This probably isn't the best picture to put with this blog entry but I'll do it anyway. Just an image of the land of rocks that i live in, and yes that is the literal translation of my town's name.

There are times here when all I want to do is run away… times when all I want to do is leave and return to everything that I used to know. There are days when I wake up and I really can’t figure out what I’m doing in a small town in the middle of the mountains in Morocco. Sometimes I feel like my life is more consumed with frustration than boredom. I get tired of being absolutely freezing cold every day, of wearing so many layers I can hardly move, of shivering to death when I try to take a bucket bath. I get tired of the language and knowing that I should know more than I do (I mean I’ve been here for over 5 months!). I get tired of only having running water for an hour a day. Washing clothes here can be unbelievably challenging with ice cold water- and for whatever reason my clothes have taken more wear and tear here in 5 months than most clothes would in 5 years. Haggling over prices to buy anything in this country is enough to exhaust anyone (not to mention prices are quoted in terms of ryals, a form of currency that has not been used for decades- the current form of currency is dirham, there are 20 ryals to 1 dirham, so the math and numbers get ridiculously confusing). Oh, and I think I have spiders attacking me in my new house; I have icky red bites all over me. Sometimes it’s all just too much; it’s just a different conception of life that can be so frustrating at times.
But then I look outside and I see this beautiful little community with people walking around in jellabas and women draped with the traditional black sheet around them. I look at the little kids playing marbles in the dirt streets, the older kids walking to and from school, and the men sitting at the cafes drinking tea. And when I walk just outside of town the hills are covered with sheep and goats grazing. I guess that’s when I realize that I do love it here. Sometimes the frustrations become so overwhelming that I forget the beauty of it all. I suppose if it wasn’t a challenge I wouldn’t have wanted to do it. Sure I miss the conveniences of life in the US… but I’m not there now, and those conveniences will still be there when I return. Right now I’m learning to get into my life here; to start making a habit of being here and getting to know the people better. I’m settling into my house quite nicely even if it is really cold inside. I love having my own space again after being a nomad for 5 months- my suitcases have moved into my storage room so I no longer have to look at them daily. I must say that I do miss living with my host family, their routine became my routine and it was a nice way to live.
So, here I am for another internet session in Rich, something I’ve only been doing about once every two weeks. Mainly that’s just because it’s exhausting to come to town every weekend. Regardless, it’s always good to check in with the rest of the world especially since we’ve been losing cell phone reception on and off for the past 3 weeks.
Work has been pretty consistent lately. I’ve been going to the women’s cooperative at least four times a week (when it’s open) and trying to bring some new ideas to the women for how they can make some extra money. Right now I’m trying to get them to make cookies on a weekly basis just to bring in a little extra money to buy supplies for larger projects like weavings, etc. The women seem interested but who knows how long it will take for things to actually start happening. I’m also trying to get things set up to start trying to make cheese here. It seems like it could be a rather time-intensive project and I guess if anyone who’s reading this has experience, any information would be great! I’m currently trying to figure out how I can get Rennet and Starter Cultures for making cow and goat cheeses; I’m not sure where I can find them in this country so I might need to order them from the US. There are other volunteers here who might know about cheese-making so I’ll be giving that a try too.
Well, my new house is great despite my previously mentioned frustrations. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to take pics before I came here. So, you’ll all have to wait for a couple more weeks to see the inside of my lovely cement house. It still needs some decorating as there is nothing on the walls currently, so it’s probably better that I haven’t taken pics yet. I’ve also recently become a pretty good cook; most nights of week I make dinner for me and my site mate Peter. Sometimes cooking here can be challenging given the resources but things seem to be getting easier as I adjust my methods and patience.
So, I guess that’s what I need to work on currently; delving deeper into my ability to have patience. I feel like I’ve been through the hardest part already, or have I? Is the hardest part being a nomad for 5 months, or learning how to be still for 22 months?