I am so back home again...it hasn't changed. I have been back to my old ways of hauling wood, riding horse, and shoveling horse poo.

It has been a little cold and rainy here in Wisconsin since I have been back and it got so bad that I volunteered to haul wood if it meant that we could start the furnace...which we did. I have been riding a few times - the first trip was to Little Joe's for a drink (or two) and chicken of course!

Mom, Dad, Brady, and I (no Jesse because he is a little terd who didn't want to go) headed "Up North" for the weekend with the horses to camp and ride in the Chequamegon National Forest Campgrounds. It was beautiful up there because the leaves have already started turning colors. It would have been even more beautiful if it wouldn't have been rainning and 55 degrees the whole time. We made it work and tried to stay as warm as we could and enjoy ourselves as best as we could. We only got one ride in, but it was a long, cold, and wet ride so that was plenty for me (especially because my behind is not in the horse riding shape it once was in).


I start work tomorrow and am looking forward to that. It will help make my re-adjustment easier if I have a routine, a purpose, and most importantly...an income!

I did make a trip to the dentist...I really wish I wouldn't have drank so much Moroccan tea all year long...or maybe I should have flossed better or something, but I have 2 cavities!! Not looking forward to that next appointment.

My Final Flight Adventure Home (was there any chance my flight home wasn't going to be an adventure??)

Amine drove me to the airport early Tuesday morning and we arrived about an hour before my flight (I didn't want to wait alone in the terminal, probably crying, any longer than I had to). We walked up and down the British Airways check-in screens and didn't see my flight anywhere. We are then told that the flight is closed....how is this possible I ask. Apparently, they moved the flight ahead 40 minutes, so I only arrived 20 minutes before my flight. This bothered me because the flight was originally that early, but they sent me an email saying that it would be delayed, and then the didn't send me an email again to tell me that it was moved ahead. Anyway...we went to the British Airways booth and the women working there escorted me back to the check-in counter, budged me into the front of the line, and got me checked in. I am not sure how many of you are aware of British Airways new luggage rules, but I was....and they weren't working with me. So, through some wonderful connections of AIESEC, I was able to have my weight limits waved. When I put my large suitcase on the scale, it was too heavy - even including my waiver. So I had to remove some items and wrapped them up in my scarf and was carrying this handmade bag with me. The nice women escorted me through the border control and into the gate. So I made my plane...barely. With all this comotion and special escorting going on, I barely had time to say goodbye to Amine and really didn't even have time to cry about it. Which is probably a good thing for everyone at the airport and on my plane.

I got to London with an hour and a half before my next flight. When I got into the security line for transfer passengers, the women told me that my laptop bag (which is all you are allowed) is too big and that I can't take my scarf/bag on either and that I would have to go through immigration, and re-check in and check that luggage. Great. So I waited in line, switched terminals, found the customer service desk and asked to be checked in...surprise surprise my flight was closed. I go to the ticketing booth and they put me on the next flight which is in 3 hours. I take more things out of my bag and add them to my scarf/bag and then have it plastic wrapped...it looks ridiculous by the way...and check in for my new flight.

I arrive in New York, but none of my luggage does (obviously). I exit and Lindsey (who came to meet me to help me with all my luggage) was there waiting for me. We go to the baggage services desk and they tell me my luggage is still in Casablanca, but that they can Fed-ex it directly to my home for me. If they would like to Fex-ex my 60 kilos (132 pound) worth of bags to Independence, WI free of charge, who am I to argue!!

Lindsey and I begin our 2.5 hour journey from the airport to her apar tment in Queens via subway. Not fun without luggage - can't imagine what a nightmare it would have been with luggage. I eat and sleep and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to explore New York.

My first destination is the AIESEC US National Headquarters Office to say hello to everyone and to get some free internet access. After that, Jennifer led me to Times Square and then 5th Avenue and Central Park. Then I met up with Lindsey and we walked through some of the Upper West Side and then to the Village for dinner and drinks. Lots of fun. I woke up the next morning, re-packed my bag and headed to the subway to get to the airport. With some good directions (thank you Lindsey) I managed to survive all of the subway changes, but was unaware of the fact that there are two A trians going almost the same way except for the last 3 stops...then they V off into other directions...I of course was on the wrong A train. No worries...I get to the airport and check in with plenty of time.

