The End!!

Wow I'm terrible at this whole blogging thing... my bad. I felt like I left this hanging though so just want to wrap things up for whoever is still checking this. Anywho

So the trip ended in the middle of December and I made it back to the U.S safe and sound! Still waiting for one of the packages I sent home so. Inshallah that will make it back.

Painting by Chaibia

The last couple weeks of the program were kind of crazy. Finally hit me that whoa, we had to really do this huge project we were assigned! And I think mine turned out alright. I don't know if I said anything about it in the last posts, but I ended up doing my research on contemporary women artists in Morocco - and wooo it was 35 pages long! I'm really happy I ended up choosing that topic... one of my professors was able to hook me up with several women artists, and I met a few more through them. Ended up talking to the son of CHAIBIA, arguably the most famous artist from Morocco. She started as a tapestry weaver but then decided to take up painting one day. A mixture of her style, experience as a woman, and incredible charisma brought her international fame (she met the Moroccan king and French prime minister). Seems like she was an amazing woman. I met some other very interesting women who I'm so so happy I had the opportunity to speak with. Can't believe I was able to pull off this project.

Anyways, what else. The second to last week we were there, I spent time in Essaouria in an apartment with some people. That was really nice to finally RELAX and also to cook for ourselves. I really liked the routine of going out in the morning, buying fresh produce from all the vendors - making new friends there. It was a good last city to be in for sure.

The very last week, we wrapped things up with the program and spent the week in Rabat. That was cool and strange - you could definitely see that we'd come full circle. Ahh it was so sad though, I don't know when I'll see some of the people I met again. Finally feel like I found a place for myself in Rabat and felt comfortable being in Morocco, and then had to leave. Ahh c'est la vie.

Anyways. Morocco is a crazy country - it's such a huge mixture of people and everyone seems to have a story. I met some of the nicest people in the world here, and some of the most generous. They say hospitality is a big part of Moroccan culture and it's so true. Coming back to the States was a culture shock - people don't want to talk to you on trains? Or share food in a taxi? What? Also, I found that I really really like a lot about Darija. It's such an expressive language and so many little phrases are just so perfect in whatever situation they apply. I miss being able to say just little thoughts in Darija.

Ugh I'm terrible with all this wrapping up stuff - I don't really know how I can sum up this entire semester on this little page because I feel like Morocco taught me so much and opened a totally different world to me, and helped me get my feet wet in the Arab world. So for now I'll just end this post with my last experience in Morocco.

In the airport, things were crazy and busy (not to mention everybody was tired and grumpy, since it was about 6 in the morning). I got rid of my bags and got ready to go through security and customs. Ah my last time using Darija in the country, had to live it up! So I said hi to the security guard who pulled me aside (apparently my backpack was suspect..) and started chatting him up (in Darija, eee!). You can tell some people want to test you if you start by saying hi in Arabic, so they'll ask how are you? with this... let's-see-if-they-know-what-they're-talking-about, I-think-I'm-calling-them-out-on-this look. But ahh when I responded he got all smiley and asked about what I was doing in Morocco and everything. Though the language thing was super hard to pick up (what we were learning in class was definitely not what was spoken on the streets.. so. Had to learn to juggle both of those), I felt so accomplished that on the last day, when I was exhausted and just wanted to get on a plane, I could have one final nice conversation with the security guard who ended up being super nice to me.

Ahh Morocco. I will miss you and come visit again eventually. When I get some more money and stuff. This was an incredible experience that I'm so grateful for, and I'll definitely keep with me forever, inshallah. But for now, bisleeema المغرب!!