America- land of free toilet paper

Ah, home sweet 52* and pouring rain home… Seriously, America is COLD!

I got home safely after 22 hours of travel. My bags decided to have a sleepover in New York, but thankfully I am back where there’s clean underwear for such events!

Some things that I’ve been shockingly reminded of regarding the States:

-There’s toilet paper in public bathrooms… and you don’t even have to pay for it! Did I mention you also get to flush it instead of throwing it away in the garbage?! Simply amazing!

-People wear tank tops and short skirts. Out in public. And no one looks at them. Except for me, ‘cause they look pretty darn naked after seeing such…”fully dressed”… women in Morocco

-I went to Starbucks today (personal high-five!), and there were women sitting in there. Not only were they eating and drinking in public, but they were sitting in the café enjoying themselves. Such a shock after seeing so many cafes full of only men, all facing the road and ready and rearing to gossip about whatever passes.

-Cars, somehow by something of a miracle, actually stay in their lanes. They don’t travel to and from one lane to the other, don’t form additional lanes that don’t exist, and policemen actually pull people over for not wearing seatbelts. By the time I was in a car for the third time today, I even remembered to wear my seatbelt (another personal high-five!)!

-While I saw more fights in Morocco than I’ve ever seen, Moroccans are definitely friendlier than Americans are. There isn’t an unwritten rule that you don’t talk to strangers; everyone seems to talk to everyone and it was a shock to get to America and realize that here people have these invisible bubbles that they don’t really want popped.

So that’s the crazy stuff. I don’t mean it as a bash toward Morocco by any means; it’s just a different way of living. I’ve got so much going through my head and so much to process that I know it will be days if not weeks before I have my bearings again. I woke up at 3:00 AM this morning pondering life’s biggest questions and unable to sleep with questions like, “How do I come back without forgetting?” and, “Why is it that some people are blessed with opportunities that others never even get the chance to see?” You know, the little stuff.

I went to church this morning, which was something that I really missed when I was gone. Pastor Ryan spoke about going all in when sharing your beliefs. He mentioned the question, “What does your life say about you? What is its message?” It would be so easy for me to write off volunteering due to my busy schedule of work and school. But that’s where my passion is, and that’s what I believe God wants me to be doing. Ryan also spoke about how easy it is for us to feel like we’re constantly unfulfilled, but that it’s impossible to do so when we rarely empty out what we already have. Like adding water to a water bottle that is already filled to the brim, it’s impossible to gain more when you’re not giving out what you already have.

My goal is to pour out what I have, no matter how big or how small. I have no idea when and if I’ll be able to do another trip like this (although I would in an absolute heartbeat, and already have my mind set on Tanzania!), but my hope is to continue volunteering in ways that I can. I also hope to share Christ’s love through my life, just as He has loved me. Gosh, it’s so much easier said than done, but it is a good goal, right?

So back to reality, mindful of what I’ve learned from a culture unlike anything I’ve experienced. I’m already homesick for Morocco and ready to get back! It was seriously a trip of a lifetime, and I feel so blessed that I was not only able to do this, but that I was able to do it in Morocco with CCS. I couldn’t have been more impressed.

Stay tuned for pictures, and thank you for all of your support!!

B’Salaama :)