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Dear Souk al Hed (or at least our little L-shaped corner of it), Thank you for having us– it feels like just yesterday when we first stepped off the bus, but already we will soon be saying our goodbyes and getting back on the bus for Rabat– and then Seattle. Getting to know you has taken a lot less time than I expected, for you welcomed us immediately into your home, but still, even on T-minus 1 day until our departure– I am still meeting new people and learning new things about you: the most effective way to cat whisper (pspsps), how Moroccan pizza is made, how to weave palm leaves into the shape of a flip flop… It’s really true that the more you know, the more you don’t know– I am definitely coming out of this experience with more questions than answers. I will miss your warm smiles, abundance of cats, and beautiful sunsets…our evening walks together, soccer on the roof, and listening to you at all times of the day– your crickets chirping at night, your pigeons cooing in the morning,...

Dear Future GSL Student, Now that I have completed (almost) a full GSL trip, I wanted to write this letter so that anyone preparing to go on a GSL trip would be ready for anything. Preparing to leave your home for a month can be scary. With or without preparation you may still feel scared, nervous, or homesick. But, going on this trip is something I will never regret and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did.  Tip #1: Be open. The thing scaring you the most right now might be the fact that you don’t speak the native language there. Guess what? That’s okay! As long as you are open to trying new things you will build such a powerful and strong connection. I was lucky enough to find connection primarily in joy and laughter. Our family loves Uno, so playing and laughing with them is how I have best gotten to know them. Tip #2: Be aware. While this trip will and should be fun, that’s not necessarily the primary goal. As you wake up every morning and head out to do service, remember ...

The last few days have marked nearing the end of our GSL trip. Two days ago, I had to say goodbye to my host parents, sister, and cousins. Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to the rest of my host sisters. Although in some goodbyes there were tears shed, throughout all goodbyes, there seemed to be a presence of “this isn’t the end”. At first, I thought the “casual” goodbyes weren’t meaningful because isn’t a goodbye supposed to be a little more sentimental than other greetings? Why are we shaking hands to mark our departure? Why no tears? After thinking a little, I realized that maybe this doesn’t have to be a goodbye. Yes, we are physically leaving each other; however, emotionally, we will always be present within each other. In the future, I hope to come back again. This family, that I had just met a few weeks ago, have played a significant role in my personal development over this trip. For the time now we are apart, I have pieces of them in forms of bracelets and pictures. Hopefully i...

On our first day of leading classes, Ellie and I wound up teaching an impromptu English lesson with kids who wanted to learn more English. Our on-the-spot lesson plan consisted of using facial expressions and extreme voices to convey the emotions happy, sad, and okay. From that day on, we have frequently found them practicing these words, using the words to communicate how they feel. These 3 words may seem basic, however they can still convey the culmination of emotions I have experienced throughout this trip. Okay From the moment I landed in Morocco, I could already feel effects of the the heat. The transition from rainy 60 degree weather to dry 100 degree heat was stark. Everyone on our trip had to learn to live within the discomfort of the heat while taking steps to listening to our bodies and ensure all of us were properly hydrated. I’ve learned how to be okay with the heat, looking forward to our few 90 degree days and constantly sipping on gatorade powder. Sad On one of our fina...

My host mom’s name is Fatima. She is an amazing, sweet, kind, and welcoming person. Whenever I see her, she immediately bursts into a smile and a kiss on the cheek. When I met her for the first time, she led me to the prettiest salon in the house and brought out a whole chicken just for me to eat. And when I said I was full, she said zid, zid! Cooli, cooli, afek! (Add some! Eat please!). I could tell she was just such a warm person, even though I didn’t know any Darija. I felt like I could always depend on her smile to make me feel welcomed, but I noticed that she and the whole family rarely sat with us to eat meals. And listening to the experiences of my peers and how so many of them had a close connection with their host parents, I began to feel a little jealous, hurt, but also regret. I was hurt because I wanted her to sit with us and talk to us and tell us about her life. I want to learn about her. Perhaps this space is because they want to treat us guests with respect. And that in...

