Passport and Pack

Follow R. A. Wilson as she follows the wind across the African desert and the European countryside.

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How awesome is this?! Bochra is using this program we did together in her current position in Czech Republic! 

You go girl!

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Between Homes

Current Location: Somewhere in Florida (my mom moved here from Georgia while I was in Morocco) Current Job: Job Hunting, all day, everyday day

I originally titled this “coming home” but as soon as I sat down to write, I felt hindered by the idea that this town I’ve never lived in before might be considered home over my Moroccan village of two years, simply because it’s in the U.S. And yet, my mama’s house will feel like home no matter where in world that may be... even in a new apartment in a new town in a new state.

And so here I am, somewhere in between the home of a fish-out-of-water-with-make-shift-wings I made for myself in Morocco, and the I-have-the-perfect-job-in-a-trendy-city-with-friends-around-every-corner I intend to have by my 28th birthday.  Between Homes.

Photo: Me with my Moroccan bestie on the left and my mother on the right.

Do I miss Morocco? Of course I miss the people of my village I came to know and love, those that made it a home. But I can’t pretend I’m not relishing in the freedom I now have to wear what I please and live without restraint. But I am so glad I served without giving up when it seemed unbearable. I will forever be grateful for the lessons Morocco taught me and the two-year journey Peace Corps took me on. And I will forever appreciate the small freedoms of life in the states I overlooked and took for granted.

I haven’t found my new home yet, so for now Morocco still claims my heart. As long as there are still things to be shared about that place I love so much, this blog with not fade into retirement. Morocco isn’t through with me just yet. :)

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Saying Goodbye

After two years in my village, it definitely feels like home. The students I have come to know and love are a part of my life and it feels so hard to say goodbye.  My last Saturday in site as a PCV, they threw me a goodbye party at the Youth Center where I have concentrated most of my work. 

Per the usual, the guys played songs broken up by testimonies about how I have meant something to them. It was emotional. 

And of course I was called upon to make a speech... in Darija. It started with laughter at my language mistakes and ended with tears and no words to explain how precious their love and openness has meant to me. 

And then, photos! First with all the girls, then with all the boys. Then with my beginner girls’ class (my most faithful group of the two years!) 

Clockwise from top left: GLOW club, English club, girls from my aerobics class at the women’s center, and random youth! 

Once the photos started, it was hard to stop them! Soon all was chaos as selfies were demanded by all. And even an autograph. Selfies probably constituted an hour, but it was so nice to have a little personal moment with everyone I’ve worked with and known. 

But even after all this, I was not ready to say goodbye. Some of us lingered until the the Youth Center closed and still unable to let go, we went for a walk.

Soukayna started singing “I’m gonna miss you when you’re gone” as we danced and roamed through the town. More selfies, more singing, more tears... I didn’t know how to tear myself away. But the sun had set and it was time to prepare for my morning train, so we finally parted ways. Goodbye for now, not forever.

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Feeling a bit like a celebrity with the selfie line at my hefla this afternoon… but the smiles were all genuine, though at times accompanied with tears, as I said goodbye to some of the most wonderful youth I’ve ever known. Sidi Rahal forever.

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All this and more. My time in Morocco has been rich with life lessons; I am forever changed. 

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Lesson Learned: There is Beauty in Solitude

Being alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. There is so much to see and enjoy in this world, and sometimes that is best done by oneself. 

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Lesson Learned: Kids Are Tough

Whether it be walking miles to and from school daily, learning the family business, or helping in the home, kids can handle a lot. Kids are way smarter and tougher than we often give them credit for. I love how in Morocco the older kids so often are the ones teaching the younger kids how to navigate life. 

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Lesson Learned: The Hijab is Not Scary

Often framing a warm smile, playful eyes, and the lovely face of a friend, a woman’s head scarf has become almost invisible to me now. When I see a Moroccan woman, I see her faith, her personality, her joy, whether she’s a hijabi or not. 

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Lesson Learned: All Ages Can Work Together

It never occurred to me how often we Americans divide youth up for this or that lesson or activity. When I first started leading classes at the youth center, I tried to have seperate classes for all ages, but the students who were eager to learn would come to all of them. Eventually it all just blended to one group of students. It became clear the division I was trying to create was not natural or necessary. Whether it be academic, athletic, or leisure, I’ve seen such a communal approach to learning and playing. I love it!  

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Lesson Learned: Embrace the Seasons

There's a certain charm to living in a community where everyone celebrates the rain. Everyone knows: no rain, no crops. It goes beyond solidarity with farmers, it's connectivity with Mother Earth. A connection we have lost in the USA; a connection I seek to restore. 

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Lesson Learned in Peace Corps: Have Patience

Ramadan is a long season of fasting. And L3id is a long day. Starting from early morning, we wait many hours as the sacrificial animals are killed, skinned, gutted, cleaned, and cooked. Talk about food prep! But this is just one of the many elements of Moroccan culture that has taught me patience. It takes days if not weeks or months to get anything official done. I’ve learned to just chill and go with the flow. Though I worry my leisurely ways will quickly be cast off by the fast pace of the USA, I hope to retain at least a fraction of the patience that is required of us daily. 

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Lesson Learned in Peace Corps: The Shining Star Isn't Always the Celebrity

Meeting Meryl Streep and the former First Lady, Michelle Obama might be some of the most crystallized, unforgettable moments of my service. Both women exuded grace and kindness beyond expectation. But knowing the young women who hold the future of Morocco in their hands is by far the greater honor. The world may never know their names, but they are undoubtedly changing their country and paving the way for girls yet to be born. I am so happy to have been a part of their lives and for them to have been a part of mine. Shining stars are all around us if only we would open our eyes. 

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Lesson Learned in Peace Corps: Joy is in Everyone

I will never forget the vibrant smile of this dear girl competing in gymnastics at the Special Olympics. Photos cannot capture just how much she brightened the room. Life, it seems, gets ever more complicated as time marches on, and joy becomes more rare with age. But this girl had the secret. Live simply, live joyfully.  

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Lesson Learned in Peace Corps: Get To Know Your Food

Whether it be produce or meat, I love being connected to this part of life. Daily I see sheep and goats grazing in the fields and men and women harvesting whatever is in season. I know the meat I eat had a good life and was slaughtered in a decent way. I know the vegetables I buy were harvested locally and the money is going to support a family. Truth be told, I am most concerned about how to conjure this an American context, but this lesson feels so deep that I won’t be quick to give it up. 

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Lesson Learned: Work With Your Hands

Get sticky. Get dirty. It’ll always wash off. Forks are overrated anyways. 

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Lesson Learned in Peace Corps: Anything Can Be an Art

Before Morocco I never thought that the way in which one pours tea could be anything more than efficient and practical. But here, something I once considered ordinary is artful and entertaining. Whether it’s for a customer, a lunch guest, or a wedding party, a good host never forgoes an opportunity to dazzle her/his company with the art of the pour. 

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Lesson Learned in Peace Corps: Being Is Greater Than Doing

How many hours have I passed in Morocco with nothing having been done? So many it would make a deadbeat blush. I’ve spent countless hours sitting on a stool in someone’s kitchen. Countless hours playing peek-a-boo with my little host sister. Countless hours watching Turkish Soap Operas with friends. Though right now, as my mind craves projects to reflect on in hopes of calming my anxiety that I’ve done too little, all the hours of being don’t feel like much. But I know that these will be the moments that I will miss, that my friends will miss. It was in these moments that friendships formed. In these moments that I found peace within myself and connection with those around me.