13. Bookstore owner is a cute little goat-looking man. Those are found in abundance in Morocco.
14. Minute 1:50- Belle climbs the ladder in the bookstore and swings it to the other side of the bookshelf. In a Barnes and Noble, this would prompt screaming store attendants, wary of a possible lawsuit when you fall. In Morocco (and in Belle’s world), no problem. If you fall, Allah willed it.
15. Minute 2:00 – Belle goes on and on about how much she loves something, which basically requires the nice goat-man to give it to her. You often see this in Morocco.
16. Minute 2:02 – Men staring at her and trying to get her attention.
17. Minute 2:10 – Belle pats a random child’s head. This is considered creepy in America, but in Morocco, PCVs are encourages to pat, hold, and feed random children.
18. Minute 2:21 – Belle sits in the town center next to the fountain, (like Morocco – except their fountain works) surrounded by sheep.
19. …then Belle starts to talk to the sheep. Many a PCV talk to their pets, because they sometimes understand English better than the townspeople (or so they think).
20. Also, at the same moment, you see a woman washing her clothes in the public water source. Hopefully she’s not using Tide and exposing us all to dangerous levels of phosphates.
21. Minute 3:00- Townsfolk say they think she’s beautiful because she’s fair. Moroccans often say this about light-skinned Americans. Belle, on the other hand, probably fancies a nice tan (and could probably use one, too).
22. Minute 3:20 – Gaston wears tight Euro-trash pants and shirt, and obviously thinks more of himself than he should. Reminds me of a few select 20-something boys in Morocco.
23. Minute 3:35-4:00 – Gaston wants to marry the foreign girl because he thinks she’s pretty.
24. Minute 4:45 – Townsfolk joyfully remark how Belle doesn’t “quite” fit in (even if she has been there for almost 2 years!).
25. Minute 4:55 – Everyone is staring at her.

And finally, (26) she’s singing a Disney song!

BEERY PICKING TIME!

2010-09-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year :) Berry Picking 2010 in Ain Inlueh, which is a town about 4 hours away from Kheimsset. This little village that is located on the side of the Middle Atlas Mountains is one of the most peaceful and breath taking areas up north. I got to spend some quality time with some SBD volunteers, eat some yummy food, and pick a ton of black berries that were FREEto take! In Ain Inlueh, not many Moroccans eat black berries or know that you can cook and make these berries into jam so the group I went with to berry pick just went along the sides of the roads and into peoples yards (asking the home owners first) picking away for hours. I did not realize how relaxing it was to berry pick and why I have not done this more often back in the states at my grandfather's bushes back home. I am planning on helping him out next season back in Michigan for sure now that I am a pro-berry picker now :) Bring it on thorns.. I am ready!

Here is a picture of the town of Ain Inleuh and a couple of my Peace Corps friends that I went berry picking with. This town was very welcoming and an awesome town to work-out in. The steps to get from the top of town where we all stayed with a volunteer to the souq and closest haunt guy for bread would leave you out of breath and sweaty. It was an intense workout that I loved! I woke up early one morning just to go up and down those steps to work up a sweat, but I think the women who were cleaning outside and watching me go up and down where saying " Why is this white girl going up and down these s

teps so much?" It is because I love to work-out, to be challenged, and also have the local people have something to talk about :)

The photo above shows how proud I am with my water bottle full of freshly picked black berries!

I was happy to of gone on this berry picking adventure with my friends to this town. Now that I have only 46 days left as a Peace Corps volunteer, I am trying to enjoy any last minute cities I have yet to visit along trying to prepare for graduate school, career hunting back in the USA, and shipping items back home from Morocco all the while starting up my finale project in site and preparing things for the new volunteer that will be replacing me. A lot needs to be done. wish me luck!

It was nice to leave site, but now it is time to get some Close Of Service (COS) things together. Time is running out!

A.R.M. DONE and OFFICIALLY TWO YEARS in MOROCCO!

2010-09-08T14:54:00.002-07:00

AFTER TWO YEARS OF HARD WORK AND FUN ART RELATED WORK, THE ART RESOURCE MANUAL THAT WE LOVINGLY CALL, A.R.M. IS DONE!

It is a 153 page art manual for all Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco to use to help them with anything from art club/class lesson plans, local suppliers, museums, galleries, to how to say "yarn," or certain materials in Daija, FusHa, and Tam that are not given in our PC Darija/Tam language manual. I am very proud of this manual and it could not of been done with out the help of my good friend and fellow artist, Lisa Payne. Lisa, you are amazing! Thanks for listening to my crazy idea for A.R.M. and helping me make this crazy idea come alive and become an actual manual.

This manual makes my experience as a Peace Corps the "cheery on top" of my service. A.R.M. reminded me how much I love art, miss it, how much I am looking forward to the next step in my life after Peace Corps, which is, Inch Allah, interning, working, or volunteering at a museum or historical society to start my dream of one day working in collections/archives. I am ready for the next step and this manual is an example of my dedication to art and how important it is to have art in my life along with the rest of the world, or at least Peace Corps world. Now after Living in Morocco for 2 years, I have come to realize the lack of creativity the students I work with have in this country. It is all academic, nothing to do with the arts, and I am happy that for the two years I have been here in Morocco, I can leave knowing that the students I worked with and helped got a creative injection of the arts. If it was from doing 50 English drawing flash cards, family trees, paper doll races to art battles, life drawing, mural painting, etc. I know that they are looking at life differently now or at least can draw a darn good tree, remember the English vocabulary I taught them (visual learning is powerful tool), and can paint like a pro now :)

It has been officially two years today since I left the USA and came to this country, and even through the ups and downs I have had, good and bad, when I think of my time here I spent as a volunteer, friend, and family member, it warms my heart to know that I made an impression upon my students, community, family and friends. I would not of had such fond memories with out them in my life while in Morocco, and it will be a very sad day on November 13th when I officially leave Morocco to start my Close Of Service Adventure to Egypt and Turkey because I will be leaving good friends, new life long family, and a country that always welcomed me with open arms. I know that I will return to Morocco. I promise that.

Back Home In Khemisset, Humdullah

2010-08-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yes. I have returned from a month long adventure/summer camp fest and man am I tried! Since July 20^th, I have been on the road traveling, meeting new people, seeing new places, and working my last summer camp as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

(Image: with my host brothers, Ayoub and Yassine, after a tearful goodbye to new friends the last night of camp)

As soon as I landed back in Fez, Morocco, I caught a train to Meknes and then a taxi back to my site where I had only 24 hours to unpack, wash clothes, pay bills, re-pack, and hit the road for another 5 hours to get to El Jadida for my last summer camp as a PCV!

It was a fun camp with some great first and second year volunteers. The Moroccan access students were super helpful this year due to the amount of beginner students I had to take on and little issues that came up between staff and the kids at camp. It was a productive and very chill camp until Ramadan hit. When Ramadan began, that was when tempers were shortened due to fasting, which is totally understandable. Not being able to eat or drink from 6am until 7:30pm while at a camp, running around, and doing activities; that is not a good and healthy combo. It was rough and most of the kids, volunteers, and Moroccan staffers got sick, but we pull through and ended the last camp of the summer on a positive note. I was able to bring my two host brothers, Yassine and Ayoub, to camp with me and they enjoyed themselves to the point that they were sad to leave and tearing up when saying goodbye to new friends that they made while at camp.

The highlights of camp:

Going to the beach and watching the students do Tug-of-War
One kid got pushed in between two pillars by a Moroccan staffer and it took 3 PCV’s (yes, i was one of the 3) and 5 minutes of pushing and pulling to get him out
Fasting highs and lows
PCV boy band being created and performed "I Want It That Way" at spectacular
Being voted most beautiful American volunteer/teacher at camp.. sukran ya'll :)
PCV’s getting together and performing the song “Shout”
My beginner kids picking out American names for class
Halloween haunted house
The song “ I Love Dogs” classic
Being artsy all camp. I miss doing that.

Now that I am back in site, still fighting off whatever kind of cold/sickness I have had for over a week or so now, I am getting ready to finish the Art Resource Manual that my site mate and I have been working hard at for 2 years now. It should be ready by the time the new YD and SBD group comes in on September 15^th! I am still in shock with how fast time has flown by. I cannot believe that in about 3 weeks, there will be a new group that has come to replace my staj, and that there is one person in that group that will be taking over my position at the dar chabab in Khemisset. I am excited for what these next couple of months will bring! On top of all of this, I am applying for jobs back home in the museum world in ANY state that is hiring. If you know of any museum hiring or taking interns, please send the information my way. I am happy that I got to take part in Peace Corps, experience an Islamic country and the Moroccan culture, but I am eager to head home, start my life back up, and work towards my graduate school dream in Museum Studies or Conservation.

Well the Imane at the mosques are doing their calls so it is time for me to get some work done before Liftor begins. Hope all is well in your world. Peace N Love.

From Hrvatska, With Love

2010-08-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

DOBRO JUTRO!

in English, GOOD MORNING!

(Image: Zagreb)

I started my journey in Germany where I stayed for a couple of days while waiting for my connecting flight to Croatia. I was happy to be back in Europe and in my favorite country with the best beer in the world J The highlight to my German layover was being able to walk around the countryside for a couple of hours and taking in the view of the lush green landscape. I was just walking around, jamming out to my ipod, and taking in the atmosphere that is Germany. It almost made me feel like I was back home in Michigan.

(Image: Germany)

Once in Croatia, I traveled for 9 days to:

Pula: Yummy food and a good city to walk around in

Rijeka: Awesome farmers market and port

Zadar: The Sun Salutation and Sea Organ. GOOGLE this!

Zagreb: The capital and now one of my top 10 favorite cities and got a great haircut in, Humdullah!

Đurđevacv: where I met my long lost family from my grandfather Presecan heritage. This was my highlight of my Croatia trip.

Croatia.. aka… one of the coolest countries I have visited! The people are kind and super excited to see Americans. Some people who met me said that I was the first American they have ever met before. CRAZY! So to all you Americans out there, go check out Croatia! You will be pleasantly surprised how cheap things are, how welcoming the people are, and the scenery is worth traveling for, trust me on this. Also in Croatia, everyone knows English so it is super easy to get around Croatia and communicate with the Croatians.

