The Lists

We love lists. They prioritize. They simplify. They require no justification. Or supporting evidence. But somehow they bring order to the randomness and that gives us a sense of comfort. That and we're American and we don't have time to read, we just want to hit the highlights and move on so we can skim through the rest of our fast paced day.

So to save you time and undo extraneous words I have broken this post down into lists.

PLACES WE'VE BEEN TO IN MOROCCO:

1. Oualidia
2. Casablanca
3. Fez
4. Marrakech
5. Imichil
6. Tangier
7. Tetuan
8. Meknes
9. Chefchaouen
10. The Sahara Desert
11. Essaouira (Knock on wood.)

PLACES WE'VE TRAVELLED TO FROM MOROCCO:

1. Italy
2. Spain
3. France
4. Egypt
5. Portugal
6. South Africa
7. Botswana
8. Zambia
9. Zimbabwe
10. England
11. Turkey

REGRETS:

1. Not learning Arabic.
2. Or French.
3. Not getting to know more Moroccans.
4. Not volunteering at an orphanage.
5. Not starting my own domestic violence non-profit.
6. Or surfing more.
7. Not being more social here.
8. Or staying in touch with friends and family back home either.
9. That I haven't pursued a publisher. Yet.
10. Then the regret of all the places we DIDN'T travel from here.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

1. My kids for enduring 2 and a half years of culture shock.   
2.  And doing it with integrity.  I'm so proud of them! 
3. Not getting into a traffic accident. (Knock on wood.)
4. Not getting kicked out of the country. (Knock on wood.)
5. Reducing the Moroccan cockroach population by at least 200.
6. Reducing the itching and scratching individuals in country by at least 200 (or somewhere around there.)
7. Supporting the Moroccan economy.
8. And the African, European and Asian economies too.
9. For the first time in my life saying what I think.
10. And for the first time in my life not giving a rats ass what you think about what I think.

THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT MOROCCO:

1. The people.
2. The simplicity.
3. The slow pace.
4. The fact that nothing is wasted cause someone will pick it out of your trash.
5. The beach.
6. The mountains.
7. The Sahara Desert.
8. The lack of capitalism.
9. The call to prayer 5 times a day reminding us there is a bigger purpose. (Although I admit I don't love the one before 6am.)
10. The people. (Yes, I intended to list that twice.)

THINGS WE HATE ABOUT MOROCCO:

1. Plastic bags blowing down the street like tumbleweeds.
2. The huge gap between the rich and poor.
3. That fact that many educated Moroccans need to leave Morocco in order to get meaningful work.
4. That there will be 10 traffic fatalities in Morocco today.
5. Moroccan literacy rates are 70% for men and 40% for women.
6. That homosexuality is illegal.
7. But a man is only considered gay if he's the "receiver".
8. The new increased tax on alcohol that profits the Islamist led government.
9. Clause 475 that drops criminal charges against a rapist if he marries his victim.
10. AND the uncertainty of the future of Morocco.

And my number one realization? That I have never truly appreciated the fact that I'm an American before. Especially, an American woman. That I can say what I think and do what I want. And right about now, I think I'm about ready to go home.

(Knock on wood.)