So You Want to Run in Morocco?

Most things in life I have a pretty clear cut view on them. I either like them, don't like them or don't take the time to form an opinion. Running is one thing I cannot figure out. When I try and define how I feel about running, like/dislike are not strong enough adjectives, I have to move towards hate/love.

The entirety of my soccer career as a youngster, I hated running. My Mom always told me that hate was too strong a word but Mom, I am sorry, I hated running. I would have been a much better and more successful soccer player had I liked it just a little bit more.

When college started and I no longer had to run because someone else told me to, I started to enjoy it a little more. For a while I was a vigilant rec-center visitor and for a brief stint in South Carolina, a running-aholic. Running had started to grow on me.

After moving to Morocco and living in site for about 3 months I was having a tough time dealing with the many "dont's" of life here.

Don't wear short sleeves.
Don't talk to men.
Don't smile too much.
Don't make eye contact.
Don't. Don't. Don't.

Since running was one of those don'ts (since it violated the going outside too much- don't and the making yourself too attractive to men-don't) I choose it as my personal form of rebellion. The first day I started running I got up at 6 am, put on more clothes than a person should to go outside in the desert in the summer and ran a path that leads to no where. By the time I got back, my cooperative women were at my front door up in arms. They told me I couldn't run, that it just wasn't allowed. Aggravated, I told them that I was American, not Moroccan and that in America we run, freely.

I guess the elders were consulted and something of a small town meeting happened with the women, resulting in "permission" to go. After that, I had a fan club. Women would wait for me and cheer after my runs. They would pat me on the back and say how they wish they could run too. It was pretty good for a while.

Then, a volunteer not too far from me got attacked on her daily run and that was it, I was done running. With no 911 to call and no people within shouting distance, my run just seemed too risky.

Jump forward to July 2011, I have a new site, a site-mate and a better attitude. Sarah-Kate is a runner (I am more a jogger/ walker) so we get up every morning and make an hour long run/walk towards the outer villages. It's envigorating.

So as of now, I like running, but I definitely don't love it.



So you wanna run in Morocco? Grab your clothes. Despite the 100+ temperatures near the end of our run, it's long sleeves, long pants and something to cover your butt (or at least most of it). This yoga jacket from Mizzou and Claire's old yoga pants are lifesavers.

Movin' On Up to the East Side (of Tiznit that is)

This is my new house!


The living room.


My super nice bathroom which will soon have a shower, a HOT shower.


My hallway!


Yes, I have windows, real windows!


My bed!


My bedroom!


My hallway!


The other half of my kitchen.


My kitchen.

A Birthday Box!

After a week long adventure with Tracy I came home to find my parent's amazing birthday present, a birthday box! Complete with all the best goodies and a new pair of yoga pants!


The AMAZING birthday box my family sent!


Sarah-Kate enjoying the chicken tacos we made thanks to the tortillas my family sent and the avocado we found in site! They were so YUMMY!

Two Worlds Collide

This month has been insane, by far the busiest month I have had in over a year. It seems as soon as one thing ended, the next thing popped right up. One of the highlights of this last month has been two separate visits from three great friends.

Around the 4th of July, two friends from Mizzou (Sam and Libby) came and we did a crash-course in Southern Morocco. We covered quite some kilometers on our trip and spent a better part of the time they were here traveling. We spent a day in Marrakech, traveled to Essaouira, then got in a LONG cab riding adventure down to my site. The following day we went back up to Agadir in time for them to catch the bus to Fez. They got to experience some real village life, walking around the market, meeting locals and drinking tea with my extra-nice former counterpart. They got to see life before I moved :)

Later in the month my dear friend Tracy from my Lead America summer days detoured from her Spain trip to visit me. It was quite simply, wonderful. We relaxed, talked about life, caught up, told funny stories and even treated ourselves to 2 hour massages (which were AMAZING, FYI). She is currently dominating American right now by serving as a corps member for Teach For America in a charter school in Colorado. I learned so much about teaching 5th grade! The greatest part of her visit was the ability to share our similar (and wildly different) experiences. Both have tested our patience, endurance and strength. I might have even convinced her to give Peace Corps a try!

The reason I titled this post "Two Worlds Collide" is that in my mind I operate in two different spheres. There is "American Cara" who drinks beer with her friends, goes to museums, hangs out with her family, travels around the States and likes to study. On the other end of the spectrum is "Moroccan Karmia" who would never think about eating a piece of bacon, wouldn't touch a drink if someone paid her to, speaks Tashlheet, smiles quietly when men try and greet her and enjoys running. There is some overlap, sure, but for the most part I feel like it is the same person living in two different worlds. I think this is how it is supposed to be. I cannot truly be either person, truly, in the other place, so this is how it must be.

People who visit enter me into this weird middle ground. I am neither one nor the other completely. That being said, it was fun to translate for them, show them around this country I have grown to love and expose them to a new and more exciting Morocco than they would have gotten out of a Lonely Planet guide book. This is the Morocco I love, or have grown to love, and I love being able to share it with those who are willing to listen.

This is also an invitation, if you are reading this and thinking "I might like to visit Morocco and/or see Cara" you SHOULD. It's fun and the food is pretty good. We would have a blast.















These lovely photos are courtesy of Tracy.

A Game-Changing Month

I recently listened to the newest This American Life podcast titled, Game Changer and thought that might be a great way to categorize my last month. Two different visits from three great friends, saying goodbye to one community and hello to another, moving everything I own in one tiny truck with only a broken mirror (yes, I realize that is not a good omen) and broken plate as well as booking our Ramadan adventure through Spain.

All in all I fell lucky that things are going well and look forward to the coming nine months, the end is drawing near.

Tracy is here now, enjoying the sites and sounds of Marrakech and tomorrow we are headed to the beautiful beach town of Essaouira. It will be a blast.