The food there was amazing, but very buttery and rich. I could not eat a whole meal due to this, but I did leave full from every place I ate at. Honestly, I was just happy to NOT be eating Moroccan like food for 11 days, whoo! By far my favorite dish was squash deep-fried in batter at my relative’s house in the countryside. I am not a deep fried kind of girl, but wow, when I ate that with some yogurt/sour cream on top… DELIGHT!

The beaches in Croatia are crystal clear, white, and the sea is so blue that even in the Rijeka Port, I could see hundreds of fishes swimming around looking for food. I have never seen such clean and clear water before. I mean nothing can beat Lake Michigan and the beaches there, but the Croatian coast can give Lake Michigan a run for its money.

(Image: Rijeka)

As I mentioned earlier, the highlight to my little Croatian adventure was finally meeting my relatives near the city where my grandfather was born. I met Tihana, Martina, and their family in a beautiful small town called Đurđevacv. I have never met such welcoming and happy people before. Their mother was always smiling and offering me food left and right until I could not move from my seat due to how overly stuffed I was from lunch. Their father was calling up all the family he could remember and asking about my grandfather and was sharing the baptismal certificate I brought to see if he could get any answers for me. He was very cheerful man, and helpful with looking into my grandfather’s certificate for me. I actually found out that my grandfather was from the village about 10 km down the road from them called Kolstar, that my great grandmother, Klara, her family was from around this area, and I found out how to say my last name correctly in Croatian J I am looking into changing my last name so it will sound like it should because it sounds beautiful in Croatian.

(image: Zagreb)

It was a sad moment when I had to leave Croatia so I could make it back in time to do summer camp in El Jadida, but I know that is was not a “good bye”; it was more like a “see you soon” kind of vibe. I hope to return again soon and visit my relatives longer in the countryside, check out the capital again, and see some of Croatia’s famous National Parks, and go more east and south within this beautiful and inspiring country.

HVALA!! vidimo se !

A.R.M. update

2010-07-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Art Resource Manual is almost finished! Lisa and I have started the layout and putting information that was submitted by PCVs along with our own research for this manual. I am so excited to finish A.R.M. once I return from summer camp in mid August. Our due date for this manual is the first week of September, when the new PCVs come into Morocco to start their training to replace me and my staj! WOW, I can not believe it is almost time to meet those who will be replacing me and my staj I came in with. These past 23 months have just flown by! In a blink of an eye I will find myself stamping and signing that little red book to officially become an RPCV (retired peace corps volunteer).

SouTherN VacaTioN- July 2010

2010-07-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just returned from my very hot, but wonderful time back down in the orginial site, Skoura, to see my old site-mate, April, and my host family in the Bled. The trip was great and being able to catch up with old family and friends in the Skoura area was wonderful. When I at souq and walking around in the Bled, people remembered me and came up welcoming me back to Skoura with open arms and a lot of hugs. It was a heart warming. The only bummer to the trip was that I feel asleep in front of a fan when I first got into Ouarzazate and, as always, I got a head cold that lasted most of my vacation down south. I think I am the only person that gets a head cold from a fan in the face.

Even though I was sick most of my vacation, I still had a blast just chilling in April’s site, seeing her women and the products they have been making, and spending some quality time with my host family, but now I am back in site preparing for my next and finale vacation as a PCV in Morocco. I will be heading to CROATIA on Saturday July 24^th and will return in early August just in time to make it to El Jadida for the last English summer camp. Starting on the 24^th until the middle of August, I will be out of site and off seeing the world, well at least a little portion of it.

I can not wait to make it to Croatia and see the country where my grandfather came from, and my family on my father’s side . I have contacted a couple of possible “cousins” in Croatia and hope to see them at some point throughout my journey.

Well, I must be off to finish up some last minute plans for Croatia. Hope all is well back state side or where ever you all are reading my blog.

Peace N Love.

4th of July in Khemisset, Morocco

2010-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 4^th of July, everyone back in the good ole USA (I know kinda late). I got to spend my last 4^th of July in Moroco in my new site with my fellow Khemisset region-mates. We spent the whole day cooking, grilling, baking, and chilling on my roof listening to some American music. The weather was wonderful, the company was great, and even some Moroccans came along to enjoy this American holiday and awesome spread J I was happy to of spent some time with my new region-mates and celebrate a little bit of America with them on this day. Happy Birthday USA!!!!

Mount Jebel Toubkal

2010-07-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well when thought it was a smart idea for me to start my mountain climbing career in Morocco on Mt. Jebel Toubkal, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I mean, I have hiked a lot while in the states, but not a mountain, and nothing like what I experienced while getting to the peak of Mt. Jebel Toubkal.

The peak is almost 14, 00 feet above sea level. The clmib up was nothing I could of prepared myself for and my body was in a little bit of pain afterwards, but WOW, all the photos, all the beauty that I saw going up, at the peack, and climbing (more like scooting down) Mt. Jebel Toubkal was worth all the mental and physical ups and downs I experienced, and I would do it again in a heart beat just to experience that all over again.

I went on this trek with a couple of PCVs in my staj, but my true trekking partner was my girl, Marrisa, one of my roomies while in PST, and now my hiking soul mate for life. We started out trek at 6:00am and what should of taken a pro climber maybe 4 hours to go up and back down to base camp to do, with two newbies trying to hike this mountain like all the pros… it took a bit longer than expected. Let’s just say that Marrisa and I started at 6am and everyone from the base camp hostel that left after us, even climbers leaving at 3 in the afternoon, beat us down the mountain. When Marissa and I finally got down the mountain back to base camp, we found everyone at the hostel outside cheering us into camp. Kind of embarssing and supportive at the same time.

Even though I was not prepared for this journey, I am so happy that I pushed myself and made it to the peak and back down. When returning back to the states, I hope to keep up with more intense climbing, but next time around, I think I will work my way up to a Mt. Jebel Toubkal level instead of going head first into something like that again.

Here are some fun facts about Mt. Jebel Toubkal, if you are intested J

* Highest mountain peak in North Africa, 2nd highest after Mount Kilaminjaro in all of Africa

* Takes 3.5 hours by mule to get from base camp to the village of Imlil where everyone starts off their trek to Toubkal, so just think about that on foot.

* Mount Jebel Toubkal is one of those freaking mountains that you do not see any sign of the peak until WAY into your trek. Every time I thought I was near the peak, there was another set of mountains OR valley OR cliff you have to climb up before you see a light at the end of this hiking tunnel.

check out this website for further information on this mountain:

http://www.addictedtotravel.com/travel-guides/places-to-visit/jebel-toubkal_morocco-travel-guide

6 Months In Counting

2010-05-16T03:46:00.000-07:00

Well on the 12th of this month marked all my fellow staj-mates official 6 month countdown to finishing up our service in Peace Corps, Morocco. I can not believe that 21 months have already past, and that there are only 6 more months of work to be done! This means my last summer camp, my last Ramadan, and my last summer/fall here in Morocco. I am both excited to be almost done, but sad to realize that in 6 months, I shall have to say goodbye to the life that I have made for myself here these last (almost) 2 years. I mean I am almost ready/prepared to do so since my site change, but there is a difference between leaving a site and leaving a country.

I have to keep in mind that 6 months is still a long time, but from all the RPCVs (Retired Peace Corps Volunteers) I have spoken to, time flies by in a blind of an eye your last 6 months, and then you are signing that pretty red book and officially becoming an RPCV.

My goals for the next 6 months are a bit different than my other staj-mates due to the new situation I am in by being a new YD volunteer in Khemisset so late in the YD game, but I am looking forward to what these next/last 6 months of my service will be bringing me. I hope to start up a world map project, to do some sort of SIDA activities, start up an art class along with a couple hours dedicated towards English classes, and maybe some Yoga/Pilate's classes, if the students are interested:) But most importantly I am wanting to prepare as much as I can for the PCV that will be replacing me since he/she will have the time to really get things started in this site. I am just laying down the ground work, getting to know the community, and giving this town an idea of what a YD volunteer is/does, and hopefully I will be as helpful as can be with whoever is going to be taking over this site in November.

Bring on the last 6 months! I am ready and very excited to see what will be going on!!!!

Khemisset. A Place To Call Home.

2010-05-12T02:25:00.000-07:00

It is official. After two weeks of being homeless, and Peace Corps working as hard as they could to find a proper site for me, I have a new site for the rest of my service in Khemisset. My new site is in northern Morocco, located 80 km from the capital, Rabat, and about an hour away from Meknes.

It is nothing like Skoura.Skoura was beautiful in its own dessert like way with palm trees, kasbahs, donkeys, mountains, and welcoming people. Khemisset is green, has horses, a lot of farm land, and forests! Its weekly souq is as big as my old sites "downtown" area. The medina is huge, it has week long veggie souq, two main square areas, cafes at every corner, and even a tennis court/rec. area including a swimming pool. Khemisset is known for their horses and you see them on every street either working as a taxi service around the city or hulling local produce to souq. I went from a very rural area to a very urban area, which is something that I need to get used to. Even with Ouarzazate 45 km away from me back in the south, Khemisset is almost as big, and even more busier than Oz.

I am Khemisset's first Youth Development volunteer, but I am not the first PCV in Khemisset. I have an awesome site-mate and best pal, Lisa, that has been here her whole service. She sworn in with me 21 months ago, but works in a different sector of Peace Corps. Her job is to work with the local artisans in Khemisset. There are other PCVs in the region and I look forward to meeting them all and hopefully collaborating with them and Lisa throughout the rest of my service.

The new dar chabab that I will be working in is HUGE! seriously, HUGE! It has a theatre, three huge classrooms with many windows (very open space), a long hallway that connects to the other part of the dar chabab where there is room for computers, a music room, and art room. It has been under construction for 7 months now because it is becoming what we call here in Morocco, a model dar chabab. This means that this building is the ideal dar chabab that the Ministry of Youth and Sports (the ministry is the reason why YD works in Morocco, PC YD works under this umbrella of the ministry). It is colorful, has a small courtyard, open, and with plenty of space for big projects and events. I got to meet my new moudir and delegate and they are very welcoming and open to ideas, which is perfect.

