Fashion and Textile Design
J A Y C E A R N E T T E
#3
January 31, 2019
Views from my town.
FIRST, I want to apologize for not keeping you--my friends and family-- up to date with my life in Morocco. It has been OVER A YEAR since my last post, and I can't believe I've been reluctant to share my life with you.
I find myself wanting to send an update, but I'm never sure of what to write--I overthink what you might consider to be interesting or important or impactful to my service, but I end up concluding that y'all will get bored reading about my daily life--nothing too exciting, I can assure.
But see, I've arrived at a new 'normal' that for most of you is far reaching from a typical day in America. And because of this irrational doubt, I've missed out on an opportunity to share the beautiful country of Morocco with the people I love most. So, throughout the remainder of my final year in Morocco, I'm gonna try a little harder to let you in to experience this place through my eyes. So PLEASE, hold me accountable. :)
Me with a baby lamb so you'll be more inclined to forgive me for the lack of communication. :)
I'll start where I left off--
I was sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer in November 2017, and I arrived to my final site in December 2017. I live in a gorgeous town in the foot hills of the High Atlas mountains--just outside of Marrakech.
We arrived in Casablanca, Morocco about 6pm, loaded buses and drove to our hotel in Harhoura, Rabat. We settled in with a delicious moroccan meal, and headed straight to bed. When we awoke the next morning, and could see clearly in daylight, we realized that our hotel is right ON THE BEACH (Atlantic)!! I then took some snaps of our accommodations--we will stay here for the first 10 days.
Our hotel is v, other than the fact my room has no hot water…I figured this out when I jumped into a very COLD shower (my family knows that I am NOT a fan of cold water). However, Peace Corps continues to iterate that we must go with the flow, adapt, and be resilient. And that we are required to have grit, determination, and commitment. So i just kept telling myself, "I'm flexible, I can endure hardship, RESILIENCY!" I survived--and am thankful for running water.
Swearing In--the day I went from Peace Corps Trainee to Peace Corps Volunteer!
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My stunning town.
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Marrakech is one of the 5 largest cities in Morocco.
This past year I taught English and aerobics exercise classes, helped with the high school basketball teams, worked with women's cooperatives to expand their businesses, helped organize a women's social media training, and collaborated with 2 different companies to educate the young women in my town about menstruation.
The high school girls' basketball team at a tournament.
Women's weaving co-op.
Celebrations after winning a tough game--sending them to the next round of the tournament!
One of my English classes- learning clothes and color!
My high school English students.
Sounds like a busy year! But don't be fooled. All of those activities were not happening simultaneously, and I've had more free time than I could have ever imagined. Most days it didn't (doesn't) feel like I was (am) making any real difference in my community. I've been measuring my success by physical outcomes--with numbers and data I can put on a spread sheet. But because of this, I have disappointed myself countless times over.
Not until recently have I begun to shift my perspective on success. I now try to measure progress based on the depth of the relationships I am cultivating within my community and my overall mental health. This mindset is MUCH more rewarding and is allowing me to measure my own personal growth as well.
Hayat.
Hayat again.
Youssra.
Amina.
Amina and Zineb's family.
Layla.
Zineb.
So, as I look forward to this next year in Morocco, I want to thank each of you for your patience and unwavering support. Look forward to hearing from me more often. :)
I love y'all beyond!
Jayce