It's September 11th, dare I say "Happy" Anniversary?

Today marks my 1 year Anniversary with the Peace Corps service, and I can now comfortably say to you: That although the Peace Corps may seem like it's blowing wind up your skirt with their commonly coined phrase, "It's the hardest job you'll ever love", in reality it is as perfect of a phrase as any with regard to this experience.

So, as I close in on the half way point of this adventure, I thought I would take a brief moment to reflect on what I've learned thus far...

• I've learned how easy it is for Moroccans to "comfortably" accomidate 8 (full-sized) men and 2 (live) lambs into a Mercedes Benz.
• I've learned that Marrakech is as much a hand-holding city as San Francisco, as it's customary for men of all ages to embrace eachother in this manner.
• I've learned how easy it is to lose 55lbs in a year's time, by eating 95% carbohydrates.
• I've learned that it's better to have a dead carcus of a lamb hanging outside your bedroom door, than it is to have assisted in the process of de-bowling it.
• I've learned that a typical Moroccan home consists of; 3 windows, 2 doors, 1 kitchen, 1 bed, 1 lamp, 4 cats, 7 girls, and 3 boys.
• I've learned to adapt my eyes to viewing a Muslim woman fully covered, but how I'm still far away from my eyes' adaptation to the ironic nature of this same Muslim woman fully covered during one of her very public breast-feedings.
• I've learned how utterly useless movie "coming attractions" are here in Morocco, since by the time the Director says "it's a wrap", these same movies will have already been selling in Marrakech for only $2 dollars.

On a more serious note...

Today, September 11th, will now wear an even heavier patriotic star on my soul than that of our Independence Day. Having experienced the tragedy of 9/11, and being introduced to Arab/Muslims in a manner that was only fueled by hatred and fear, and then four years to the day I find myself willingly on a plane aimed for Morocco.

It's my hope that by the completion of my Peace Corps experience, I will not only have accomplished the statements of our late President Kennedy's final State of the Union address when he said, "Nothing carries the spirit of American idealism and expresses our hopes better and more effectively to the far corners of the earth than the Peace Corps", but I will return to my home soil with a newly found understanding of Arab/Muslims' peaceful ideals and hopes for the future, and begin to rebuild what was once brought to ruins.