Things I Will Miss

The countdown has begun. On Wednesday we will begin our closing paperwork with the Peace Corps, and then if all goes smoothly, by Friday or Saturday we'll be heading back to the US. It's all felt very surreal recently, but last night as we took some photos with our wonderful host family after the Ramadan break fast, things started to set in and I spent some time reflecting on the last two years of our lives.

Justin and me with our adoptive family.

A while back, I put a sheet of paper on the wall with 2 columns: Things I Will Miss About Morocco and Things I Miss About the US. As we near the end I thought I'd share the list here.

Things I Will Miss About Morocco

• The relationships that we've made with the wonderful people we met here.
• The smell of fresh bread baking in the community oven down the street.
• People saying "Bssaha" to me when I run through the community (it means "To your health" and it's like I have a group of cheerleaders along a race route, I love it!).
• The stars at night (particularly during the summer when we have clear nights, it is breathtaking).
• Walking everywhere in town, and always seeing people we know.
• Going to the daily market to buy cheap vegetables, fruits, and meats and being able to spend several hours cooking amazing meals with all fresh ingredients.
• The unbelievable hospitality and generosity of Moroccans. I can't even begin to describe it.
• Amazingly crazy color combinations in homes (we're talking pink and orange couches with purple and lime green curtains - sounds crazy but it works!).
• Delicious olive oil, cheap and straight from the press.
• Minty wonderful sugary tea.

Things I Miss about the US

• Our friends and family, of course.
• Gyms and exercise classes - Some days I could kill for some Zumba that's not just on my computer screen!
• Movie theaters. I'm already gearing up for some summer releases :)
• An array of foods that are hard to come by here, most notably cheese, portabello mushrooms, and black beans.
• Air conditioning and heating.
• Restaurants and take-out food.
• Knowing that when I speak to someone I am definitely understood (and I understand them too).
• Microwaves! Reheating food on the stovetop or in the oven can get old.