The End

December 30

Hello beautiful people,

I hope you haven’t forgotten about me! I am ashamed to say that after my return, blogging became the last thing on my mind. Thankfully, my wonderful mother reminded me that one must never leave a chapter unfinished… especially when I have so diligently disclosed every moment of my Moroccan adventure.

This past Sunday, December 28, marked exactly TWO WEEKS since I have been home. My has time flown! I can’t believe that just 14 days ago, I was on the other side of the world, living a completely different life. I can say for sure that it took me this long to truly process all that I had experienced and what I will choose to take with me into my final semester in college and for the rest of my life.

Despite the ups, downs, friends made, friends lost, and sickness, I would not want to change this experience one bit. I have learned how to handle myself, problem-solve, and most importantly handle the never-ending stomach bug that seemed to afflict every person in my group. This trip has given me a lot of confidence to try to apply to things that are even more challenging. Life is a progression and for every moment of comfort, you must step out of it.

 If I had to pick one thing I miss the most? Obviously Naget, my wonderful host cousins, and all of the other amazing Moroccans who have left an impact. Insha’allah, I will see them all again. I have been to Italy three times, Kenya twice, Costa Rica, and Fiji, but Morocco has its own place in my heart.

Moving forward…

The past two weeks have been interesting. I know “interesting” is the biggest cop-out word there is, giving absolutely no explanation, but it’s just so perfect. However, you all know I will fully explain myself!

My time home has been one huge, ambiguous and overwhelming lump of time. It started off with Jet Lag that just wouldn’t quit! Being my longest stay out of the country, perhaps Morocco did not want to leave my system. I spent my first week and much of my second in a frustrated and grouchy state. However, I was able to see my Lehigh Men’s Basketball family at their game at Quinnipiac the fourth day. It was a tough loss, but you can’t beat a reunion with friends after nine months (summer break and fall semester)!

Once that was finally out of me, on came the work!

As many of you may know from reading past entries, my graduation from college this coming spring does not mark the end of my studies. I am a girl of great ambition and I have a lot planned. With that being said, there is a lot of preparation for it. I have had my five graduate school applications to contend with. I am thankful to have started most of this work in Morocco, but nevertheless follow-up emails, finishing touches and other communications needed to be done.

I am proud to say that at this point, I am 95% done, I will be taking my second GRE test this coming Friday and have even found a possible job abroad. Faith without work is dead, right? All I have on my mind now is to stay busy, and stay FOCUSED. I am back to Lehigh U in just a couple of weeks!

This brings us to the end! I want to thank each and every person who read this blog, laughed (with or at me), stayed in touch and kept me going through my toughest moments. I honestly never thought that anyone other than close family and randomly interested friends would see this. To be quite honest, I will miss blogging and having funny stories to tell. Who knows? I may even have a new one for you guys in the future.

Stay blessed!

Rae

The Final Countdown

December 6

Salaam, readers!!

Today is quite the exciting, but sad day for this traveler. With only eight days left in country, today is the day I am moving out of my home in Kasbah de Oudayas! It has been a wonderful ride, living on my own, but all good things must come to an end. It’s about time I move out of my wonderful castle with ocean view!

I have learned quite a bit about myself as a person, taking care of my home and how I see living life as an adult. I am technically an adult now, at twenty-one years old, but I mean once I am no longer living with my mom. I will be graduating this coming May 2015, and will be off to Graduate School, so it will be sooner than you all think!

Shoutout to my Lehigh University and other fellow college students! You’re done with classes! Now, go and kick some exam butt! I can’t wait to get back to you all.

Today, my roommates and I will be lugging all of our belongings to Naget’s house. This woman is a saint and a lifesaver! We booked our house only until today, not knowing that we cannot move into our hotel for the end of the program until tomorrow afternoon. Of course, after telling her our sob story of homelessness, she is taking us in for the afternoon and night. We went yesterday to visit and double check the logistics of our arrival and we were met with food, tea and so many laughs.

To top it off, I got to see one of my last amazing Moroccan sunsets!

I will really miss that woman! I have met some wonderful people in my stay here, but none as incredible as she is. I have never felt more at home, away from home, than when I am at Naget’s. I can honestly say I will also miss my loud, hilarious, and sometimes odd, male host cousins: Hamza, Mohamed, Eunice and Abd Samad.

I cannot tell which one is my favorite, because I have had wonderful times and jokes with all of them!