English classes: A tangible, non-physical impact Language. Simply a collection of words. Words a collection of sounds and sounds a collection of pressure changes in the air. And yet it’s arguably the most powerful thing on the earth. It can act as the great connector or the great divider. For each, its meaning is different– words such as paroxysmal, effulgent, lattice, William. For some, just another assemblance of noise but for others endless amounts of meaning, stories, and value. This is part of what has always fascinated me– the vast spectrum of value language carries. Take me for example. On day one with my host family, the Darija they spoke, to my ears was one long sound, devoid of any meaning and even lacking emotional subtleties. But now during dinner listening in I hear individual words, subtle inflections, and I can grasp upon the occasional word that has meaning to my ears. When thinking about this my mind goes to one of the main service projects we are focusing on which is ...

Almost every evening, we go on a walk with many of our host siblings and other kids in the community. We go along a path beside a mountain called Tifrint. Returning just before sunset, we are able to avoid the worst of the heat and enjoy the beautiful landscape. For me, the walks have provided an opportunity to connect with individuals on a deeper level. Oftentimes on the walks, I walk with Nawal, one of the teenage girls in the village. Early on the trip, our conversations were often very surface level. We would discuss things like “favorite color” or just walk alongside each other. As time went on, my language skills in Darija and hers in English have improved, allowing us to talk in depth. On our most recent walk, I learned that she wants to become a veterinarian and live in Meknes after she finishes high school and college. In a conversation combining English, Darija, and French, we were able to talk for the full hour long walk. While it’s only been a month together, I feel so conn...

Hello. As this trip comes to a close, I am left with many questions. Our Lakeside leaders say that having questions is good even at the end of a journey like this. I definitely agree because how else will our thoughts linger with the families and community who are graciously hosted us for a whole month. How else will we still think about our growth over these weeks without the support of questions. While I agree that questions are crucial to continued growth and understanding, some questions plague me still. Questions about service. We have had the amazing opportunity, over the 4 weeks of this trip, to participate in various service projects in the community. For two weeks we taught three classes a day, English, French, and Math. After our mid-trip reflection in Fes, we ran soccer camps and continued our English classes. Finally in the last week, we have worked to create informational and thank-you videos for our local Anou-connected co-op. Throughout all these projects, we have been a...

During our question-writing reflection day, I wrote in my journal, “How can I use the term ‘culture’ appropriately?” Before this trip, culture has always been a word I used loosely, without much thought. A lot of us have mentioned how excited we were to learn about Moroccan culture during this trip. It wasn’t until our conversation of comparing Moroccan vs. American culture when I was faced with the complexities of the word. How can I even define Moroccan culture with so little knowledge of the country? I cannot classify all of Morocco under one term, when I have only visited 3 primary locations, all with notable differences. I had the opportunity to talk with Melissa about how complex Moroccan culture is, and how one must acknowledge the Amazigh origins and France’s colonial influence. I’ve become aware of how often our group mentions how beautiful Moroccan culture is, but what facets of the region are we actually referring to? This reflection has made me question how I define America...

Janet and I’s host mom Fatima is an amazing cook! Every meal I’ve had so far has been delicious. The breakfasts can include: miloui, hobbs (bread), Moroccan pancakes (which are made from semolina flour and have little holes in them), and a variety of honey, jam, butter, and cheese that you can eat with the bread or anything else. To drink, we always have tea, sometimes with mint if they have it. For lunch, we typically eat a variety of different tagines and couscous (ksksou) always on Fridays. Some of the different tagines are: chicken, vegetables (carrots, okra, potatoes, cucumbers) and spiced with paprika, saffron, ginger powder, pepper, and salt with olive oil. Sometimes, our host mom will also make fries which are put on top of the tagine and eaten with everything in it. Then there’s my favorite tagine which is a little sweeter with onions, potatoes, grapes, chicken (mine are always without), and a different combination of spices I’m not entirely sure of. The grapes end up more lik...

How to Make Moroccan Mint Tea (with your host family) Equipment A measuring spoon A well used, 1 Liter teapot A stovetop Teacups (enouch to match the number of tea drinkers present, usually between 4 and 20, depending on which relatives are visiting. But extra cups are always better, just in case.) Ingredients Chinese gunpowder green tea (the kind at the corner store) SUGAR Boiling water Procedure Add 4 Heaping teaspoons of ten leaves to the teapot. Cover them with just enough water to completely submerge them. Swirl the pot to clean the leaves, then pour out the water and discard. Add one lump of sugar. No, not the smallest lump that seems plenty large enough to delicately and deliciously sweeten the beverage. Grab the softball-sized lump of sugar. The one that your host mom pointed to and you stared at with a shocked and slightly concerned glance, realizing you’ve been getting most of your daily calories from tea for the past 3 weeks. Yeah. Grab that one and drop it in the pot. Cover...

