So I have 1 week left before I go and I couldn't be more excited! I've started talking with some people on my program (well, really 1), but we're all starting to become Facebook friends and whatnot. We all come from really awesome schools and all different experience levels with Arabic (so I've noticed), so we're bound to have a great time and learn a lot! One of the students even created a Facebook group for all of us to chat and discuss our upcoming excursion. I have a feeling we're all going to become very close, especially since there are only 12 of us!
My last day of work was on Sunday. I originally thought about requesting to work this week, but then decided against it so that I'd have time to dedicate to getting some last-minute items, get in some last hoorahs with friends and family, and, of course, STUDY AND READ!!!! I am also going to stick to my weekly goal of going to the gym 4 times. It shouldn't be difficult since I don't have to go to work, but it's hard to motivate myself since it's hot and I'm putting pressure on myself to get mandatory trip-related things done. Since I've been home, I've been super busy with working, volunteering, seeing friends, working out, etc. It'll definitely be nice to have a bit of down time before leaving (or at least more down time than I'm used to). Good news is that I've been getting enough sleep. Even more good news about not working- I won't be commuting to Baltimore a few times a week....the trip can be really energy-draining. So with a little motivation and drive, I'll get everything done that I need to. Six days and counting!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
My Program Group
Yesterday I got a list of people that will be in my program! There are 12 of us in total, so it will be nice and personal :-). I am the only one from the University in Pittsburgh! In the list, we were given the names, universities, addresses, and email addresses. Hopefully we will all get in touch before the start of the program, but if not, just another 11 days!
There are two other girls from the DC area. One girl is from Dulles and goes to a non-traditional university and the other is from DC and goes to American University. Maybe we'll be on the same flight out of Dulles?
I recently realized that I'll be missing a VERY important annual event this summer whilst abroad- Shark Week. But that's okay because I'll be visiting two different continents!!!!! Sooooooo worth it!
There are two other girls from the DC area. One girl is from Dulles and goes to a non-traditional university and the other is from DC and goes to American University. Maybe we'll be on the same flight out of Dulles?
I recently realized that I'll be missing a VERY important annual event this summer whilst abroad- Shark Week. But that's okay because I'll be visiting two different continents!!!!! Sooooooo worth it!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Two Weeks!
Two weeks left to go! I am so stoked! I know all 3 of my posts so far have been about how excited I am, but in all seriousness, it's going to be great :-)
Yesterday I bought some new sneakers from DSW. They were on sale for 30% off AND I had a $10 off coupon. When all was said and done, I spent about $26 on them. They will be excellent for the amount of walking I'll be doing!
I'm still in freak-out mode about all the stuff I need to do before I leave- pack, laundry, clean up my room, get in some last-minute visits with people, read my mandatory book, and study Arabic. I've been studying Arabic when working at the door in the Kid's Room at the Science Center. Thankfully, I've gotten through 7 chapters. I think I have roughly 12 or 13 chapters left in this book, then 4 in my other book. Yikes! Good news is that reviewing has been fun (and not very stressful) and it's been good practice. What's great about all of this is that I'm getting paid to do it, since I'm doing it at work! I used to spend door duty reading my required book, "Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges", but I'd get distracted and lose my place when I'd let people in and out of the door. Needless to say, I've been working on that book elsewhere. My plan is to spend some time at the library during my last week here. I'll go there for a few hours like it's finals week and just chug away at my work. I have 2 days left of "job" work, so I'll have plenty of time to get my life straightened out.
In the meantime, I'm also looking for stuff for my apartment. My mom is the best...she found me a round table, 2 matching chairs, and some cookware at a yardsale the other day- all in great condition! I'm currently surfing through Craigslist for a fouton and other various sites for a Little Mermaid shower curtain :-P I have some plastic drawers and a wooden dresser to bring for my clothes, and my dad recently found a table in excellent condition to use as a desk. I am very glad I don't have a lot of apartment accessory hunting to do- it makes planning for Morocco/France that much easier!
Yesterday I bought some new sneakers from DSW. They were on sale for 30% off AND I had a $10 off coupon. When all was said and done, I spent about $26 on them. They will be excellent for the amount of walking I'll be doing!
I'm still in freak-out mode about all the stuff I need to do before I leave- pack, laundry, clean up my room, get in some last-minute visits with people, read my mandatory book, and study Arabic. I've been studying Arabic when working at the door in the Kid's Room at the Science Center. Thankfully, I've gotten through 7 chapters. I think I have roughly 12 or 13 chapters left in this book, then 4 in my other book. Yikes! Good news is that reviewing has been fun (and not very stressful) and it's been good practice. What's great about all of this is that I'm getting paid to do it, since I'm doing it at work! I used to spend door duty reading my required book, "Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges", but I'd get distracted and lose my place when I'd let people in and out of the door. Needless to say, I've been working on that book elsewhere. My plan is to spend some time at the library during my last week here. I'll go there for a few hours like it's finals week and just chug away at my work. I have 2 days left of "job" work, so I'll have plenty of time to get my life straightened out.