And the epic tea and snack times will be missed as well. I think the excessive tea-drinking is rubbing off on me, so I will be bringing that to the States! Good news for all of my Lehigh people!

Tomorrow, my entire trip will come full circle. The hotel we are moving into is the exact same one we stayed in for orientation. Instead of being lost and nervous, I am moving in knowing that I will be soon leaving a place I love and have been accustomed to living in for the past fourth months. The coming week will be filled with presentations and hopefully some good pastilla, Insha’allah! I am really looking forward to seeing what my classmates have been up to these past five weeks. I know my partners and I have been working so hard!

I am so incredibly happy that I made it through this trip, but the sadness is taking over. There were times this semester that I thought I wouldn’t make it, due to sickness and other stresses of living abroad and meeting new people. Look how far I have come!

Most of you have been keeping up with each and every one of my shenanigans, stresses, exams, and freak outs, but it has been a crazy ride. In just a week, I will have completed this blog! I know I will have to start another, as I am too used to telling all to masses of strangers around the world.

Today, I will FINALLY finish my report and article for my Independent Study. I am so close, I can taste it! That was your cliché for the day! All I need are two translated quotes, and your girl is GOLDEN.

Now, I am off to prepare for the day. It is almost noon here and I should probably get up, get dressed and pack the rest of my things!

Peace out, cub scouts!

Rae

A Moment of Reflection

December 3

Hey everyone,

Happy December! I hope you all are having a wonderful last month of year 2014, and looking forward to the new year! There are a lot of great things in store for all of us, Insha’allah!

The weather today in Rabat, Morocco is dismal, to say the least! It has been raining all day, with torrential downpour every hour or so. I am finding it rather hard to be productive, as all I want to do is curl up and sleep. Regardless, I am still trucking along on my story for journalism and will definitely complete it by the due date, this coming Sunday.

In other news, I am afraid that my mood lately is mirroring today’s weather. As I prepare to make my way home in eleven days, I am met with mixed feelings. At this point, nothing could be more exciting than seeing my family, eating the foods I miss the most, and being back in my own bed.

That being said, I am so deeply disturbed by what is happening in American society these days. Within these last few hours, I learned that Eric Garner’s murderer will not be charged for his crime. Just last week, our nation was shocked by Michael Brown’s murderer avoiding charges as well.

The fact that two black men were killed with no repercussions, and for seemingly no reason except the threat of danger perceived by the color of their skin, really scares me. This kind of injustice occurs every day, but these particular crimes were committed by those who vow to “protect and serve”.

Yes, there is a “race” problem in the United States. The systematic and institutional dehumanization of black and brown bodies has existed since the times of slavery. Yes, I am concerned for my peers and for my own two brothers. Don’t believe me? Check out The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.

What concerns me the most, however, is our society’s “accountability” problem, especially in relation to violence. There are many whites and other races of people being harmed, alarmingly from my generation. Little to nothing is or has changed, the cycle continues, and that scares me. When will our society put a stop to ALL senseless persecution?

Having lived in such a peaceful place for the last four months, my mind is unsure of how to cope with coming home. Of course Morocco has its own issues, as all places do, but I feel like I am returning to a war zone.

I will use the lens of race, because I know it best, but people are being killed in their homes, Aiyana Jones, shot on the street, Michael Brown, followed by unstable men, Trayvon Martin, shot down seeking help, Renisha McBride, and mistakenly killed by fifty bullets on the morning of their wedding, Sean Bell.

Late President, and fellow alumnus of my alma mater, Choate Rosemary Hall, John F. Kennedy said,

“I look forward to a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.”

I share this sentiment. I am very optimistic that one day things will change, but when, I am just not sure. Life seems to have these complexities, where no matter how much you think on it, you just cannot come to a solution. How do you get people to change their exclusive way of thinking?

In the meantime, I will just try to enjoy the small things in life: each pot of morning tea, every text message or FaceTime session I have with my family, or even just the fact that I woke up today. Someone, somewhere, did not have that opportunity.

I will keep thinking and praying on this. The Global Studies/Africana Studies double major and Sustainable Development minor are definitely being put to good use at the moment. The literature is astounding. Thanks, Lehigh!

To my readers – you do not AT ALL have to agree with my opinion. I just ask that you respect it. My thoughts in this post come from a place of personal reflection, backed by academic exploration and literature. Until we can all learn to show and execute levels of respect for other lives, we can get nowhere. I welcome comments and dialogue, if you wish!

Until next time,
Rae

Thanksgiving Feasts, Missing Mail & Fighting Procrastination

November 30

Hey Readers!

