A Few "Last" Visits

For the better part of the last two years, I have been an active participant in the "I will come back later" game. Every time I visited a city, a souk (market) or some place cool, I was like, "I don't need to buy that now because I can always come back later and get it." The reality is that I have finally come to the point where I won't be coming back. With less than two weeks left in country, I have a lot of shopping to do.

This past weekend I decided I wanted to do a final tour of my favorite city, Essaouira. I was going to get a massage, buy a leather bag and eat some delicious meals with my Essa crew. After spending a full day in Essa, I was convinced to head to Marrakech for one last final night on the crazy Jemma El-Fnna (and to buy a leather bag). After nearly 4 hours on a crappy bus, I arrived in Marrakech. It was just as crazy as always but I got an opportunity to show some Fullbright students, visit from Spain and Jordan, around the square. It is always more fun to see Morocco through someone else's eyes.

I got lots of cool souvenirs, so much so that I actually ran out of money and had to head back to Anezi. I am excited that my bag is filling up with cool things to remember Morocco by!

Only a few more days left in site and more posts to come about this crazy "closing service" experience.

Nina buying her weekly veggies in Essaouria!

Adam and Dianna eating at Green Wok in Essa.

We had a lot of fun at Green Wok with the nice owner and his cute sweaters.

I love this Essa bread and oil. Yummy.

The blue and white pottery made in Fez but sold in Marrakech. I may have broken some of these plates...

The Fullbright friends I made, Sam and Hannah, who I introduced to Harira and their lives have forever been changed for the better.

Awesome Moroccan shoes.

I love the markets at night.

My Road

I realized on my run yesterday that I only have four more days left to run this road which has meant to so much to me. It is where I have gotten out my frustrations, worked through my anxieties and even lost a few pounds. I love this road, the view and all of the mental clarity it has brought me. I am sincerely going to miss it!

Possible.

I was surfing Pinterest, attempting to get my mind off of the constant anxiety I am feeling these days, and I found a quote that I found quite fitting.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." -Nelson Mandela

My service seemed impossible right from the start. I never thought I would get through that plane ride to Philadelphia, or that first night with my host family during training, or the first year, or the first real challenge I faced, but the truth is that I did. I have been here over two years, and I survived and thrived. I never thought it would happen.

Some volunteers say that they never considered early-terminating, I was not one of those volunteers. I thought about it daily for a few months and staying seemed impossible. It wasn't. I did.

The truth and realization is that I made it and I did it. I completed my Peace Corps service and I am quite proud of the person that came out the other end.

I only have 15 days left in Anezi.

Dental Work in Morocco

A major component of our Close of Service conference was a medical check-out. We have spent two years drinking weird water (I once found a fish living in my drinking-water tank), eating less-than-clean food and living in an unbelievably stressful environment, making our medical 'checking-out' important, really important.

My medical clearance went well, and aside from some possibly life-long parasite friends, I am in good shape. Actually, I am in better shape than when I left, at least physically. My mental state is an entirely different can of worms!

My dental clearance was not as rosy as my medical check-out was. I have always had a lot of dental problems. Most can be associated to my formerly high sugar diet, my past excessive diet-soda drinking and my current lack of flossing. Some are thanks to my damaged dental gene pool. Either way, my first year in Morocco I was cavity free. I was stoked.

This year when I went to the dentist, I expected the same stellar report-card; but alas, it did not come. I had two cavities, one small and one large. The lucky thing for me was that since my dental appointment wasn't until Friday, I got to spend the weekend in Rabat on Peace Corps' dime, and meet Hillary Clinton. Monday and Tuesday of last week I had my cavities filled and all was good.

By Friday morning, I couldn't think of doing anything but crying because of how much pain I was in. The sad and inevitable truth was that I needed a root canal.

I trudged, unwillingly, back to Rabat on Sunday to get my root canal Monday morning. While the entire experience wasn't too bad (thanks to the excessive novocaine), I would not desire to repeat it anytime soon. Having tiny needles drilled in and out of the root of my tooth was not that enjoyable and the sound of metal on my tooth drove me wacky.

The one saving grace to the entire experience was that I got to see my actual tooth nerve. I have never seen a tooth nerve, and before Monday I was only vaguely aware that my teeth even had nerves. After using this really long and scary screw-looking drill, the dentist pulled out this long stringy thing from my tooth. It was my nerve.

I could never cut it as a doctor or a nurse, even a dentist. I can't handle the "eww" factor of many medical things but I think I could cut it as a medical examiner. I think the human body is fascinating and the more cool parts I get to see in real-life the better.

The nerve is the long pinkish string-like thing on the lid of the cup.

That's the Dentist holding my nerve with his tools.

Some of you may be grossed out by the photo and for that I am sorry. I was fascinated. The dentist told me I am the first person ever to request a photo. Success.

Meeting Hillary!

I spent the second to last week in February in Rabat with my fellow stage-mates in our close of service conference. Towards the end of the week, rumors started buzzing that Hillary Clinton was coming to Morocco and that some PCVs might even get to attend the event. After a very short sign up time, it was confirmed that about 60 of us would get to attend the event. Woo hoo.

On Sunday February 26th, we got dressed up and headed to the Embassy to hear Hillary speak. She was on her way back to the states after some meetings in North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, ect) and stopped by Morocco to break ground on the new (and NEEDED) embassy complex. We were just lucky enough to be around and get invited. The crowd was small and it was extremely easy to see and understand her!

After a few hours of waiting, Hillary came and delivered a speech on the long standing unity between Morocco and the United States. Morocco was the very first country to recognize the United States, before we had even won the Revolutionary War in 1777. The speech was great, there were a few shout-outs to the Peace Corps and its work in Morocco, and even a group photo with some Moroccan and American kids who's parents work for the US Embassy and Peace Corps.

I was lucky enough to have moved to the front of the crowd just in time for her to walk the perimeter and shake my hand. It was really cool.

We spent the rest of the day relishing in the 'meeting Hillary' glow. It was a really cool experience and one I feel lucky to have had. 

Jancy, Scott and myself waiting to see Hillary.

Hannah came all the way up from the Souss to see Hillary.

Ambassador Kaplan, his wife and Hillary at the US Embassy in Morocco.

Luis and I waiting for Hillary inside the Embassy compound.

Our medical gal, Hanane and her adorable family!

Hillary walking around the crowd shaking hands.

Jancy, Sami and Nina with their 'meeting Hillary' afterglow.