In the meantime, I'm also looking for stuff for my apartment. My mom is the best...she found me a round table, 2 matching chairs, and some cookware at a yardsale the other day- all in great condition! I'm currently surfing through Craigslist for a fouton and other various sites for a Little Mermaid shower curtain :-P I have some plastic drawers and a wooden dresser to bring for my clothes, and my dad recently found a table in excellent condition to use as a desk. I am very glad I don't have a lot of apartment accessory hunting to do- it makes planning for Morocco/France that much easier!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Packing
19 days left to go before my departure and I can't believe it! Where is the time going?! I still have so much stuff to do... I have recently been compiling stuff to take with me. I've noticed that the everyday things you use (or weekly, I guess) are the hardest to remember, such as nail clippers, Q-tips, etc.
Here is my packing list (as provided by my program):
Clothing:
~1 nice outfit (for festive events, farewell family dinner)
~4-5 pair more casual pants (capris may also be brought)
~1 or 2 pairs of jeans
~2 or 3 skirts
~5-7 blouses or shirts
~1 light sweater
~2 week supply of underwear
~one week supply of socks
~sleepwear not revealing and covering legs to knees
~1 'workout' outfit
~1 pair comfortable, everyday shoes which are decent and good for walking
~1 pair of sandals for outdoors
~1 pair of flip-flops for the house
~1 pair of sneakers
~all-purpose jacket
~light raincoat
~1 swimsuit
Travel Documents:
~Passport
~tickets
~yellow WHO immunization card
~money belt large enough for passport
~photocopy of passport
Health Items:
~prescriptions meds
~over the counter meds, such as Advil, decongestant, laxative, Imodium, Pepto Bismol, etc
~thermometer
~small First Aid kit
~sunscreen (don't worry, I already have 3 bottles packed)
~bandaids
~bug spray
Toiletries:
~deodorant
~feminine products
~soap and shampoo
~bath towel and beach towel
~hand sanitizer
Other:
~alarm clock
~locks for luggage
~bookbag
~ipod
~pocket sewing kit
~sunglasses
~hat
~camera
~flashlight
~extra batteries
~Homestay gift
So as you can see, I have a LOT that I need to bring. As I was typing the list, I was feeling a bit stressed out, but when I really think about it, I don't need to worry as much. Some of the mentioned things are things I don't intend on bringing, for example, a sewing kit. If I need to sew something, I will find stuff there. And I don't wear hats unless I'm at a band function. And I won't bring extra bandaids if I already have some. And I have a lot of stuff packed/laying by my suitcase, so I'm doing ok.
As for a homestay gift, I already bought the family a mug from the Maryland Science Center (my workplace) with pictures of Albert Einstein and a quote of his in English. I also intend to buy a few bags of candy and possibly some magnets from Washington DC. Since I do not know anything about my family, I cannot get individual presents, so I'm just sticking to generic things that everyone can enjoy.
You may have noticed how specific my packing list is in terms of clothing. For those of you that don't know, Morocco is a fairly liberal Arabic nation, so I will see people dressed like "westerners" and I will also see people dressed in traditional Islamic garments. I was worried for a long time that I would only be allowed to wear pants and floor-length skirts, but I was so relieved to find out that I can wear capris! I generally wear capris in the summer because shorts just aren't that comfortable.
On a side note, my Facebook profile picture is of me in Epcot Morocco in 2008. I picked it out especially for my upcoming summer. InshaAllah, the next time I change my profile picture, it will be of me in real-life Morocco :-)
Here is my packing list (as provided by my program):
Clothing:
~1 nice outfit (for festive events, farewell family dinner)
~4-5 pair more casual pants (capris may also be brought)
~1 or 2 pairs of jeans
~2 or 3 skirts
~5-7 blouses or shirts
~1 light sweater
~2 week supply of underwear
~one week supply of socks
~sleepwear not revealing and covering legs to knees
~1 'workout' outfit
~1 pair comfortable, everyday shoes which are decent and good for walking
~1 pair of sandals for outdoors
~1 pair of flip-flops for the house
~1 pair of sneakers
~all-purpose jacket
~light raincoat
~1 swimsuit
Travel Documents:
~Passport
~tickets
~yellow WHO immunization card
~money belt large enough for passport
~photocopy of passport
Health Items:
~prescriptions meds
~over the counter meds, such as Advil, decongestant, laxative, Imodium, Pepto Bismol, etc
~thermometer
~small First Aid kit
~sunscreen (don't worry, I already have 3 bottles packed)
~bandaids
~bug spray
Toiletries:
~deodorant
~feminine products
~soap and shampoo
~bath towel and beach towel
~hand sanitizer
Other:
~alarm clock
~locks for luggage
~bookbag
~ipod
~pocket sewing kit
~sunglasses
~hat
~camera
~flashlight
~extra batteries
~Homestay gift
So as you can see, I have a LOT that I need to bring. As I was typing the list, I was feeling a bit stressed out, but when I really think about it, I don't need to worry as much. Some of the mentioned things are things I don't intend on bringing, for example, a sewing kit. If I need to sew something, I will find stuff there. And I don't wear hats unless I'm at a band function. And I won't bring extra bandaids if I already have some. And I have a lot of stuff packed/laying by my suitcase, so I'm doing ok.