My moudir and I seem like we will work well together. He is on personal leave because he is putting together his very own art exhibition that will be going on over the summer in Tanger! His work is impressive and I am thrilled to have a real counterpart that is my moudir, and someone who is also passionate about the arts.

Since there has not been any kind of real activities inside the dar chabab in some time, and starting next month the BIG high school exam happens and school will be over for the summer (starting June 10th), which means the dar chabab will be closed until after Ramadan (end of August). This means that I will be focusing in on helping the students in the dar chabab with homework, doing activities/some clubs, and just getting to know them since I have less than a month before the students disappear for their summer fun. After Ramadan though, it is going to be super busy and exciting at the dar chabab in Khemisset,:)

I will be honest that only having 6 months left before I COS (humdullah), I am being challenged with the short time i have left. To integrate into a community, it takes about 6 months, then the real work begins. I only have time to integrate, then I am finished with my service. Though that is going to be a challenge, I am taking this new site by the "horns" or maybe I should be "hooves" :) and getting this dar chabab up and running again. I am going to focus on letting the local youth get to know the me, gain their trust, do some classes and activities, and research/prepare this site for the PCV that will be replacing me in November. That is my amazing game plan and I have my work cut out for me, but I am excited about it.

I can not get into detail over why I was site changed, and I would like to leave that in the past, but I can at least say this, I am finally in a site that I feel happy and healthy to be working in. Skoura will always be home to me in Morocco. My family and friends are there, but I am ready for the next task at hand, which is Khemisset and the youth here.

To learn more about my new home, check out these websites. Just copy and paste them onto your URL. EnJoY.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/316584/Khemisset

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khemisset

Wanted: A Site To Call Home

2010-05-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

HEY EVERYONE!

I am just writing to keep you posted on what is going on with me here in Morocco. Currently I am writing from a nice hotel in Rabat that I have been staying in for a week now. This hotel is currently my new home until the meeting on Friday with the whole Peace Corps staff about where I am going to be living these last 6 months and what I will be doing. It has been a little bit on the stressful side, but I know that things will work out. Also it has been nice to be in Rabat and catch up on things and focus on my life here in Morocco and what I want to do before I COS. I will keep you posted on what is going on when I find out more information. I might be going to El Jadida or another city... we shall see where fate and the Peace Corps staff takes me :)

POSTAL HOLD!

2010-04-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

HEY everyone out there in cyber space! I am writing to tell all my friends and family that at this moment I am asking everyone to put on hold any letters or packages you are wanting to send to me. I am having postal issues (nothing serious like stealing) and until further notice, please wait on anything you want to send to me to Morocco and I will keep you posted on when you can start sending me cool things :) MISS YOU ALL!

WeStErN SaHaRa!!!!

2010-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY MADE IT DOWN TO THE WESTERN SAHARA! and it was one of the most memorbale moments in my Peace Corps service in Morocco. I left spring camp and headed down to Merzuga where my Western Sahara camel adventure began! A group of people came along with me on this little adventure. We started at a hotel at the edge of the desert, went by camel for two hours to our camping site where I stayed overnight under the stars, saw a shooting star through clouds, and woke up to the moon slowly disappearing into the sunrise. I walked to the top of the largest san dune that I was camping next to. The view from the top was breathtaking and with how the wind was blowing the sand around me and the dunes; I can not put into words how amazing nature can create such wonderful works of beauty just by breathing :)

After a very fun trek up the dunes I headed back to camp, ate breakfast, and got back on my camel to head back

to the hotel to finish out this awesome desert trek adventure. Whoever comes to Morocco has to do this trip!

One of the best times I have ever had! camels+desert+good friends= awesome time!

Missour Spring Camp

2010-04-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

I spent one wonderful week up north in the small in the middle of no where town called Missour. It is about 70 km from Midelt and about a 11 hour drive north-east from my site here in Skoura. I got to teach a group of 16 kids in a beginner English class at Spring Camp Missour. My class was great and very excited about being in my class and at camp. It was a long week, but totally worth the hard work :) I have never worked with such appreciative and happy kids before at a camp. It got me excited about what great things can be done during this coming Summer camps in El Jadida! Now I am back in my site and back to work. Cross your fingers that these last 9 weeks will go well and that my last summer here in Morocco is a memorable one.

Sustainable Development Presentaion

2010-03-26T03:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend two of my BAC students and myself put together a power point presentation and open discussion at the local library about sustainable development internationally and locally. There were speakers from different associations, the BAC students spoke English very well, and I even had a few minutes to talk about Peace Corps, my job, and how the local communi

ty could help with sustainability within Skoura, itself. We had a wonderful turn out and what was even more impressive was that the whole presentation was in English. I was very proud of my BAC students. It was refreshing to be able to meet new people from associations I have never heard of in my site, and now I have more places to go and volunteer at!

Now I am heading to Spring camp in Missour! I am so excited to travel and meet new students and

hang out with some old PCV pals of mine that I have not seen in months! until next blog, Baslama.

<-- I am the one with the green hat:)

The British Are Coming!!!

2010-03-21T03:53:00.000-07:00

The British came to Skoura High School for a random last minute cross cultural morning presentation with the first and second year BAC students in my site. There were about 20 British students and teachers that came to the high school to participate in some cross cultural activities and English speaking.

The BAC students prepared two presentations; one on the city of Skoura, and the second on the Moroccan educational system, all in English. The British group that visited us was part of a Geography Class, so the information that was given to them by the BAC students was helpful for the visiting students.

After the presentations we then showed the British students and teachers the high school grounds, showed them the English classrooms, and ended the morning with tea and one last cross cultural activity. At the end of the morning activities both Moroccan and British students were exchanging emails so they could keep in touch.

It was just a short morning meeting with those students from East London, but it has left a lasting impact and possible new friendships formed here in Skoura.

I was so proud of the BAC students for using their English, interacting with the visiting students, and being open and very friendly towards them. I could see all of them enjoying their conversations and the new friendships they were forming.

Rain in Skoura = Leaking Roof

2010-02-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

Well Since early this morning I have been stuck inside my house to escape the on going rain fall hitting my site today. I was woken up by dripping noises and then it hit me, a HUGE drop of water from my ceiling got me on my left eye waking me up at 5:00 in the morning. I turned on my bedroom light to find my who bedroom ceiling soaked and around the wall edges water dripping onto my books, clothes, picture, and bed. I went to check out the rest of my house to find every room, except the kitchen, to be dripping a lot of rain water and paint peeling from the ceiling due to the rain and pieces were coming off with the water.

After I figured out how many spots were dripping, I went into my kitchen and took all my pots and pans out and did "Oliver Twist" style collecting of all the water falling from my ceiling. It took about a half hour to get enough pans, pots, and old clothes to collect the water, but it worked. I woke up later to still find it raining, and as I write this blog I can still hear the rain hitting my door, roof, and windows at nine at night.

During the day when I had a moment during downpour periods, I went outside to see the damage. There were rivers everywhere! Living in the south where it NEVER rains and to get the most that I have ever seen these 16 months I have been here in just one day, there were a lot of new rivers popping up due to not enough top soil around here to deal with this much rain. Even though it was depressing and raining all day, the small moments I had to go outside and look around from my roof top area was beautiful when looking at the High Atlas Mountains. They looked like they were almost totally covered in snow! It was an amazing site to see. The clouds were moving fast and were so saturated with rain water that the clouds did a wonderful contrast between the bright color of the white snow on the mountains to the dark clouds moving around, above, and in-between the peaks. I tried to stay as long as I could to take in that memorable view, but sadly the downpours were too consistant for me to stay longer than five minutes outside.

Though it was a very LONG and boring day; in a way it was the most relaxed and content I have felt since arriving back to Skoura from America. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and that it will be nice enough to go outside for a walk or something. I hope my site-mate is dealing with all the rain in her mud house! I was planning on visiting her today, but with the rain and the 3 river-beds (that are usually dry all year) now filled with water up to my knees from what the locals were saying; I sadly could not venture out her way. Maybe tomorrow? Inch Allah.

The photo in this blog is what happens when it rains down south , even if just for a half hour at times.

**Image from: http://www.globosapiens.net/data/gallery/mo/pictures_468/morocco--taroudannt--71372.jpg ***

I Am Back, Morocco :)

2010-02-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

I have finally made it back home to my cold concrete house in Skoura and I could not be happier! I enjoyed my time back in Michigan, and am glad that my medical issues have been figured out, but I will admit I had an overwhelming feeling of being home when I got off the plane from JFK and walked onto Moroccan soil. Seeing other PCV's and staff was also a nice way to ease into things back here as well. The train ride down to Kech and the bus to Ozt were not that much fun, but traveling in Morocco is never really a blast when it takes 12 hours to get home. I got in on Monday morning, went to souq, had lunch with my host family who were really happy to see me (my host mom would not stop hugging me),and hung out with my site-mate the rest of the night and watched "I Love You, Man."

I am excited to see what will happen here in Skoura these last 9 months I have of Peace Corps service. Coming back from my medical hold has given me a fresh look at things and I hope I can do some more positive things in my site before I head out on November 12, 2010. It is official! My staj got our COS (close of service) date! Super Excited!

I have been talking to the teachers in the site and they have some great ideas on clubs/classes at the Dar Chabab and I can not wait to see what will be going on once the kids, teachers, and myself make up a schedule for the next two months.

It is crazy how fast time has flown by. I have been in Peace Corps, Morocco for almost 16 months and the next 9 months go as listed:

Late March into early April - spring camp.

April through May- BAC study time.

June- BAC exam and summer break! Also summer camps begin.

July through August- summer camps.

September through October- slowing down class hours to prepare for departure.

November 12, 2010- COSing, Inch Allah.

There are some other things through out those 9 months that are not listed BUT I am just excited to see it written out and how much I have to look forward to before I am done. I hope to go on one more vacation in June or early July to Croatia to see family :) but still things are up in the air.

Well off to clean up my apartment and air it out as well. While I was gone a HUGE rain storm that lasted two days went through my site, which is really really rare, and I have a lot of cleaning up to do. At least the water did not flood my house out this time! Even though I live on the roof does not mean that I am safe from flooding.

(image from http://www.greece-map.net/africa/maps/morocco-map.gif)

Medical Hold! WhAt?!

