Off to CBT

Salam readers! It has been just over a week since we last talked but so much has changed in that time-- as I'm sure you can imagine. I have been living in a hotel in Rabat for the past week, tonight being my last night here. I am at a cafe enjoying an orange juice, about the freshest I've ever had, frothy and pulpy. I just came from a Hanut which means store where I got tooth paste and shampoo. The stores are sort of stalls in the walls along the street so you have to tell the store man what exactly you want, which I was very proudly to do completely in Arabic. As I walked away a guy who had overheard my week-deep Arabic he told me I did a really good job. It's the little things.

Peace corps is the self proclaimed "hardest job you'll ever love" and in seeing already why that's the case. Our days this past week were completely packed with language training, safety lessons, advice on how to deal with gi problems, a visit from the deputy ambassador, visits from current pcvs, brand new food, and most recently- and all girls panel on how to use the Turkish toilets. It's been a very emotionally involved week, but I'm excited to continue onto our next journey: CBT (community based training)... Aka the homestay.

I found out a little about my family that I will be saying with starting tomorrow. The husband is a butcher (I guess that could be a really adventurous thing when it comes to my diet). My mom is a stay at home mom. I have a 3 year old brother, a 9 year old sister and a 19 year old sister who is married so idk if she will be around or what that will be like. I am very excited to meet them but this is maybe the part of the peace corps process that I am most nervous to begin. We will only be speaking Arabic, of which you all know I have a very vast knowledge. I am eating all three meals with the family. In the mornings I will be having language training with my 5 other CBT mates and our language and culture facilitator. In the afternoon we will be doing Arabic script. The goal is to get a "novice high" on a language placement test on the 29th of March. It's really odd for me to think that my Arabic will progress that quickly so shortly. 

Morocco is beautiful so far. It looks straight out of Aladdin. It's weird but the medina is almost exactly as I had expected it would be, stalls everywhere. The ocean is really close to the hotel. Safety hasn't been a problem so far for the group, I feel comfortable walking around by myself, but obviously prefer to be in a group. Everyone here is really outgoing, as you would expect, but everyone's kindness has really touched me. I already have been making travel plans during CBT with people who I know I wouldn't otherwise be able to see. Everyone has been taking care of each other, especially these past few days as more and more people are getting sick.

I am more sure than ever before that this is the exact thing I should be doing at this point in my life. That feels so good. I am so proud to be a part of a grassroots development project like this that gives a good name to America around the world. Expect not to hear so much from me as my wifi will be pretty sporadic, that being said I'm sure you will here from me soon. ✌️

B.slama