A few words...

The primary "experience" that I thoroughly enjoy is that of the cultural exchange. The Peace Corps has provided me with the opportunity to experience this country, which I am thoroughly grateful. However, sometimes I wonder as to if I could have experienced this without the assistance of the Peace Corps? I mean, what is Peace Corps after all? Could I just travel to some distant country and live there while learning the language/culture? I definately believe this could be possible, as long as you had the money to pay for your own way, and had a job that would allow you to stay in this country for an extended period of time. At the same time, I think it would be difficult to find residence for 2+ years in a country and not be subjected to a normal 9-5pm obligation. I think you might be hard-pressed to find employment for an overseas company, who told you, "Okay, for the first 6 months, all we want for you to do is intergrate with your community". So, maybe I'd be able to have this "experience" without the Peace Corps, and maybe not. At the moment, the Peace Corps is fathering my experience here, but it will come to an end in December of 2006.
I believe the very thing that will help me to complete my service in December of 2006, are the Moroccan people themselves. Morocco, has over the past 10 months, become my second country. Interacting with the Moroccans (Arabs, Berbers, etc.) is what I came 6000 miles to do. And it's also extremely amazing to me that my second language will eventually become Arabic! Coming from California, the primary second language is that of Spanish. I studied Spanish in schools, but found that I wanted to stretch myself alittle and serve in a non-Spanish speaking country. Considering our current times, and the relationship Americans have with the Arab world, learning Arabic is quite important to both our futures. And I haven't even begun to speak about the Muslim religion itself, which is widely misunderstood by most Americans.
In the end, I'm just happy to say that I'm taking a break from the American culture that I've experienced for the past 27+ years, and now find myself in Morocco learning a completely new culture. Hopefully, if I can stay focused on this factor, than I will be able to power through the highs & lows of this program and accomplish the remaining 17 months of my Peace Corps commitment. (nshallah = God Willing)