Woot Woot

Training went from being just another study abroad experience into real life after we all got our site assignments. I just got back to Fes after two weeks at my site and visiting another volunteer. But for the first time, coming back to Fes doesn’t feel like coming home; it is more like I am just biding my time before getting settled.

Although I only had four days there, so far, I love my town. I left Vermont, but I get two more years in the mountains. They don’t look anything like the Greens or the Adirondacks, but they are breathtaking. The view from the kitchen of my homestay family is glorious. GLORIOUS. Apparently in January there is snow up in the mountains, but it only rains in my town.

I will be returning to my site from Fes after swearing-in on November 26th. Although I am not looking forward to the actual traveling part, I am thrilled to be going back to my town. In order to get there from Fes I have to take a 7 hour train, which can last up to 9 hours depending on whether or not the track has actually been laid yet, to Marrakech. Because as volunteers we are not allowed to travel at night, I stay the night in Marrakech and then continue the next morning on a 4 hour bus South to the Agadir region. From there I take a series of two grand taxis totaling about 3.5 hours of travel, in addition to any combination of ½ to many hours of waiting, to my site. It is exhausting, but beautiful, especially on the second day traveling through the anti-Atlas.

I will be taking over for a current volunteer who will be leaving right before I arrive and will be able to take over her language classes, youth and women’s club, and even a girls’ soccer team she is involved with! Needless to say, I am pumped to relive the glory days of Maret Soccer. No big deal. I played Varsity.

I would love to post a few more photos, but I am afraid the image uploading technology is not performing to the best of its ability today. Ttyl.