2010-01-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

Well I was packed up and ready to hit the road to Chicago on the 8th of January, but Peace Corps Washington D.C. called me up and said "wait!" Come to find out that whatever my dentist sent Peace Corps D.C. was what stopped me from leaving to back to Morocco. I will not get into details other than I need to get a crown (finally after 6 + months of waiting) but there might be more issues beyond that. We shall see how these next couple weeks pan out for me in the dental world. Cross your fingers for me because dentist and I do not mix well.. ek.

I hope that my host family knows that I will be back, along with my landlord. It would be bad to come back to my house to see it rented out to another person..hah. I am already missing my site and my kids, along with my good friends in Skoura . I will stay positive that things will work out. I mean it is another week or two with my family, friends, and when I return to my site, I will have one new awesome crowned tooth !

image can be found at this site :http://www.trcabc.com/resources/kids-corner/preventing-childhood-tooth-decay/

'Tis The Season In Michigan!

2010-01-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! I have been state-side for the past couple weeks celebrating Christmas with the family, New Years with my good friends up in Grand Rapids, and doing some doctor appointments and chilling at my family's house before hitting the road again to Morocco where I officially have 10 months left before I am done! crazy how time is flying by! One minute I am freaking the crap out of my parents at 1:00 am surprising them with coming home for the holidays, then I am up in Grand Rapids brining in the new year with old friends, and now I am two days away from flying to London to get back to Marrakech, Morocco.

I got to catch up with all my relatives, have lunch with

grandpa :) and buy some supplies that I know are not in Morocco.

I spent about 6 days in Grand Rapids seeing old college friends, professors, ex co-workers, and good pals while celebrating New Years Eve, one awesome drag show performance, and a memorable Billy's 80's Night there. It was refreshing to catch up and see how life is going for my friends back in Grand Rapids. Now that it is almost time to go back to Skoura I am sad and happy at the same time. I am sad because I do miss my family and friends and also living in a house with central heating, and having toilet paper in every bathroom I enter has been amazing. I feel spoiled. I am also very happy to come back because I miss my friends back in my site, fellow PCV's in Morocco, my kids, and I really want to finish up my last 10 months left in country! I am over the hump! There is a light at the end of this PC tunnel and I can finally see it. Do not get me wrong, I have LOVED my time here in Morocco and can not wait to see what these last 10 months will bring, but I am ready for the next chapter of my life to begin once I COS in November :) Inchallah.

I just wanted to end this post by saying THANK YOU to my parents for housing me, to my friends up in Grand Rapids for chilling, and special thanks to my sister, Monika. If it was not for her, I would not of been able to make it home and see all of you. She is one of the most beautiful, amazing, strong women I have ever met in my life, and I am proud to call her my sister:) LOVE YOU!

Presidential Plates

2009-12-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

My week here in Rabat has been a memorable one. Being able to eat non-Moroccan food, hanging out with other PCVs that I have not seen since summer camp, and getting my teeth cleaned for the first time in 16 months has been amazing, but what happened last night topped all of this. Last night all the PCVs in my staj got as dressed up as a PCV could get and had dinner at the American Ambassador to Morocco's house in Rabat for some delicious soup and open bar : ) We got to eat off of Presidential seal plates and ate REAL cheese and Christmas tree shaped sugar cookies! It was wonderful. Once most of us were done stuffing our faces in free yummy food, a group of us went to the Rabat Theatre where we got to watch the Rabat Symphony do Beethoven's 1st through 5th symphony. I was moved by hearing those movements. It was almost overwhelming being in that theatre and listening to the master works of Beethoven's genius. To add to the music the ticket only cost 50 Dirham, which equal about 7.00 USD. Not a bad deal, right:)

It has been a wonderful past 6 days here and hearing such support from my programing staff , and the kind words the Ambassador said to us last night has given me even more positive energy to go back to my site and keep working with my kids and my community in any way I can. I can not put into words what I have experienced here these past 15 months so you all will truly understand what I have done and have been through; it is something that I hope everyone can experience in their own way, OR through joining Peace Corps. This has really become the hardest job that I will ever love.

Water From Sand

2009-12-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a meeting with my programing manager and assistant manager to talk about the progress of my work these past 15 months and all the drama and hard events that I have had to deal with at my site that involve my moudir and my programing manager told me "Hillary, you have made water from sand." That was a HUGE compliment! He said that all the personal issues that I have been through at my site with my moudir and all the negative energy that was coming from that man towards me never stopped me from giving up and ultimately I motivated my kids enough that they took control of their Dar Chabab and stood up for themselves against the moudir who was not being very kind towards them as well. The kids finally have their building back and have more of a say in what happens there, and the teachers are allowed in to help me and the kids now. Hearing all of this from my programing staff hit me out of nowhere. They told me that I have only been here 15 months and I have already hit my objective and I still have so much more time to grow from that into other things.

I was not expecting such a pat on the back; it still has not settled in yet all of this, but I left that meeting with the biggest smile on my face. I feel like I am doing something beyond what I ever thought I could of done for my kids and my community in Skoura just by helping them find their voice, and I still have 11 more months to go! I can not wait to see what else I can do and what my kids will do. Today I realized how much I love my job here. Thanks A-Team for making me realize how strong of a person I am and how much I have done and am going to be doing while I am here.

This is SOO Morocco :)

2009-12-03T03:43:00.001-08:00

found this link the other day and thought I would share it with you all. After reading this article you can experience what I go through everyday in Morocco whenever I leave my site and travel. Just copy and paste the link below. ENJOY :)

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/99459

Mabruk L3id and Upcoming Adventures!

2009-11-30T02:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was my finale L3id Kibir as a Peace Corps Volunteer! A year from now I will be done with my service and traveling around a little bit before heading back to Michigan, inchallah. I do respect this important Islamic holiday, but I will admit being a non-meat eater, I am not a fan of meeting what everyone will be eating for lunch two hours prior; it is just not my style. Give me the frozen food section any day or Farmer's Market where it is already killed and ready to grill up. I do not eat meat other than chicken, and I have yet to buy any chicken for myself since arriving to Morocco almost 15 months ago! I am very proud of that:) I know that L3id Kibir is all about Abraham sacrificing a sheep instead of his only son, Issac, but is it too much to ask for people not to kill things on my roof next to my apartment door? I will respect the traditions in this country, but I am not too big on watching them kill the sheep, so I just chill with the wives who will cook up that huge sheep after the men are all done chopping it up into pieces.

Other than that, my holiday weekend was uneventful, and it was great. It is nice to have a long weekend to oneself to just relax, sleep in, and enjoy nothing. Just studying for the GRE exam I have in February and catching up with the latest movies I got from Rabat last weekend. I wanted to soak in as much nothingness as I could before next weekend begins. Starting the 5th of December until the 12th I will be in Rabat for Mid-Service Medical, which I hear is like a very LONG week of scavanger-hunt like doctor appointments and meetings in Morocco's Capital city. Once the week of running around Rabat is over, I head back to

site for only 4 days to clean up, teacher maybe one class, and pack up for my Christmas vacation to LONDON!

I am super excited about heading out of Morocco and going to an Angelo-speaking country for the first time in 15 months! woohoo!

I am excited yet a little nervous about making my flights and being in a Western culture again, but I am looking forward to wherever my travels take me :) I just need to buy some warmer clothing for the snow in London! I actually get to see and walk through snow, inchallah!

Hope all is well back in the states, miss you all! I will write all about my London travels with pictures after my return in January!

images from:

http://blogimg0.ifrance.com/00/02/66/157424.jpg and http://c2.api.ning.com/files/uKrEuqEi9wur5o724Mymik8hRj*HWtUwch5TStI80DytcKwH7Pp*hGJOnr161kbPySIr*5vyEV7XOhdTyit1bY6KYaCCgq8k/london.jpg

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

2009-11-27T03:21:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to send out a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my loved ones back home in Michigan and throughout the USA. I miss you all very much and am thankful for you all being in my life and supporting me through everything I try to do. HUGS! and eat some turkey for me :)

image from:

http://southdakotapolitics.blogs.com/south_dakota_politics/images/thanksgiving_word_searchhtm_txt_turkeywi.gif

SO-YOUN. One in a Million. You Will Be Missed.

2009-11-17T02:15:00.000-08:00

It saddens my heart to write that fellow PCV, staj-mate (my YD training group), and friend, So-Youn, has suddenly passed away from an illness in Marrakech last night. My thoughts are with her family and friends as we all try to understand and morn for the loss of a great woman, PCV, and all around funny person. I will always remember that she loved life, reading, writing, and her friends dearly. Though I was not very close with her, when I did the pottery workshop at her site about a month ago this time, I got to know her better and see why so many people love being around her. The picture above is the last picture I had with her (she is the last person on the right side). It was at the pottery workshop she put together. This picture shows the aftermath of So-Youn's crazy spa idea and a bunch of girls who have not had a spa day in 13 months:) This photo captures the fun we all had with her. I will never forget this moment.

She will never be forgotten. Never.

R.I.P.

Birthday Fun and Indian Food

2009-11-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was a blast! April and I headed out to celebrate her 25th birthday!!! We went on a 48 hour adventure to eat some non-Moroccan food and relax for a bit before heading back to our sites to work. We were on a mission to find a Mexican place to eat, but sadly it was closed. Though our mission was to eat Mexican food, we did find a really nice Indian place were we ate until our tummies were full:) It was an enjoyable time. The funniest part was when our good friend and tutor, Tony ( aka Abdullah) came along to eat Indian food for the first time. The look on his face when he took his first bite of chicken curry was priceless. Happy Birthday April!

http://www.knoxvillebusiness.com/images/delicious-indian-food.gif---> image from this site.

Pottery Workshop In Zagora

2009-10-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

From October 16th until the 20th I had the pleasure of leaving my site and head down to the Zagora region

to take part in a pottery workshop with the local potters who make the nationally known "green pottery" in Morocco. A group of about 11 PCVs got together for this 6 day workshop and learned everything from throwing our own pieces to painting and varnishing pieces and even how to henna pottery! It was a really exciting workshop and I learned a lot that I could possibly do at my own Dar Chabab if I have the funding to do so. It was great to be able to do something art related for once while being here in Morocco. It was very refreshing to do this workshop and make some neat

looking pieces of pottery to send home as Christmas gifts :)

Morocco is still amazing me even after being here for over 13 months. Bring on the last 13 months!