Hope that this Sunday is fantastic for all of you! Time for another update from yours truly:

Last time I blogged, it was the day before Thanksgiving (November 26, for my new and/or international readers), and I was pretty unsure of what the holiday would bring, seeing as I am 4,000 miles away from home.

The day turned out to be very low-key, but wonderful! I spent the majority of my day in bed, spoke with my mom over FaceTime, and just reflected on the wonderful time I’ve had here in Morocco.

In the evening, I ended up having a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner with friends from my program. We had roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rice, and cornbread for the meal, and pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pumpkin cake for dessert.

It was nice to catch up with everyone, especially because I had not seen some of them during the past three weeks of the Independent Study period. It was also hilarious to play Cards Against Humanity again. If you don’t know what that is, click HERE.

In the other days leading up to now, I have just been fighting the urge to do absolutely nothing, and finish this project.

It doesn’t help that my computer charger died, so I have to budget time carefully on my laptop. I’m finding I’m doing most of my work on my iPhone in Notes and it automatically syncs to my computer.

Thank God for being a snobby Apple consumer!!

I am confident that I will be able to survive until I can get a replacement back at home. You never know how much you take your electronics for granted, until you are limited in this way!

In other news, today marks the last week in this beautiful house. At the moment, I am awfully frigid because of the ability of Moroccan structures to keep cool at all costs. However, I still appreciate every square inch of this place.

One thing I will miss, for sure, is how much effort goes into a Moroccan-style home! The colors and patterns are really something!

But really, WHY IS IT SO COLD!?! Today’s high is 59 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not too bad, but I’m sure the house is around 40! I guess it is still better than that New England weather in the U.S., right?

A week from today, we move into Hotel Darna, the same hotel where we had orientation week. Next week will be for evaluation and presentation of our projects.

I cannot believe that exactly two weeks from this day, I will be back home! I can’t wait to be spoiled by family and pig out on the “good stuff” (food) I cannot get in Morocco!

Finally, yesterday verified the malcontent that I hold for the United States Postal Service, or USPS. After waiting over two months, I finally called to look for a package that my mom sent September 23. SEPTEMBER.

First of all, USPS assured my mom that it would reach Morocco within two weeks. My program coordinator indicated that because of Moroccan mail systems, expect four to six. As frustrating as that was, I could deal.

Everyday, I have kept an eye out for that package and received nothing. Online tracking could only tell me that it was sent from New York. Eventually, the site was updated, and I was told my package cleared customs in Morocco on November 17. After that, nothing AGAIN.

Yesterday, November 29, was the last straw. I decided that I would call the Post Office. Thanks to Skype, I was able to call for free, all the way from North Africa!

After 24… TWENTY FOUR minutes on hold, I was finally able to explain the situation to a person, not a useless automated system.

The woman was extremely friendly and was able to tell me that according to her system, as of November 26, my package was… BACK IN NEW YORK CITY! The anger pulsing through me was so real, but I calmly was able to explain that I was on my way home soon from Morocco.

She helped me file a “return-to-sender” claim, and hopefully, I will receive an answer in the next 23 days, the amount of time it takes for Morocco to investigate the situation.

Hopefully the package is already on the way back home, but I now have absolutely no faith in the United States Postal System. That was far too much stress over a ten-pound box, right?

Everyday is an adventure!

Stay tuned guys! The blog isn’t over quite yet!!

All my best,
Rae

Returning from the “Trenches”!

November 20

Hello people!

Thank you for being so patient, while I have been getting my story and myself together in these last ten days. I am sure you have all been curious as to what I am currently up to in Morocco! After all, I only have twenty four days left! I am slowly becoming more and more dreadful of leaving Morocco, but family, basketball season and LEHIGH calls!

Happy Lehigh-Laf week to all of my classmates and alumni, by the way. I have yet to acknowledge it on any of my social networks, so I figured this would be a great place to start. Perhaps I am in denial of never having a Lehigh-Laf due to sickness, basketball and now being abroad? Perhaps I am jealous of the fact that our 150th (!!!) meeting of (American) football rivalry is at Yankee Stadium? Who knows?

Enjoy the weekend and be safe, ya crazies!

I can pretty much break down what I have been doing into three categories: project, shopping, and rest. I will start with the most boring and move my way into the exciting, next-generation journalism that you all have heard so much about.

