Hello Hello

It has been a while since my last post, but I have been trying to keep busy with new volunteers, lesson plans, and student ventures. Since my last post I have gone once again to a Moroccan home from infamous Friday Cous-cous. I have also spent some time on the beach in the town of Temara, right beside of Rabat where most of my students live. Not to mention this past weekend I ventured to Spain for the first time in my life. I am not sure how to describe it but I enjoyed every second. Traveling there I assumed would be pretty simple although it took a substantial amount of time, especially when we missed our first train.

The plan was to catch a train from Rabat to Tanger, then a ferry across the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish town of Tarifa. The next morning we would head up to Sevilla by bus in order for my travel companion, another volunteer named Zenia, to continue her journey elsewhere in Europe and for me to visit with my dear friend Caitlin who is studying in Alicante. Except for the missed train we traveled somewhat flawlessly, which does not necessarily mean comfortably. The port of Tanger isn't an especially friendly place and at night it can be best described as "sketchy". You cannot tell who works there and who is necessarily official, and I am pretty sure the metal detectors and security machines do not work since I found my pocket knife in my pocket after going through. The ferry was incredibly nice though and everything in Spain proved to be fantastic. The people are very friendly even though my Spanish is terrible, luckily Zenia is close to fluent. Sevilla is a beautiful town and I wish I could have stayed longer although I had to leave on the first bus out Sunday morning in order to reach the ferry, to grab the train and get to Rabat by 9pm.

I was glad to see Caitlin and meet a friend of hers but it was sad to say goodbye to Zenia who I have lived with the past month in Rabat. I am sure she is still relishing the Spanish experience. I don't doubt I will return to Spain soon, as long as I manage my money correctly.

Sadly I was there for such a short while that I didn't even get to break out my camera but did snag a picture from Caitlin of all of us near the University of Sevilla while we walked around the town on Saturday.

I hope everyone is doing great and I can't wait to speak to many of you soon. It is wild to think that I have been here a month already.

B'slamma,

AP