Other than the pottery workshop, nothing much is going on at the moment. Work started this month and it has been a bit stressful due to moudir issues, but I am taking is slowly and still enjoying the company of my kids and the teachers that are

starting to volunteer their time at the Dar Chabab! My goal is to have the Dar Chabab totally under the control of the teachers and

kids a year from now. To start working on sustainability so when I leave a year from now, the community of Skoura will be doing all classes and activities in the Dar Chabab.

Wish me luck because this is going to be one long process, but worth trying to see if it will happen.

MAbrk L3iD!

2009-09-24T14:32:00.001-07:00

it happened a few days ago and i have been so busy that i am finally getting around to saying it! so here it is all!

MABRK L3ID!

ONE YEAR!

2009-09-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

IT IS OFFICIAL! I HAVE BEEN A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER FOR ONE YEAR! It has been one fast and fun 365 days.. bring on the next 14 months!

Some Summer Photos 2009

2009-08-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Me with my host sister, Hafsa on a field trip during English Camp in El Jadida.

Some PCV's enjoying some beach time.

When I arrived back at my house in Skoura after summer camps, I found this candle like this. That is how hot it is here-->

Hot Summer Days. Fun Summer Camps.

2009-08-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Finally after a month on the road working in Morocco I am home in Skoura, Humdullah. What a crazy busy month it was! Let's start at the beginning shall we : ) I headed up to Imouzzer to help out at a summer camp with local PCV Duncan for about a week. It was great to get out of my hot site and to see my CBT family while doing the Imouzzer camp. Once my services were no longer needed in Imouzzer I headed to the coast of Morocco on one of the longest and most hot train rides of my life to El Jadida for the annual English Summer Camp Peace Corps does along with the American Embassy. Camp El Jadida was fun, different, and very busy. My girls from Skoura LOVED the camp and were crying their eyes out when they all had to say good-bye to their new made friends. The Moroccan staff was wonderful to work with and seeing a few other PCV's at the camp with me was enjoyable. In the mornings I went jogging on the beach and by the afternoon I was back at the beach with the kids to have some free time/swim time. I love my girls from my site, but when we are together in the ocean trying to swim and deal with the current, it is not the best move to scratch the PCV to the point of her arm bleeding due to a wave coming and then taking her down with you. Lesson learned. The only bummer about the whole camp was that the cooks at the camp were not very friendly towards my request for no meat in my meals, so for 10 days I really only ate soup and salad. I survived.

Once everyone said their good-byes I was on the next train to Rabat for some medical issues, nothing too extreme just broken glasses and a root canal.. well that one sucked. Root canals are not much fun and I hope that is the last one for a while or EVER. I did get sick once I was in Rabat with a fever of 102.2 but the doctors at the Peace Corps office slowly nursed my back to health by giving me water and feeding me cookies:) While I was waiting for my root canal to happen I came across a really cool museum in the heart of Rabat. The Museum of Archeology! I took some photos and got a tour in French and Arabic on the collection there and the fun thing was that other than the artifacts, I actually understood most of the tour and it was not even in English! woohoo!

Once all my doctor appointments were done I had one last hummus and pita meal and headed back home to Skoura. It was a long 12 hour ride, but I made it home safe and sound. Now it is August 14th, so that means I am about 6 days away from RAMADAN ! at least I got all my traveling out of me now because it is not fun to travel during this long 30 day plus holiday. Now is the time for me to start up my lesson planning at the Dar Chabab, get seriously into studying my Arabic again, and get some fun reading under my belt before October hits and I will have not time for anything like that since my kids will be keeping me busy enough with English grammar questions I MAY be able to answer and clubs that will be starting up for them at my site, inchallah.

I hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed the sun, sand, and company as much as I did. Peace and Love to all. I miss you and am always thinking of ya! HuGs!

2009-07-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

"No human, nor any living thing, survives long under the eternal sky. The most beautiful women, the most learned men, even Mohammed, who heard Allah's voice, all did wither and die. All is temporary. The sky outlives everything. Even suffering." - Bowa Johar, Balti poet.

Some Photos From The Roman Ruins In Volubilis, Morocco

2009-07-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

A Little Moroccan Vacation with Michaela!

2009-07-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Last week was one wild Moroccan ride when my German pal, Michaela, came to visit and we traveled all of Morocco visiting 7 different cities in her very short time here! We went to Meknes, Fez, Essaoura, Agadir, Ouarzazte, Marrakech, and my home town-site Skoura. Let us just say that we were in a new city almost everyday. It was so much fun seeing her and traveling throughout Morocco with my first visitor and good friend from high school. It was interesting how different we saw Morocco. One perspective is from the eyes of the tourist: Michalea, and the other is from a local point of view: Me. She saw a lot of nice boys who wanted to talk to her in French and I saw a lot of rude boys trying to get our attention in cat calling and saying "cava gazelle" us... aka harassment.

We saw many popular sites in Marrakech, Fez, Agadir, and Meknes. Chilled on the beach during the Genoua Festival in Essoura, and we hung out and had dinner with my host family in Skoura. I was happy that Michaela got to see both sides of Morocco; what the tourist see and what I see everyday. There were moments of stress due to the constant traveling and the intense heat which did not bring out the best in me or her at moments, but just being able to hang out with an old friend, travel, and even argue was refreshing :) I was sad when she had to leave to go back to Germany, but I know that we shall see each other again soon as we always do.

Now I am back in Skoura getting ready for some fun 4th of July activities. pool...sun...the very American game of beer pong.. and hanging out with other Americans. I hope everyone back home has a safe and enjoyable holiday!

After the 4th of July I will be staying in my site for a week or two then from 19th of July until the 5th of August I will be doing two summer camps! crazy busy, but that is my life here. can not complain about anything BUT the heat! It is already 100 degrees and it is not even the hottest month of the year, that belongs to the month of August, which Ramadan will begin. Let's just say I am not looking forward to that 40 day holiday where all Moroccans fast from sunrise to sunset. They prob. will not be the nicest of people when I will be out and about in the dead 120 degree heat of summer and they have not drank any water since 4am. It's going to be a LONG August so I will be enjoying as much of July as I can :)

2009-06-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

After IST there was some pretty good flooding in Skoura as you can see. To give you a good idea that road is a a couple feet high so the rain coming down from the mountain really messed up the roads. This weather is not very common for this area.

Culture Shock, IST, and Flooding

2009-06-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

I got one of my first culture shock moment since coming to Morocco. I was in Marrakech for IST (In Service Training) and for the first time since working here I walked into an Acima store, which is a Walmart-like store in Morocco. When the sliding glass doors opened up for me and I heard horrible background music being played, sample cheeses being given, and a huge selection of cereals, I almost cried. No lie. I had to hold back a tear. I just stood in the middle of the produce section with my mouth open in awe on how they had so many options to pick from. They had all these different kinds of cheeses ( BLUE CHEESE! I have missed that so much) to meats (I do not eat meat really anymore, but it still wowed me). Even the badly lit atmosphere brought a smile to my face. I mean I could buy cereal, REAL cheese, and a blender all in one place along with vodka and the mixer of my choice! I really thought I was dreaming this. At my site they do not have cereal so I have to travel over a half an hour to buy some, they only have the fake kind of cheese in Skoura, and blenders can only be found for a decent price on souq day which are Mondays. It was nice to just remember that places like Acima really do exists in this country.
IST was a good break from my site. It was nice to take some time away and be around some friends, share ideas, and just have some time to think about my site and the choices that I have to make. My moudir came up and I had meeting number 6 with him and PC staff about certain issues that are still not resolved, but I feel that now my moudir and I are on the same page and if something happens again, Peace Corps and myself will have to make some changes. No worries. I got to swim in a pool for the first time in months and wear shorts and a tan top in public! that was huge! Back at my site I would of totally gotten Hsuma ( same on me) for wearing such things. If i wear anything higher than my calf and any lower than my collar-bone, it is too much skin here, so it has been limiting.

I had to stay in Marrakech a day or so longer after IST since I had a tooth issue. Last week a section of my back left molar broke off so during IST I got it taken care of. It took 3 trips to see 2 different dentist when each time I went in for an appointment I was attacked by those huge needles I have a fear of to the point where I act like a 5 year old. It is really scary to be in a dentist chair with a huge and very painful needle about to bit stuck in you and the dentist is talking to you in another language other than your mother tongue trying to tell you what the next step is in getting the tooth fixed. Lets just say that it was not the highlight of my week.

I had enough time in between PC sessions and doctors appointments to go out in Marrakech and buy some summer clothes, eat some good food, and enjoy the city. I also got to see some of my good Moroccan friends like Atika. After spending 8 days in Marrakech I was ready to head back home to Skoura. The ride through the Tishka was LONG but not as boring since another PCV and myself found eachother on the same bus which was fun. The only issue I came across on my journey back to my site were major thunder storms that were going on down south. I have been living in Skoura for over 7 months and I have never seen it rain as much as been these past few days. On Monday when I returned home to Skoura, I was stuck in a 3.5 hour traffic jam because of a washed out road on the way from Ozt to Skoura. I will post photos up later. It is so strange to see so much water in an area that never really gets water. It kind of reminded me of Michigan for a moment. The intense heat before the rain began, the feeling of rain on the skin, and watching the storm roll in slowly from afar was beautiful experience.

This next week will be one great week because I am having my first friend come and visit me in Morocco!!! Michaela who was an exchange student from Germany my Jr. year of high school is coming down to Skoura and traveling the coast with me for a few days. I can not wait!