REST: 

So from what I have noticed from my work, Journalism has what I consider to be an “off” and “on” switch. When the switch is “on”, I work non-stop interviewing people, doing research, collaborating with my partners, traveling and trying to find the best way to constrict the longest laundry list of issues suffered by sub-Saharan migrant women into just a few pages. It’s IMPOSSIBLE, but you know I’m still going to try.

When the switch is “off”, I crash. There is finally the opportunity for me to physically and mentally recharge, as well as internalize some of the horrible things that I am forced to face. I am grateful that some of these horrors are not my reality, and that I have the opportunity to take a stop back. It is not just about sleep, but the opportunity to BREATHE.

SHOPPING:

It is every girl’s favorite pastime…and I am no exception. Weirdly, though, I enjoy shopping in the pragmatic sense, not the “I get to spend money on things I probably won’t need” sense.

 In these past few days, I have been focused on preparing for the absurd shock I will receive from the weather in the United States. Here, I am sleeping every night with a heater because it drops to 54 degrees Fahrenheit; days are still mid to high 70’s. Back home, I think the high is around 30 degrees? With some snow? Feel free to correct me, my New Englanders, but I am crying just thinking about it!

SO, I decided that I will start preparing ASAP. I took a nice little trip to the souk and bought a winter coat, a sweatsuit and leggings. I still have to go pick up a pair of boots, but I am playing NO games with winter. I just cannot do it! Of course, I had to do something fun, so I also bought matching Moroccan slippers for my mom and I and I finally bought myself a djellaba. If you don’t know what that is…

(http://media1.mimoza-hijab.fr/704-big/djellaba-dubai-beauty-dore.jpg)

Yes, it is a hooded robe. Moroccans wear them everywhere! Mine is a different pattern, but the shape is the same. It is probably the best thing I have ever worn. Be prepared, Americans. The next time you see me, there is a high probability that I will be wearing it! Also, let’s make this a thing in the states, okay?

PROJECT:

We have reached the most exciting part of the post, everyone. I obviously cannot give you the full run-down of my story because it has yet to be written and it would also defeat the purpose of my project, but this story is going even better than I could have possibly imagined.

Maya and I, and our photographer Al, have been all over the place in these past few days: Taqqadoum, the Association, Casablanca and next week, Marrakech. We have met so many wonderful people, heard heartbreaking stories, but most importantly, seen the resilience and the effort within the migrant community to make change. I have never been so emotionally vulnerable to a topic before.

We are now part of this migrant community, composed of men, women, and youth from all parts of the continent. We have heard their complaints, their hopes and their appreciation for looking at them as more than just “Ebola”. They are our friends. They found organizations. They hold events and discussions for members of the community. They infiltrate trafficking rings when NO ONE will help. They refuse to be silenced.

Powerful times for this student! I have learned so much from many who are even younger than I am. These individuals may have fewer years than I do, but they have so much more wisdom and experience. Maya and I speak daily on how proud we are that we stuck to this story, and are in the process of creating something beautiful, despite the dangerous situations.

Field reporting is a lot of hard work, but I think it is what I enjoy the most about journalism. The writing comes naturally, but putting myself out there has been a challenge. I love every second of it. It is difficult to hear a story of abuse or sexual assault and not be able to understand what it is like; yet our subjects are so willing for us to tell their stories to the world.

Tomorrow, our first draft is due, but I am not even worried. I have the voices of abused, but undefeated migrant women behind me, statistics and documents from governments and NGO’s, the will to tell the whoever will listen what is really going on. This experience in Morocco will not just be a “semester vacation” for me; I will leave this program accomplishing a great deal.

Well, this is the end for now!

Thank you all for your continued readings of my posts! I really appreciate the support, comments, shares and reposts! Hopefully my story has inspired you to come to Morocco, or even just given you a few laughs!

Feel free to comment – I love hearing feedback and what you all have to say, especially my international folk! My stats tracker tells me that I have readers in the United States, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and even as far as ASIA!!

Another post soon!

Rae

Home Sweet Home (Kinda)

November 7

Greetings from Casablanca, readers! I am writing this post on the train home.

Maya and I have been on a wonderful adventure in the name of our Independent Study. Today, we traveled to Casablanca to meet with Reuben, a former migrant, musician and activist in the sub-Saharan community.

We spent over two hours in Cafe de Franz recounting his life, including his experiences in Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria, being stranded in the desert multiple times, and evading violence and other troubles along the way.

To get religious for a moment, I truly believe that Reuben had the hand of God upon him. He escaped things that others have not been fortunate to, stayed to tell his story and has used this opportunity to help as many people as he can. He is covered and blessed and I am honored to have met him today.