I arrived in Minneapolis and headed home with Dad. It has been a great couple of days home so far. It has gone by so fast as I have been running around trying to visit everyone and do everything as soon as possible. My suitcases arrived a day after I did and I am still trying to find space in my already over crowded room for all of the new stuff. I am sure I will manage. I start work again in a week and am looking forward to that. I have been enjoying large, flavored coffee drinks to go and paying with my credit card for everything!

Here are a couple of paragraphs from my weekly newsletter from the Economist (September 9-15).

"In a nationally televised broadcast, Mr Bush once again made the linkbetween September 11th and the war in Iraq. Democrats rejected it, anda long-awaited Senate report on PRE-WAR INTELLIGENCE disclosed theCIA's conclusion of no links between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein."

I would just like to say I TOLD YOU SO to all of you out there who I told this to 3 years ago. But at least we are doing a 'good' job in Iraq...I mean violence is down right????

"Violence in IRAQ continued undiminished. The bodies of 60 people werefound on one day in Baghdad bound, tortured and shot; car bombs claimedyet more victims. A health ministry report says that 1,536 people wereviolently killed in Baghdad in August."

That is the number for one month. It makes me sick. It should make you sick too.

On a much more pleasant and surprising side of things:

"Keith Ellison beat the competition to become the Democratic candidatefor the congressional district that includes MINNEAPOLIS. If he wins,as expected, in the mid-term elections, Mr Ellison will become thefirst Muslim to sit in Congress."

I love the Midwest. This news makes me happy. I know it is a small step, but I think it is a good step. Way to go Minneapolis!

I have started saying goodbye this week...goodbye to the laundrey laides, to the chicken guy at Akkari, to the PAS office, and to my shisha guy in the medina (I just got back from my probably last trip to the medina...so sad). It doesn't stop there....every time I go somewhere, I have to say goodbye because I realize it is the last time that I will see them for a very long time. It will only get worse as my last three days come. The AIESEC goobye party is tomorrow...how long do you think I will make it before I cry?

On a positive side, Amine is back. He was able to come back early, so we get to spend a few more days together. However, our time is bittersweet - I am thankful for every extra minute I get with him, but at the same time...I am back to thinking that this is the last time we will do this...or that...or I will only see him three more times. I know I will see him again someday...I am sure of that. But I am quite sure that it will never be the same...we will never be like we were...and that is hard to think about.

Long night

I went to a wedding this weekend, and for the first time, I stayed up for the whole thing.

Maleeka invited me to a wedding in her neighborhood. It all started on Friday night when Bouchra, a girl who works with Maleeka sometimes, picked me up to take me to the "Henna night." The Henna night is when all the women gather together to sign, dance, and eat tea and cookies while the bride sits on a big chair (all dressed up in traditional clothes) while her hands and feet are covered in henna. It takes about 2 hours to put on the henna, and then another 3 hours for it to dry, and then I think there are more ceremonies after that, but I left when the henna was done so I am not sure.

On Saturday, I started getting ready for the wedding, but it was so hot, my hair was wet, and it wasn't cooperating with me...so I decided to go across the street and get it done. I figured a hair cut cost like $3, so how much more would it cost to get it done...$20 later (way more than I expected or could afford)...I smiled and left. I got back to the apartment and began to remove the bobby pins and take down the horrible rat's nest she created on my head and ended up putting it back in a pony tail. Not really happy about that situation, but it serves me right for assuming.

I was picked up around 7:30 and we headed back to the house where I sat for two hours and watched all the other women get ready. I am already tired at this point, so I am not looking forward to the long night ahead of me. Then we ate in shifts and finally headed to the tent area. It was just like every other Moroccan wedding I have been to....ridiculously loud music, way too many people crowded around tables all looking at each other, and boring. I started falling asleep in my chair around 1:00. The bride finally decides to show up around 1:30, and things are a little bit more worth staying up for. She is bounced around in the chair thing, she changes 5 times, they both look miserable the whole time, and loud music continues. I hadn't felt like dancing, but around 3:00 I decided it was necessary for me to do something to stay awake. Around 4:00 they brought out tea and cookies. Around 5:00 I started falling asleep in my chair again. Around 6:00 the bride and groom come out in their final outfit (the traditional western wedding dress) and after a couple of photos they head to the cars. We get in taxis and head to Hassan. I have never stayed up for this part before, so it was interesting.