2009-06-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

me and my host sister Nadia in Imouzzer on my first visit since November. It was great seeing her and my old fmaily :)

Hitting the road

2009-05-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well starting this Sunday I will be hitting the road in Morocco for a while. On Sunday I will be heading to Immouzzer to see my 1st host family for a day or two. Then I am off to Azrou to meet up with my fellow Art Resource Manual partner and cool gal, Lisa to start work on that book. After a day or two of work on the book we are both heading to Rabat to go to our annual Warden meeting where hopefully the hotel we are staying at has a shower! 1st non-bucket bath in 3 months! woohoo. After that meeting I will be heading back to site where I will stick around for a week or so then I am off to Marrakech for IST which I am not looking forward to. I am not a fan of forced bonding and getting tested on my not so new and improved language skills, but I will enjoy as much as I can. I am happy that my friends will be there so it will take all those LONG hours of "fun activities" PC has planned, tolerable. Once I return from IST I will be working for 5 days then off yet again but with my good friend Michaela from Germany, who is coming to Morocco to see me. My first friend to visit my new home:) Once the fun times are over with Michaela I will be back in Skoura for 3 days then off to the coast for summer camps until July 14th. That date might change, but as you have read, this is going to be one LONG couple of months. I am totally excited about it, but now I am catching myself day-dreaming about doing nothing once I am done with all this running around. I hope once things calm down for me, to go on that awesome two day hike from my site in Skoura through the High Atlas Mountains to another PCVs place. It is suppose to be an awesome hike! we will see.

Salsa Prom 2009!

2009-05-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Now that is what I call a party :) good to see everyone, catch up, and have a drink or two. I won the raffle of one free bottle of my choosing :) and I was voted most likely to bust of a move at any time if there is music on. The Rose Festival which was going on the same day was beautiful and very hot. I am finally getting tan and it only took 8 months! The PCV's who came to the party were also working hard that day with their local artist and the work they brought from their site to sell and advertise their sites product. There was some really good products that they all brought from hand made wallets to purses and daggers! cool stuff! We named a Salsa Prom King, Tim and Queen who I think was Evan. Not many men can wear a skirt and work it like he did, he totally earned his crown that night :) On this day I also got to meet my new site-mates (26 km away but still site-mates) a really awesome married couple, Sean and Amber. They are Health Volunteers and I can not wait to bike out to their place to see their site and also do some Cross- Sec. work with them involving Health related issues! Moroccan life is not too bad right now :) humdullah.

The Biggest Dagger I Have Seen!

2009-04-30T02:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the BIGGEST dagger I have ever seen! It is taller than my site-mate April and I just barely pass it! AWESOME.

Painting at the Dar Chabab!

2009-04-30T02:24:00.000-07:00

I finally got to do some sort of art today at my Dar Chabab! It has been difficult due to the construction that is STILL going on (since January) and the lack of supplies is hard to, but the kids and my moudir got together and found some paint and paint-brushes and went to town making a mural of the city of Skoura on one of the walls outside the Dar Chabab. The kids had a blast and I was over the moon about being able to do something art related! Also this week I am starting my Art Club! along with other clubs like Youth Cafe, Journalism Club, and Activity Time (biking, sport, games, anything active) on top of my 6 hours a week of English. I have almost 16 hours a week of work! It is great, but i am getting so busy that having time to sleep and to even relax is becoming hard, BUT soon (June 2-6) the kids will have their exams and things will slow down for me and i will be able to get totally bored over the summer and I will be wanting to be busy again. I think the summer will be fine though, I have 3 months to get my lesson plans together for October, I will be working on the Art Resource Manual along with my PCV pal Lisa, and I will also be doing 4 weeks total of Summer Camps on the coast :) That should be fun!

The issue I was having at my site are still somewhat present, but the issue is being controlled by people who are in a higher power of government position and have been helping me be able to do my job better here. We shall see how these next 6 weeks go. I think no matter what I will be in Skoura over the summer and after Ramadan. When October begins, we shall see how the issue is then and if it is still not the best situation for me, PC will just site change me to another city, but things at the moment seem to be playing out okay. Only time will tell, but I am not worried about it.

Last weekend i went to Kalaa M'gouna with my site-mate April to meet up with the 5 other PCV's that live in this huge city just 55 Km. from my site. We hung out with another PCV who works with dagger makers in Kalaa. It was amazing to get a tour of where these men work and how they make such detailed dagger work. The history behind the daggers has a huge Jewish background here. When the Jewish people came to live in Kalaa they brought their dagger-making skills to the Moroccans of this site and from there the people of Kalaa have made it more Islamic in style and design. The patterning is more detailed and the dagger case is curved instead of straight case shape. April purchased a beautiful dagger for her boyfriend back home and both her and myself got a photo taken of the two of us hold the BIGGEST dagger i have ever seen. Two men from the Co-Op made that dagger together! awesome !

painting at the local high school in Skoura

2009-04-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun drawing and painting with the local Skoura kids at the high school in town! Fun day! and yes it does look like my painted boy is touching my butt, hence the odd face I am making.

This was tons of fun to go off and paint with the kids in Skoura at their local high school :)

Almost Forgot!

2009-04-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

GO RED WINGS!

they are already kicking some major butt in the playoffs.. just wait until they take back The Cup to its rightful place... The Joe. Everyday there is a wings game, i am wearing my red wings hat in support since i can not grow a beard and even if i tried to wear a fake one.. i do not think that Skoura would really understand it other than them saying "Poor American single female has gone crazy.. muskina (poor girl). She needs a husband."

GO WINGS! you have international support coming all the way from Morocco :)

life's little ups and downs

2009-04-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

in a nutshell, things are not 100% but when joining PC you are told about and "prepared" for the ups and downs... wish me luck:) inchallah things will work out just fine in time. I am super excited about the planning of a Art CLub like resource manual for PC! with my trusty friend and fellow PCV Lisa! in May i will be meeting up with her to start the foundation to hopefully one awesome resource book for PCVs who are interested in starting an art club at their Dar Chabab's or Nedi Neswi's. It will also be used for those who are wanting to use art in their everyday activities in their community. Again we are trying to define our resource manual little by little. Hopefully by the end of May we will have something going :)

well it has been one LONG week, but soon i will give new updates. Life has been so busy that sadly i only have time for this short blog.. but i am thinking of u all and missing every last one of you :) keep in touch and snail mail me sometime;0P

hugs!

MaRcH: Greece, Birthday, and Spring Camp

2009-04-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

March was one LONG and Crazy month for me:) I loved it! In early March I set off to Athens, Greece to meet up with some old College friends who were on a week long Class Spring Break trip through Greece. It was amazing to see all the history, architecture, eating all that Greek food, and drinking my vodka-tonics in public again! god I missed Western culture at times. The most fun out of the whole trip was being able to see my friend and fellow art history major Amber O. I have been missing her like crazy and it was great to catch up in Athens! The only annoying part of the whole trip was waiting for my flights (yes i did connecting flights).. like 12 hours waits. I do not think I will be waiting that long again. Once I returned from Athens, I went straight to Essouaria to meet up with a few PCV's and enjoyed the coast:) Once my vacation days were up I went back to my site and did my teaching. By leaving I realized how much I liked being in Morocco and doing this job. Do not get me wrong, it is really stressful, but there is something about this place that i can not put into words. Morocco has this draw that I can not explain and I have yet to be board of it :) After getting back to site, it felt like I had to pack up and leave again for a whole other adventure... English SPring Camp in Zagora, a city about 4 hours south of Skoura. For 8 very LONG yet rewarding days me along with 7 other PCV's and Moroccan staff had a great camp with a fun group of 80 kids! We went on field trips, taught 3 different levels of English, and put together 3 days worth of Clubs for the kids to partake in. I did second level English and the GGLOW club (GGLOW means Girls Guys Leading Our World). It was called a Leadership Club and I had a decent amount of kids show up and participate in the club.

Now it is April and things are starting to clam down a little bit for me, humdullah! I also want to take this time to thank everyone who sent me, called me, or emailed me a happy birthday this past month! I spent my birthday in Marrakech eating Chinese food for the 1st time in 6 months, buying DVDs of films still in theaters in America:), and actually went out dancing. It was enjoyable, but it would of been better with my bar crew from GR there with me along with my pals back home in Marshall and Battle Creek (miss u all). Thanks mom and dad for the love, support, and also having some ice cream in my honor back at home for my birthday.

April will be a slow month for me, but when May hits i will back on the road for PC meetings in Rabat (2 day trip for me to get there from my site) and meeting up with other PCV's to get my Art Club Resource Manual started! I am super excited about this project. I will talk more once i have my meeting with my friend and fellow PCV Lisa who is collaborating with me on this project.

My site is slowly getting hotter and hotter! it is already hot enough here for me and it is not even summer yet. It has to be at least in the 70's here right now. By the time July and August hit I hear it will get up to 120! holy crap that is hot!

Well that is all for now. I will write again soon with more updates on life, work, and all the things in between.

MISS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

R.I.P. iPod 2006-2009

2009-02-26T01:37:00.000-08:00

today is a sad day in the ipod world.. my ipod nano of over 3 years has left this world and is now in ipod heaven. It was a peaceful death.. i found it this morning turning on but no movement.. it is in a comma i think it will never come out of... the medical is too much $$ ( traveling to the only MAC store in Morocco is a 13 hour drive and a lot of money). It was one amazing ipod... it saved my Jr. year at KCAD when my PC motherboard died and saved all me research papers and powerpoints. It helped me with my gym days and always picked great shuffel songs to play while i walk. YOU WILL BE MISSED. It just sucks it is right before my awesome Athens adventure in 6 days where i have a couple 7 hour plus layovers in two different airports.. not sure how i will make it without ipod. *tears* maybe i will buy something here cheap until i get enough money to buy another ipod nano (not the large ipods.. nanos are best for working out and are small enough to not take up too much room for traveling). It might even be a great birthday gift;) Just putting it out there.

again, ipod... you will be missed.

PlEaSe!

2009-02-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

If anyone can send me some awesome workout videos or things listed for working out uses on my Wish List on this site... send them PLEASE! i live at a site where women do not work out in public and i have been getting up at 7am just to get a good jog in before anyone sees me. it sucks but it is a reality here in Morocco. you all know that i was a 5 days a week gym girl and now this gym girl is going crazy and would love to have something to keep her healthy.

thank you for your time:)

Moving In!