After our long talk in the Cafe, Reuben took us into the markets, mostly occupied by African shops and businesses. It is interesting how different the migrant situation is by city in Morocco. While there are still many issues, Casablanca holds a lot more hope than what I have seen in Rabat.

We arrive at the market and OH MY GOSH, you guys! Maya and I were in heaven! There were black hair care products, beautiful handmade cloth, African candy and food, and almost anything that you could want from West Africa.

While wandering around, we encountered a lot of french, but even more ENGLISH! We were greeted warmly and invited into many shops. We had a chance to meet many new people, including a young Moroccan boy whose parents had emigrated to West Africa. His English was excellent and Reuben explained that while he was Moroccan, the boy felt more at home with West Africans.

I felt like a kid in a candy store and Maya and took one look at each other and knew: we were HOME. We will definitely be going back to get our hair done and learn more about the people who live there. MOST importantly, I bought some plantains… For a Jamaican girl, it was like buying gold. The man gave me his card and a very good price! It is something I have not had since was home in August, maybe longer.

Last but not least, Reuben walked us through a park where he used to sleep before he had any place to go, upon his arrival to Morocco. We wandered toward a group of Liberian men who were equally as happy to see us! Reuben told us that it was customary that many migrants, primarily his Liberian friends, went there to chat and see each other.

They asked many questions about where we were from and why we had come to Casa. They even invited us to their church this coming Sunday and, of course, we agreed. Our mothers would be very proud.

All in all, today was incredible. I cannot explain the feeling of feeling so at home, for the first time in awhile. People who look just like me, eating the same food, doing the same things that my family would do.

It is something special that made Morocco and this independent period better for me. Yesterday was a tough one, but I am glad that the sub-Saharan migrants in this country have found a way to persevere and make me feel that there is hope.

I am high off of life and the feeling of finding family. Now, I will be spending the rest of this train ride reflecting.

More for ya soon, my good people!
Rae

Morocco: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Reality

November 6

Hey Readers,

As I sit here at 1:15pm on a Thursday afternoon, all I can ask myself is… WHY? Why does the world have to be like this?

This morning, my classmate and informal partner, Maya, and I traveled to Taqqadoum, a sub-Saharan migrant neighborhood in Rabat. In just a short ten- or fifteen-minute taxi ride, our whole Moroccan experience changed.

We were met by our guide Picas, a man and activist from Cameroon who started an association to assist with the migrants. He walked us through the “dangerous” neighborhood, which teemed with much of the same life that I have already experienced in Rabat. The only difference? A stronger mix of Moroccan and sub-Saharan African and penchant for brutal violence.

After a short walk, Picas introduced us to Vivian, a woman who works in his association. She was very forthcoming about herself and the women she was willing to introduce to us to. As Maya and I sat in the dark, candlelit room, as the landlord cut off their power because of what I will call a “black tax”, we were introduced to a world that no one should ever have to live in: Sexual violence, uncertainty, despair. I knew right then that what Maya and I would be writing will be more than just some final project.

I will not get into the specifics of our long conversation, but I have never been more sure that I need to write this story. The word that I kept hearing and stuck with me was “animals”. Migrants in this country are treated like animals, beaten like animals, abused and looked down upon like animals. Vivian said, “There is no respect for black women here.”

I really think that I have found my calling here in Morocco. Until today, I really didn’t know why I came, other than to somewhat work on my Arabic language. BUT, as the Babe said in the best movie of all time The Sandlot,

“Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they’re too scared, or they don’t recognize it when it spits on their shoes.”

I am truly humbled. I am making it my mission to be great, do something good, and learn about myself and my own privilege. As one single, young, African American woman, there is little that I can actually do to prevent what is going on. Despite that, I will use my words and give this story, these women a voice. I can at least do that.

Today was only the beginning, my friends. Stay tuned for so much more. Tomorrow, my classmate, Maya, and I are heading to Casablanca to speak with another migrant activist, and Monday we head back to Taqqadoum. We will meet the women, see the faces, and hear the stories. I am doing what I can to best prepare for it.

Now that I’ve gotten all of my thoughts out, we should backtrack just a wee bit. After all, I can’t leave you all on a somber note!

I am finally in my new house with my roomies, Alex and Libby. It’s the perfect size and mood for the three of us. I love that I am living on my own, cooking and shopping for myself. I’ve made it to the Big League (another baseball joke, fitting for my previous Sandlot quote)!

