smH li xuya, wesh ymkn lik t-3awni? Excuse me brother, would you help me?

I’ve been back in the US for 2 months now and I feel it necessary to make a final post to this blog. My lack of explanation has led to assumptions that I would like to correct.

My decision to leave Peace Corps, Morocco and the incredible friends I made there did not come lightly. Moroccans are probably the most generous and warm people you could ever hope to meet. With few exceptions, I was treated extremely well and with respect.  Some of the cultural and lifestyle differences proved to be challenging in ways that, in the end, I could not/would not live with without the support that I assumed came with Peace Corps. It could be a flawed system, it may have been a bad match, and I may just be a volunteer who isn’t up for 27 months of Peace Corps or all of the above. It was never about the way I was treated by Moroccans!

smH li xuya, wesh ymkn lik t-3awni? I asked this question, of a complete stranger, at least once a day. Every single time, the Moroccan responded by going out of his way to help me. I’ve asked for directions and been walked miles across town to my destination. I asked for information on housing rentals and I was taken door to door in search, for hours at a time. I was treated as family in every home I entered- always offered food, tea and blankets or extra clothing when it was cold. The children (who knew me) greeted me with kisses and love whenever they saw me, sometimes running blocks to reach me. The sincerity and hospitality of Moroccans is admirable and I truly hope to be a better person for the many lessons of kindness that I learned there.

I appreciate all of the support from friends and family. This completes this experiment.