2009-02-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

Well hello everyone! Life has been very busy for me these past few months with teaching 4 different levels of English in Skoura’s Dar Chabab (Beginner, Intermediate, BAC, and Adult beginner) and also doing a 3 hours sport and movie night, things have been crazy but totally enjoyable. My DC is actually under construction at the moment and will be like this until the summer I believe. That is one of the many things in Morocco that you do not have an official end date or month. They told me a couple months so that means in Moroccan time 4 months. I just now officially moved into my own apartment in Skoura, painted it, and have actually been cooking meals for myself using only a stovetop and a gas tank. Using a gas tank to cook is not the safest thing on earth to use, but if you know what you are doing and it is a good tank, there are no issues.
I will hopefully be heading off to Greece in March to see my friend and fellow Art History nerd Amber O in Athens for a few days to take in some Greek culture and enjoy the days off that I have earned these past 5 months. I have earned 6 days so far and when I return from Athens in March I will have 0 until April. Totally worth using up my days to see good friends and some good art FINALLY! I mean I love the art and culture in Morocco, but now Morocco is home and I am ready to leave home and have an adventure IF anyone has any suggestions on where I should go and what I should do in Athens please write me! I will love any tips.
I am not sure but I MIGHT in the next couple of months be getting WIFI at my house. It would be great to have it here and be in contact more with everyone back home. Also it would be nice to actually get online past 8 pm because after 7 or 8pm here in Skoura it is not the best of ideas to walk alone to and from the cyber in town. Safety and also most things close by 8 anyways around here.
I have been hearing that the weather back home in Michigan and across the East coast has been insane! Snowing for days and just recently a 3inch ice storm! Wow! I mean it is cold here but nothing like back home. My host family tells me that it should be warming up to the 60 or 70s by march which would be great, but once May hits down here it is going to be so hot you will not want to move and take cold showers at 3am just to cool down. EK. We will see how my living in humidity-engulfed Michigan will either help or hurt me in dealing with the heat here. This might sound kind of great here the weather and all, but honestly I miss the housing architecture from the states where there is actual instillation in the walls! Here there is nothing by concrete and mud huts. Mud huts are much better but kind of crumble after a couple decades. Concrete housing is REALLY good at trapping in the cold in the winter and absorbing the heat in the summer. For example, my salon is actually really cold right now. My fingers are cold and I have a heater going, but when I walk outside to my terrace it is very warm and I feel like I can take off my jacket. I am just trying to imagine the summer months and living in this apartment.
I just want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that has been sending me mail these past couple months. I just got a couple of letters from my mother’s friends at church, my writing pen pal Amber O, and my favorite teacher and friend Dr. Eberly. Thanks again. Those letters always make my week here Skoura better. I already am starting a wall up in one of my salons of the cards and letters I am getting so I can look up at them when I am having a not so great day and remember that I am getting some international love from back home
Well I am off to teach and unpack. I hope everyone is doing well back home, keeping warm. I am thinking of you all and hope to hear from you soon.
Hugs,
Hillary Lynn

Britney Spears…Sheep killings… Humdullah!

2008-12-11T03:55:00.000-08:00

Salamu 3alkum!

Well I thought that today would be the perfect day to get everyone updated on life here in Skoura while my host father is upstairs killing one of the two sheep for L3id Kibir. I am zoning out the sound of the sheep screams with some annoying Britney Spears because her voice is so off pitch and annoyingly loud that I cannot hear anything else. PERFECT. The only time I listen to that woman is when I was back home in the states, having a few vodka tonics and wanting to dust a move to some pop music on the night club dance floor. I am an 80’s music fan above all things, but sometimes you just gatta cave into the music your generation is known to sadly enjoy, and also one dollar You-Call-It’s are hard to say no to. Oh how I miss home at this moment, and it is sadly from mentioning Britney Spears.
Life here in Skoura has been getting better week-by-week. My first week here was a nightmare due to sickness, eviction, no language skills to communicate in my community (still true to this day), and my moudir and I not yet seeing eye-to-eye on things to be done at the Dar Chabab (youth building in DDarija), but I know in time it will change. That first week was a bit overwhelming, but look! I have survived! I know that there will be more challenges along the way of this road I call Peace Corps, but I am here to enjoy the ride. If that means some drama, then so be it. I am here to do a job and enjoy Morocco, and it is just like life back in America, shit happens… but I guess in America there is no real language barrier but you can at moments not understand a darn word one American is saying to another. Got to love American slang.
I will start teaching at my Dar Chabab after L3id Kibir. Last week I gave oral and written tests in English so I know where all the kid’s levels are in the language. There are some that impressed me very much and others that just need a little more help, but will get to their level in time. I also met up with some of the kids to see what kind of classes they wanted me to teach. They all want English at all levels (beginner to BAC advanced, and even Adult classes which should be fun), an English movie night, and both a girl and boy sport class. The boys want to learn volleyball and the girls I think want to learn Yoga or hip-hop. I know yoga but hip-hop… umm not really. I might have to ask for hip-hop DVD’s to learn, there is ALWAYS youtube The kids want me to teach more, but with never teaching English until I got to Morocco, I am taking it slow, but I promised more classes by February so the kids that are taking the BAC exam have more time with me to get ready for it.
The BAC here is the SAT of Morocco, but it is more intense because if they do not pass this exam, they cannot go to college and they will have retaken the WHOLE year and takes the exam again. I mean in the USA if you do not do well on the SAT it is hard to get into a college, but you can still go or at least go to a community college and work your way up. In Morocco, that is not an option. It is common sadly in this country for only 30% of high school students to pass this test. I am not joking when i say that this is a hard test. There are some things on that exam, at least in English I could not answer, and that is my mother tongue. I hope to help the kids in my town as much as I can to be prepared for that exam. It might also help me with my grammar as well in English.

Maybe I will return from Morocco with a better understanding of my own languageJ Forced into learning the grammar rules of English.
It has been decent weather here in Skoura. It has been getting very cold at night, but warm throughout the day. It is very different from the people living north of me in Morocco working for Peace Corps. They have gotten at least 15 cm of snow since last week. I am from Michigan and therefore used to the snow, but it is nice to not have to live in a city where there will be snowfall. I can see plenty of it from my window that is on top of the High Atlas Mountains. I will miss the snow once Christmas comes around, but that will probably be the only time. I am enjoying the weather so far, but from what I have been hearing from the locals in the area, once April arrives in this part of the country until November, it is unbearably hot and annoying. I remember the PCV I replaced here telling me that there was days when she just sat on her terrace and literally watched her jeans dry because it was so hot and also there was nothing else to do in that town. My moudir leaves during the summer months (May through August) and if he is not at the Dar Chabab, I cannot be in the Dar chabab, so I will have a lot of free time on my hands. I hope though to do summer camps and help out at other associations in my town if they are even open as well. Skoura becomes a ghost town in the summer because of the heat and also it is summer break for kids and traveling is HUGE here. I may even take some time off to see the country moreJ save up my two days off a month and really enjoy Morocco or maybe go to Europe. Who knows where life will take in 6 months or even 3.
I am missing my friends from Peace Corps lately, but talking on Skype has been a blessing for me and communicating with other PCVs in Morocco. If anyone in American has skype OR wants to talk to me whenever for free, download the program called Skype (free download). It is a free way to talk online with people all over the world. It even works to call peoples cell phones through the computer. It is only like 2 cents a minute; a lot cheaper for me than spending 50 Dh on a phone card and using that up within a ½ hour. I can spend 3 hours online at a local cyber and pay about 15 Dh for the whole time. My name on Skype is: hillarylynn23, so if anyone misses me to the point of getting this, you know my screen name to contact meJ Once I find my own apartment in Skoura I will be buying wireless internet so I can be online as much as I want and available for people to contact me better.
Well I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was amazing and that they had enough turkey and stuffing to last you until next holiday. I also want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope that everyone has an enjoyable holiday, a lot of food and spirits to be eaten and drank, and the warmth of friends and family to surround them until 2009 gets here. I will be thinking of all of you during these next few weeks and hoping to find some eggnog somewhere in this country or maybe try to decorate a palm treeJ No one here knows about Christmas, so it is up to me to spread some holiday cheer around here and if it does not work out, at least I triedJ If I have to go through sheep killings for Abraham and all that jazz from the Old Testament, I think I can get some of my family members in Skoura to sing, “Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” or maybe pop in the video White Christmas and sting some popcorn to place around my bedroom door or something. Wish me luck in trying to get that translated in to DDarija for me.
Well I am off to help my host sisters try to make the food for the big dinner tonight. I have tried to help in the kitchen a bit, but whenever I enter that room, something gets broken so I am not sure which duty they will bestow upon me with out it ending in some or of damage to property. Mom you wouldn’t be proud of me in the kitchen here in Morocco, but then again you know how much cooking experience I have and the kind of food I prepare (organic cereal and raw veggies with hummus). What else can they ask from me? J I can make some good food, but with the supplies that are given to me here, I am limited on what I am used to making back in the states. That now said I could now push myself in creating new masterpieces of culinary art that will astonish the masses! I am on a mission to come back to my host family’s house and make them something that will wow and amaze. It might take a while, but I WILL succeed!

MISS EVERYONE!!!! Keep me updated on things back home and tell me how my Red Wings are going this season! 3afak.
Hillarylynn23@hotmail.com (this is also my MSN screen name) or
Skype me at: hillarylynn23

Tbark llah 3lik!

LPI nightmare but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

2008-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am FINALLY done with PST ... have taken the LPI and now wait to be sworn in on the 20th of November in Fez!!!!

2008-11-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

I GOT MY SITE PLACEMENT!!!!! THE PLACE I WILL NOW CALL HOME IS...... SKOURA!!! located in the Prv. of Ouarazazate!!!! If you want my address just e-mail me and i will send it to you:) once i am in my site for good (after swearing in) i will tell you alll about this little town.
BASLAMA!!

CBT part JUJ!!

2008-10-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

well it is almost time for me to sayBaslama to chilly Imouzzer to head back to Azrou to get my OFFICIAL site placement!! i am very excited and nervous at the same time:) i would love to stay here, but also i am up for an adventure! muski mushkil as the Moroccans here like to say ( no worries). I have been teaching English classses at the Dar Chabab and taking part in one of the ' skits that the youth are putting on soon at the dar chabab. It has been a blast trying to play a tree that grows and dies without laughing throughout the whole thing:)

i am swiya missing home. I am missing out on a beautiful fall season in Michigan and pumpkin carving for me as of now, but i hope to do it here:) Maybe i will wear my new Jillaba as a costume??? it is pretty zwena (beautiful) if i do say so myself. Sorry that writing letters and keeping in touch has been REALLY slow, but i think until i get to my finale site... this are kinda up in the air for me communication wise at least.