For those of you who haven’t seen it, here is a little sneak peak (kitchen and other parts not included):

There are pretty much no words that can describe how happy I am in this place. It is peaceful, beautiful and colorful. I will need all of these things for balance with my Independent Study.

After moving in, I spent the afternoon grocery shopping. Words cannot describe the sadness I felt when I realized that not only did I spend less than 10 USD on enough food for the next few days, but also that I will not even be able to find produce of this quality in the United States, even at Whole Foods.

There is just something spiritual about knowing where your food came from, who grew it and that the money you spend goes directly into that person’s wellbeing. I keep saying it, but MOROCCO IS MAGIC, people!

I think that is enough musing for today, yes? Summary for today: Food is great. The Kasbah is great. I am great! Living in Morocco? The jury is still out. In Arabic, we say “nos nos” or “so so”.

Stay well, friends and family. In a mere 37 days, I will be back on American soil.

More soon!

Rae

Blue Cities, Green Stomachs & The End of a Chapter

November 1

RABBIT, RABBIT! And Happy November, readers!

Since another week of total slacking has taken place, let me grace the new month with a new post! Another long one, but I think you will really like it!

Currently, I am writing you from Naget’s house, my temporary home for the next four days or so. Our home stay has come to an end, as we will be beginning our Independent Study Period Monday.

On Wednesday, I move into my beautiful Morocccan riad apartment with Alex and our friend, Libby. Pictures will be forthcoming because the place is UNBELIEVABLE!

It is located in the Kasbah Oudayas, which overlooks the beach and the rest of the city. For those of you who do not know what a Kasbah is, it is a fortified section of a city, surrounded by its own walls. Nowadays it is a tourist spot and luxury place to live for Americans and Europeans, but in ancient times, it was home to whole extended wealthy Moroccan families.

I am really excited to begin the Independent Study. My final pitch has been approved and I will be writing about the epidemic of Sub-Saharan migrant women who are victims of sexual violence. I will share more later when the project actually takes form, but I can tell you that I will be writing a news story, accompanied by a profile of one of these women.

For those of you worried about my safety: PLEASE DON’T BE! I have a cast of thousands at my back, including migrant activists! Your girl will be safe, sound, and changed for the better!

Backtracking a bit, I have been through [that place down below] and back since my last post. When you last read, I was sick, but cheerful about the day and my trip to Chefchaouen and Ceuta!

Well, people, just a few hours after that, Raven Gaddy was at Clinique Agdal, getting an IV and other drugs as a result of her gastritis!

It was a horrible day for me. On top of the sickness, I found out that Moroccan doctors are NOT at all gentle. After being poked three times to find a vein, I had a small panic attack, started hyperventilating and burst into tears. I was glad when it was all over and at least I felt a bit better. I put emphasis on the “bit” because I was too weak to function at that point.

You all know me pretty well, so you can probably guess what is coming next… No? Well, I will tell you!

Twelve hours later my butt was up, out of bed, packed and on the bus to go on the excursion! This was after, of course, I walked all the way into downtown to find a bank after the hospital cleaned me out! You can’t keep a good traveler down, and I wouldn’t let that horror story get the best of me.

On to Chefchaouen and Ceuta!

Chefchaouen was remarkable! I’m just gonna place this picture here to speak for me.

Can you imagine an entire city painted blue? It was probably the most beautiful place I had ever been… or so I thought! I had not yet traveled to Ceuta!

‘Chaouen, I was originally told, was painted blue to keep away mosquitos. THIS IS FALSE. The real reason deals with the rich Jewish history of the mountainous paradise.

As much as I loved the aesthetics of mountain terrain and rich blue color, Chefchaouen was far too touristy for me! I can tell that it was once a perfect, untouched place, but now it is crawling with Europeans and people trying to rip you off at every turn.

That didn’t happen for me, as I am more than aware of Moroccan bartering custom. I was able to get some sick handmade, 100% wool sweaters (New England winter will be cruel), some gifts for my dear little brother Evan, and the satisfaction of knowing that I got wool from THE place in Morocco known for producing it!

After spending a night in M’diq, pronounced “mah-deeq” or “my dick” to my classmates and I, we moved on to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Before reaching it, we had to walk about a mile to the border and go through customs.

I repeat, I HAD TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS TO GO FROM MOROCCO TO (Spanish-controlled) MOROCCO.