As we are nearing the end of the trip, I’ve been thinking back upon what all has contributed to such a special experience. And as I think about all my favorite moments and memories, they all center around people. Today was the day that Mr. Boccuzzi left, and as he did he left us with a question. How has our experience and our perceptions shifted from when we first arrived to now? And as I thought about this question, my mind went to my (host) family around the dinner table. For me growing up, family dinners have always been an incredibly valuable and special time, often full of laughter and bonding. And then I thought back a few days ago to a recent dinner and compared it to my first few meals here. I remember my first couple meals being eaten in mostly silence. With the kids sitting further away and the general attitude towards each other was one of shyness and nervousness (which to be fair is kinda to be expected but I’m using this for the sake of example). And then comparing to Sund...

Recently, I’ve begun helping out more in the kitchen, especially before lunch– a time when we often have Zalouk, a tasty eggplant side dish. I’ve found that food always somehow tastes better when you make it yourself– maybe because you appreciate it more since you know the amount of effort which went into making a dish. For Zalouk, that has definitely been the case– there are so many more steps to this dish than I had imagined. Without further ado, here is the rough recipe! Sautee diced tomatoes and onions in olive oil with spices (cumin, salt, etc.) Roast eggplant in oven until blackened (skin should be slightly crunchy/crispy) Peel skin off eggplant using water to help separate skin  Cut peeled eggplant into small chunks Put eggplant into pan with tomato/onion mixture, which should be a tomato sauce-like texture, and mix until combined Add spices to taste (cumin, paprika, salt), cook until eggplant is soft Finished! Serve as a side dish, eat it with bread, or whatever else your h...

Marhaba, Borchim a Bayim, Bienvenue, and Welcome to another blog. Today was a great day even though it reached the high 30s, low 40s. I’m just going to give a rundown on the wonderful day’s events, so you can know more about what your kid or family member has been doing down here. Today was a day of amazing adventure, and it started off with a journey to the local co-op.  Last time we were at the co-op, our first morning in the village, we were able to talk to the seasoned craftsmen about their work and their connection to Anou which is the partner organization which helps market and ensure more equitable pay for the artisans. This time at the co-op, in addition to once again talking to the artisans including my host mom Hannan, we had an opportunity to buy their products! After profusely thanking our host moms and the other artisans, we were on our way to the next stop on our adventurous and unique schedule, the potter’s shop. There, everyone had an opportunity to try their hand a...

Today we spent some more time reflecting on our service here. Our leaders posed us two main questions. First, what is service? Second, who are we actually serving and how do we know we’re making a positive impact? Thinking about the first question we all mostly agreed that service was helping a person/group without the expectation of something in return. Where discussion arose was when we spoke about one’s intentions while doing service. I believe that impact is impact regardless of intention, but size of impact can change based on intention . When someone is more emotionally invested and genuinely cares, I believe they can make a greater impact. Reflecting on the second question I, and most of the group, agree that while much of our service directly impacts the children we are in fact impacting the whole village: parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Whether or not what we’re giving outweighs what we’re receiving is where most of our discussion lay. We are giving our privilege of...

We started off the day early, waking up at 7:00. We must always cover our elbows and knees, so even though we were going to soccer camp later that day, we put on our long, flowy more traditional outfits rather than athletic clothing. We have been hosting a soccer camp for the local community for a few days now in M’rirt. Every day, we have different kids because we can’t bring everyone all at once: always 5 girls and 5 boys. The leaders have made a point of having equal amounts of each gender at the soccer camp because we want the message to be that both guys and girls can play soccer. For the camp, we rented a turf field at a cafe/soccer place and a facility that none of the village kids have had a change to use, despite it not being that far away. It’s easy to see a soccer camp as just a small thing, but I see that it really can be more than just a fun activity. It can be empowering as well. I don’t know the effects of this small part of our GSL, I don’t think anyone can ever really ...