January 18, 2019 original date
Hello everyone! (Marhaban!!) as the Moroccans would say 😉 I am patiently waiting for the big day. I am all packed (pretty much) and very eager to begin my travels to Morocco. I leave on Tuesday from Chicago, have a couple layovers and then will arrive in Casablanca with the rest of my program. WOW. This does not feel quite real yet, but I am doing this. I have never flown alone before and I will be flying for around 16 or so hours. I have managed to fit 3 months of stuff in a couple of suitcases and a carry-on. For sentimental value I printed some pictures of my friends and family. I have never traveled alone so far from them and this will be a big change. I am so excited for this new journey and opportunity to be able to go abroad to Morocco. I have been so excited and have been trying to learn as much as possible about the culture. I have been reading books about their culture, some history, and cultural norms. It is going to be a big shift from the norms we practice here in the states. I am very eager to hear the new languages. In Morocco, they speak many languages– including Arabic, French, English, Berber, and Spanish. I have been practicing for a while and have learned some Arabic. I have prepared as much as I can with the resources I have and I feel comfortable now that I know some basic words and phrases at least.
I will be posting again in a few days when I finally arrive to Morocco. Bye now (Wadan). xx