It was extremely hectic. There were people yelling, pushing, fighting and what I would like to call “funny business”. Because the enclave is considered Spain, many illegal activities take place there. Undocumented migrants attempt to scale the walls, older women smuggle goods multiple times per day across the borders.

Although we did not see any migrants, we did see these women. Called, “Mulas Mujeres”, “mule women”, these women tie or strap thirty pounds or more of items to their bodies to take across the border. This can include alcohol, blankets, or anything else that is profitable. Some of them are sixty years old or more. It is a heartbreaking thing to witness in person.

For those of you who are interested to see my experience, VICE did an excellent piece. You can find that here.

American passport privilege is one powerful thing. Even our coordinator, Badrdine had trouble getting across the border. We seemed to breeze right through.

Finally we walked our way into Ceuta. It was like I walked back into any other European country that I had ever been. The dichotomy of European custom on African soil blew my mind. We were given a beautiful guided bus tour and 20 EUR for lunch. A few friends and I found a very chill cafe and then went to the beach. My favorite part of the day was being able to wade in the Mediterranean Sea. It has always been a dream of mine!

Overall, this excursion felt like a mini-vacation, but after my hospital episode and the stresses of this program, it was much needed! Shopping, good food, and beach? Life is GOOD.

That brings us full circle, people! I hope you are still here and with me! The end of classes and my home stay marks the ending of this chapter for me! The next one will be ISJ, and finally the chapter of going HOME.

Boy, am I missing it! Happy belated Halloween (it doesn’t exist in Morocco)!

Next post soon, Insha’allah!

Rae

I’m Baaaack!

October 25

Good Morning from Morocco!

The neglect of the blog has been real, you guys! I concede that both laziness and busy-ness have overcome this traveler; Busy-ness from Arabic and Journalism assignments, and laziness from choosing sleep over WordPress. First and foremost, I apologize for keeping you all waiting for the past week.

Let me catch you up on Raven Gaddy…

Last time I left you, I was still in the Moulay Yacoub province, in the village of Birta in the Sbaa Rouadi Commune in Fes-Boulmane, Morocco. What a mouthful! Anyway, last Friday morning, October 17, we said goodbye to our host families and hopped on the bus back to Rabat. Many of the departures were tearful, but mine was not one of them. I can say I will miss my little sisters, but back to business! It’s a special thing having younger siblings!

After we got on the bus, we realized that most our class was pretty weak from stomach sickness, but a couple of the girls were worse than the rest. We proceeded to spend the morning on the bus waiting, as our coordinator Badr-dad took the girls to the hospital. They had to get shots and IV’s just to make it back home. At the time, I was completely fine, so I enjoyed the quiet time before reaching home in the afternoon.

Once we reached home, I spent the entire weekend in bed. A weird mix of exhaustion and tinge of still unsettled stomach told me that I needed to just relax. Things were going pretty well, until I started eating normally again.

That brings us to this week…

This week has been havoc on my stomach and health. For reasons I can STILL not convey to myself or anyone else, my stomach is a hot mess! Every time I eat, I am accompanied by some sort of pain, discomfort, or worse (I will leave that up to your imaginations because I’m sure you can figure out what I mean).

Things got so bad, that I ended up missing a couple days of school. I needed the rest and got it, but food and I are just not getting along. I scheduled a doctor’s appointment for this past Thursday, October 24, but of course I woke up feeling fantastic that day, so I cancelled.

In the Journalism sector of my life, things are a huge whirlwind. Arabic classes have concluded as of Wednesday, October 23, which is great. I can now focus on the main aspect of my stay here, although I will miss studying this wonderful language formally.

This week, we have preparing as much as possible for next week, which marks the end of our lectures and start of our Independent Study. For five weeks, we will be moving out of our host families’ homes, into our own apartments, and pursuing underreported and deep stories about our new home.

I am still up in the air about what my project will be specifically, but I do know that I am interested in the Subsaharan Migrant women and lack of regard for these people and dehumanization of all migrants by the Moroccan government. These women may be illegal, but do they deserve to be sexually assaulted by members of armed forces? Are they not entitled to pre-natal care, if pregnant?

Heavy stuff, people, but somebody has to talk about it!

On the docket for today…

In about two hours, I have a meeting with my Journalism program director and my Moroccan journalism partner, Khaoula. Boy has she been patient with me! Between my classes, classes of her own, our excursions, and my ever-changing mind, she is a saint!

I am really looking forward to nailing this topic down and focusing in, so I can begin proper research. One of the photographers in my program is coming along. Perhaps he will ask to collaborate? I am not sure, but we shall see.