Snow is starting to fall on the mountain caps in the Middle Atlas Mountains and it has been almost daily of walking through clouds and not being able to see 25 feet in front of you... fun but kinda odd at night: Good trick or treat weather someone told me the other day with the street lights glowing through the clouds, and i will have to agree.

Darija is SLOWLY going... i just want to pass the test that i will be taking in Nov. and i will be thankful.. Inchella! (God willing).

How are things back in the States and around the world going???

Is everyone getting ready for the BIG vote coming up in the next 2 WEEKS! i sadly have yet to even get my ballot!! so i am hopeing for a big Blue win in Michigan!!!

BTW almlost forgot! i went to FEZ the other day and went shopping in the OLD MADEINA!!! very nice place. really hot with palm trees, but just go 30 mins up the moutains from FEZ and u will find yourself in chilly Imouzzer:)

i love and miss you all!! keep in touch! i have a MSN messager now so bug me on that instead of AIM whiwh does not work here really......shocking uh :)

hillarylynn23@hotmail.com

letters make me smile:)

2008-10-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

YIPPY! i got my first letter in the mail yesterday and it was from my buddy hold the fort down in GR.. miss. amber o! thank you so much hun! today i got a letter from my aunt Kathy and to the both of you THANK YOU THANK YOU! it made my week of constant workshops worth while by reading the letters after my lessons. Things here in Azrou are down right COLD! it feels like Michigan does right when the first snow is about to fall... i am not a fan. What sucks more is that my CBT site is 40 mins north from here so i can only imagine how cold it will be for me on saturday when i return back there for anothe 19 day work session. We have been celebrating birthdays like crazy over here at the YD hostel.. 3 awesome people and one person whos birthday is not until april got a card due to us mixing up the months and days of her birthday.. it was a funny moment. My CBT site has been doing some work while my group has been away in Azrou this week and that makes me so excited about returning and working with them! I just hope we have enough time to do all the tasks that they youth want to do withing those 19 days. No worries.. my CBT group are rockstars:)

I am wondering how things are going on back home for everyone.. enough about me:) I would LOVE to know how my Red WIngs are doing and to hear about how AWESOME the outdoor game was the other day.. tears to not being able to watch that!

the henna that i got done over a week ago is STILL ON MY SKIN and i believe that it will never come off..:) haha. it is still pretty cool looking.

i have sent out some post cards but the cost of sending a letter to you guys back home is WAY $$$ in Dirhams. I will try to write everyone if i can save up the money, but online is always free:)

I am still having a hard time realizing that i have now been in MOrocco for over a month! it does not even feel like it at all which is a good sign i think. I am still wondering where PC will be putting me for the next two years.. they have yet to tell us. I will find out around Halloween where the new city i will be calling home will be. I hope i will like it.

i am not that picky. i would love to stay in Imouzzer, but due to the issue of cat-calls by the men being a bit too much in that town from the past, it is a male site.. but who knows..maybe we can change PC mind on that:) I havent had any issues like that there.. i mean yes to the cat-calls, but nothing too extreme. I just will miss my awesome host family! they have really taken me in and made me feel like i am part of their family. Even while i am away this week, they are keep tabs on me and calling to ask to see if i am okay and that if i need anything.. i love that group to death:)

going from my CBT site to my actual site will be a hard and major change, but i am also excited about what will be happening next in my life here in Morocco with Peace Corps.

I do miss home and now with Halloween coming up and not being able to hang out with Matthew, Becky, and James at the bar... do the fun KCAD halloween parties, and be able to wear my usual 3 costumes i buy for this makes me kinda sad, but i know that Halloween here will be a fun time and an experience to see how Moroccans view this day and how similar and different it is to us in the States.. be prepared for stories:)

Well it is getting dark here and i still need to walk back to my Hostel to eat some dinner! It was great catching up with ya'll!

Be safe and take care.. i will be bugging you again soon on my blog:)

Lila sieda!

(happy night)

IMMOUZZER!

2008-09-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hello all from my CBT site located in Immouzzer! I have never lived so high in the mountians before and i love it! waking up and going for a walk and finding yorself walking through the cloud, it is an amazing feeling. I will try to put up some photos while i am here, but virus and electonic issues are HUGE here in Morocco and i do not want to risk my computer or USB stick to any bad bugs or issues at this moment. The Darija lessons are everyday for about 4 hors a day... LONG. I finally got to take a shower last night at my ost family. I am mucky that i live with a well off family or i would of been taking a COLD bucket bath instead of a luke warm one... i am still trying to master that area in bathroom dfferences. The Dar Chabeb is closed for most of Ramadan so my awesome group of YDs with me here are just trying to undestand a little bit of conversation between the family members we are living wth. I am starting to hear fa,iliar aords like "this, that, no, thank you, and bad Mimi;,"my host families cat. I have mments of feeling like i will never get this language and the host family will ALWAYS give me that " what are you talking about" look, but i know that i can do this.. sweiya b sweiya (little by little)
I also want to give my sister a HUGE hug from over the ocean... eventhough i am here and you are there... i will always be here for you... be srong little sestra... better days are ahead.. i know this because i am your older sister.... that is why :)
I will b spending time wth my host family when Ramadan ends in 7days! i can not wait to be able to eat in public again during the day... it is hard not to drink a bottle of water or apply chap stick on while in public and on a hot day to, but it has been a fun and interesting expiernce. my host family has been great! they are maling me feel very cmfortable and i am always laughing whenever i am around them. Last night while mama was filling the propane tank up in the kitchen, a HUGE ball of fire came out and i have never seen a group of women run so fast out of a room... afterwards i was in tears of laughter with my sister Nadia and Fatima_Zhara while mama was just shaking her head at us;
The food here is amazing!!!! if you are a carbaholic.Mrocco is the country for you.... bread of all shapes; sizes, and texture are here for you to try. I am trying to be god with my carb issues, but it is hard... i know once i am sworn into PC i wil be able to eat what want and not have an overly worrid host mther sitting next to me and refilling my plate every 10 mins.
i also can not wait to be able to have my wn place and be able to work out!!!! i really want to go on a run, bt a woman running and in public.. very shuma (bad bad)

I hope everyone at home is doing well while i have been over here... i am missing everyone and am hoping to get ome photos up when i can find a more trustworthy cyber.
keep in touch and i will talk to you guys again son via blog :)

baslama!!!!

Atlas Mt.

2008-09-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

HELLO ALL. this is just a message to say that all is well here in Morocco^ the food is great_ and learning how to use an Arabic keypad kinda sucks...LOL... but i am trying. I know some people posted messages to me and i will soon answer. BUt please after every comment leave your name. I have been getting messages asking for my address with no name at the end so i can not tell you °tears* PC have been great with me and my language handicap. i am not giving up any time soon:) but it is hard... WISH ME LUCK. sweay sweay... Little by Little.
HUGS ALL

Rabat

2008-09-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well today is the last day of staging at the hotel in Rabat. I have got A LOT to read in the next couple days, but I am excited about it all! Our Program Manager for YD seems totally awesome and I can not wait to work with him starting Friday! I miss everyone back home and will be thinking of you as i begin the real hard work tomorrow. I will be having 11 weeks of language (4 hours plus a day) and skill training . I will not be near the internet or phone for a while and I am needing to connect with my host family and program so I can learn the language and culture in these intense next 11 weeks. If you do not hear from me much in the next few weeks that is why... i still will be missing you all like crazy! Please by all means send me some snail mail to keep me company and getting some form of english to me:) there is something very beautifully spiritual about this place, something that is not found back in the states.

Love,

Hillary

PHILLY PHILLY!

2008-09-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

HELLO FROM PHILLY! well today is the day folks! MOROCCO here I come:) I am totally pumped. Staging was LONG but informative. I am nervous about learning the language but I will try to have faith in myself to do it! My roomie Lisa and one of the coolest girls I have met here. Man packing really foes suck and i lost the blue thing that helps space bags suck the air out of them.. ek! wish me luck in finding that thing somewhere in my 60+ lbs of stuff!

well i g2g! next time i will write will be from MOROCCO!

What a way to say Goodbye!

2008-08-19T08:06:00.001-07:00

This weekend up in GR was amazing! I was touched upon how many people came out throughout the weekend to wish me luck:) I had a great time on Thursday celebrating my good buddy Matthew's birthday, going with Becky to the Billy Idol/Def. Leopard concert blew me away on Friday (Rebel Yell!). I never thought 50+ year old men could look that good without a shirt on. Saturday was a picture perfect day at Rosy Mound in Grand Haven where sun bathing, skinny dipping, and doing a mini-hike was the high-light of the day. Sunday at Billy's was the perfect way to say goodbye to my friends and to good ole GR where I have spent the last 4 years of my life. I will miss you all so much:)

Family Going-Away Party

2008-08-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to thank my family for coming out today to wish me luck on my trip that is only 4 WEEKS AWAY! woohoo! The company was great and all the cards with kind words written were touching and made me smile. I am planning on writting everyone back and sending this website page to them so they can keep up with my life over-seas.I will miss everyone dearly and will be thinking about them while I am away.

Hugs!

I am not very good at this whole "blog" thing.. please help:)

2008-07-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

I heard from my good pal Katie that only those who have a gmail account can comment.. SORRY! I do not know how to fix that yet, BUT if anyone does know and can help me with this issue would be awesome! I will even through in a free kitten.. not the ugly ones.. the real cute fluffy ones... that is how bad I want to fix this

HELLO ALL!

2008-07-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well I thought that I would start a Blog while I am away in Morocco for the Peace Corps. This will be a way for everyone to keep up on things that are going on for me over in Morocco. Friends and family can write me and comment anytime they want:)

I hope everyone enjoys the site, and I look forward to using it to keep in touch with people back home in the states.

Hillary Lynn.

* Peace Corps disclaimer*

Anything I write on this site are not the views of Peace Corps, but my own personal comments. Anything written on this blog site do not reflect anyone else involved in the Peace Corps.