As for a homestay gift, I already bought the family a mug from the Maryland Science Center (my workplace) with pictures of Albert Einstein and a quote of his in English. I also intend to buy a few bags of candy and possibly some magnets from Washington DC. Since I do not know anything about my family, I cannot get individual presents, so I'm just sticking to generic things that everyone can enjoy.
You may have noticed how specific my packing list is in terms of clothing. For those of you that don't know, Morocco is a fairly liberal Arabic nation, so I will see people dressed like "westerners" and I will also see people dressed in traditional Islamic garments. I was worried for a long time that I would only be allowed to wear pants and floor-length skirts, but I was so relieved to find out that I can wear capris! I generally wear capris in the summer because shorts just aren't that comfortable.
On a side note, my Facebook profile picture is of me in Epcot Morocco in 2008. I picked it out especially for my upcoming summer. InshaAllah, the next time I change my profile picture, it will be of me in real-life Morocco :-)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A Brief Overview of my Adventures
Ok, so I've had many requests to start a blog for my adventures in Morocco and I figured I'd give it a shot. This whole blogging thing is new to me, so we'll see how it goes...
I am still currently in my hometown of Frederick, Maryland. In 20 days, I will be kissing my parents goodbye and flying to Rabat, Morocco for a study abroad excursion. I will be studying Arabic intensively for 7 weeks and I will be living with a family. I know nothing about them yet, only that I will be living in the medina, or old city. I requested a family that did not speak any English so that I could focus solely on speaking Arabic, or French if I needed to.
Why Morocco?
My parents bought me a book for my 8th birthday called "Children Just Like Me", a non-fiction book about children from all over the world and their lifestyles. The one that stood out the most to me was Houda from Morocco. I have no idea why I found her so interesting, but I did and knew from then on that I wanted to go to Morocco. About 10 years later, I started studying Arabic and wanted to study abroad in an Arabic-speaking country. I chose Morocco because it is a safer country for a walking snowball from the United States and because I could revert back to French if I was having trouble communicating in Arabic.
I am very excited about my trip! This will be my first time leaving the country and I am stoked! To me, this feels like the beginning of the rest of my life- traveling the world, studying cultures, and speaking a ton of languages.
My flight leaves out of Dulles on June 6 and I will be coming back on August 9. For 2 weeks after my studies in Morocco, I will FINALLY be going to France to visit my friends who live there. I will spend about a week or so in Paris, then go down to the South of France for a few days. That, too, should be awesome!
In the meantime, I've been doing a ton of stuff- getting things ready, making sure I have all sorts of necessities, reading a 400 page book that's mandatory for my program, and studying up on my Arabic to prepare for my placement exam. I've also been working at the Maryland Science Center (which is generally an all-day affair), AND volunteering at my mom's school, Spring Ridge, assisting the 2 new students from the Central African Republic who speak French, but absolutely NO English. And on top of that, I need to start searching for things for my apartment for next year. Needless to say, I am pretty busy.
More to come!
I am still currently in my hometown of Frederick, Maryland. In 20 days, I will be kissing my parents goodbye and flying to Rabat, Morocco for a study abroad excursion. I will be studying Arabic intensively for 7 weeks and I will be living with a family. I know nothing about them yet, only that I will be living in the medina, or old city. I requested a family that did not speak any English so that I could focus solely on speaking Arabic, or French if I needed to.
Why Morocco?
My parents bought me a book for my 8th birthday called "Children Just Like Me", a non-fiction book about children from all over the world and their lifestyles. The one that stood out the most to me was Houda from Morocco. I have no idea why I found her so interesting, but I did and knew from then on that I wanted to go to Morocco. About 10 years later, I started studying Arabic and wanted to study abroad in an Arabic-speaking country. I chose Morocco because it is a safer country for a walking snowball from the United States and because I could revert back to French if I was having trouble communicating in Arabic.
I am very excited about my trip! This will be my first time leaving the country and I am stoked! To me, this feels like the beginning of the rest of my life- traveling the world, studying cultures, and speaking a ton of languages.
My flight leaves out of Dulles on June 6 and I will be coming back on August 9. For 2 weeks after my studies in Morocco, I will FINALLY be going to France to visit my friends who live there. I will spend about a week or so in Paris, then go down to the South of France for a few days. That, too, should be awesome!
In the meantime, I've been doing a ton of stuff- getting things ready, making sure I have all sorts of necessities, reading a 400 page book that's mandatory for my program, and studying up on my Arabic to prepare for my placement exam. I've also been working at the Maryland Science Center (which is generally an all-day affair), AND volunteering at my mom's school, Spring Ridge, assisting the 2 new students from the Central African Republic who speak French, but absolutely NO English. And on top of that, I need to start searching for things for my apartment for next year. Needless to say, I am pretty busy.
More to come!
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