After that, I am coming home back to my bed. Why, you might ask? My stomach is failing me, ONCE AGAIN. I am coming to terms with the fact that I can no longer really eat Moroccan foods. Bread, water and maybe some tea are my best friends. I anticipate things will be better during Independent Study, as I will be buying my own food and cooking for myself. I will me channeling my inner Denise Collins (my mom) and making some healthy, American comfort foods. Soup anyone?

So, It’s looking like sleep, movies, and constant trips to the bathroom for me today. I have been up since about 5am, wondering why this is happening to me. I really shouldn’t have to spend the majority of my weeks in pain, upset, weak, debilitated and homesick. At least I am learning about myself and how to stay motivated. I have to stay positive that this will all make me stronger in the long run. What else can I do, right? It also doesn’t hurt that despite the ninety percent Moroccan bread diet, I will be coming home rather thin.

That’s it for me today people! I hope you enjoy this post. Next up, I hope to have some good news for you about my health, and some awesome pictures of the new place I will be living. SPOILER: It. Is. DOPE.

Also, tomorrow we head out to our third, and final, excursion! We will be visiting the tourist “Blue” city of Chefchaouen, and two other places, including the Spanish enclave of Ceuta! We will be learning about tourism, economy, migration and more! And technically, I will be able to say I’ve been to Spain after this. It is only overnight until Monday evening, so I will be able to blog and keep you good people in the loop.

Sincerely yours,

Rae

All Good Things Must Come to an End

October 16

Hey Readers,

The village life is coming to a bittersweet end! I am writing to you on my last evening of our village stay. Although I’d like to think that life can be this easy and simple, I must return back to Rabat, then to the states to graduate and move to the next part of my journey. I definitely won’t miss the horrible internet connection and dreaded Turkish squat toilet, but I have learned a lot about myself, privilege and the meaning of hard work. I don’t know what it is about Morocco; All of the places are so different, but I love all of them so much!

Earlier today we visited an association that assists physically and developmentally disabled children between the ages of thirteen and twenty-five. It is the ONLY association in the entire province, so they serve a rather large group of people and are flexible with ages. There is only one licensed doctor under employment and he visits twice per month. Somehow the workers and other staff make the situation work and create a positive environment for kids who are usually forced to stay in the house out of shame. I found the place especially interesting because it was a small staff dealing with many kids from a variety of different backgrounds and disability situations, yet every student seemed to get the attention and care they needed.

Growing up around an association for the disabled, I was very impressed with what these Moroccans have done with a lot fewer resources and the stigma and taboo around disability. I can say for sure that Moroccan people are so inspirational! I wish we could have actually spent time and interacted with the youth, but I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the place itself.

After lunch, another delicious Cous Cous Tafayah, our schedule changed, as it constantly does, and we headed to what we THOUGHT would be a five-star hamam, or Moroccan bath house. It was horrendous and I refused to go in there. Call me a princess, but when my bucket shower at my village host family’s house looked better than that place, I was through. We won’t talk about it, but I was so glad that I showered the day before.

This evening, Alex and I headed over to see our fellow classmates’, Libby and Frankie. After a short conversation, we set out with their younger host sister and brother and our two youngest host sisters to pick some figs! There are very few words that can describe just how flawless freshly-grown fruit from Morocco is. It was like an adventure or scavenger hunt!

The kids quickly taught us how to distinguish the ripe ones from the ones we should steer clear of, but took the liberty of picking most of them for us to eat. When I was confident that I knew what I was doing, I picked a few for tomorrow’s breakfast and “home” in Rabat.

It was a genuinely amazing end to our last day in rural Morocco! Things got even better when our family asked if we would like ANOTHER shower! YES WE WOULD. After the utter disappointment from the hamam earlier, it was a very nice gesture by our family.

As I am typing about water and bathing, I have realized that I never explained WHY we have not taken the normal liberties, as in Rabat. The village where we are staying is faced with severe water scarcity, with some families, nuclear and extended, or commune, sharing one water spigot. Our family is on the wealthier side, so they have plenty of water, but we came here to observe and adapt to their lives. I can definitely say that I am a lot more aware of my water use since coming to this place.

That’s all for today! All that is left for tonight is some dramatic soap operas, family bonding, and good food! I hope that you’ve enjoyed my village stay (through second-hand account) as much as I have!!

Back to the King’s city in a bit more that twelve hours.

More blogging soon!

Rae