We get the Hassan (the big mosque right next to my apartment) and I see no less than 30 wedding parties all there...signing, honking horns, playing drums, posing for pictures, and walking around. I knew it is traditional for the wedding party to go to a mosque after the wedding, I guess I just never realized that every wedding in Rabat would be doing the same thing at the same time. It was quite a sight. I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but the exhaustion must have clouded my mind at this point in time. Maybe if I am motivated I will get up next Sunday morning and go to Hassan to snap a few shots of the madness. It was really fun to see all of the different dresses. Some of them were nice, but most of them were dresses that would have been tacky in the 80's....more ruffles and lace and puffs than you can imagine. If I wouldn't have been so tired I would have probably been rolling on the ground laughing. Anyway....the bride and groom got back in the car and left and after 15 minutes of us just sitting there...I begged to go home and sleep. After a shower I fell into bed at 7:30 and slept peacefully until 2:30 in the afternoon. I woke up still tired, but knowing that I needed to get out of bed.

I am glad I made it through a whole wedding. I thought it was ridiculous for the weddings to go on so long, and then I realized that most American weddings go on for at least that long also, we just start earlier. I am sure that a Moroccan would probably think our wedding ritual is ridiculous too.

The Happy Planet Index

Check out this website: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/index.htm

I found this super interesting and ended up spending much longer reading this website than I had intended so I thought it would be worth sharing.

The Happy Planet Index is a new measurement that show the ecological efficiency human happiness is delivered around the world. The results are much different than you would expect. It doesn't show the 'happiest' country in the world, but it shows which nations are able to convert the planet's natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens. It is caluclated: (life satisfaction x life expectancy)/ecological footprint.

Island countries in general have a much higher Happy Planet Index rating and not -so -surprisingly, the US has a very low rating. Out of 178 countries calculated, the US ranked 150. Which means that compared to our ecological footprint (amount we consume), we are not as happy as we could be. There are many countries, Germany for example, that have about the same levels of life satisfaction and life expectancy, but have only half the ecological footprint.

As I was browsing this website, I decided to go ahead and calculate my own Happiness Index. First I did it for my life in Morocco...then I did it for my life in the US.

My Morocco results:
Your personal Happy Planet Index (HPI) is 102, which is above that for any country, including top-placed Vanuatu, and is even above the reasonable ideal we have set, of 83. Congratulations! You are achieving on a personal level what needs to be achieved at the national one. Your score is above that of your country, 54.4.

My US results:
Your personal Happy Planet Index (HPI) is 48, which is similar to that of Italy, Switzerland or Iceland. This is above the UK average, about the same as the world average of 46, but well below the reasonable ideal we have set, of 83. Your score is above that of your country, 28.8.

Interesting ins't it??

I said goodbye to a lot of friends last week. Many of them went to Poland for an international conference and many of them I won't see again because I will be gone before they get back. Amine is one of those people.

Amine has been in Poland for almost a week. I am so happy for him. I am jealous too. But most of all I miss him. It is weird being here without him. I don't really know Morocco without Amine. He has been a part of my life here since the second week I was here. I am trying to keep myself busy, keep my mind occupied. It isn't working so well.

I guess this is probably a good thing...getting used to not being with him. Maybe it will make moving home easier for both of us. Probably not.

Casablanca

I have found myself spending more time there lately. Even though I don’t particularly enjoy Casablanca, this time there has been intentional and willing. I wanted to try to get to know Casa more…try to learn to love it. Or at least visit some of the famous tourist spots that I had not yet seen.

My first step was the Hassan II mosque. This mosque is absolutely beautiful and the only mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims are able to enter. It is a great architectural achievement of the 21^st century as it combines both tradition (art, rugs, crafts, design) and modernism (titanium doors and retractable roof). Some fast facts:

• It was constructed in 1993
• The prayer hall accommodates up to 25,000 worshippers
• It has the highest religious minaret in the world at 200 meters high
• It is partially erected on water (referring to the Koran verse “The Throne of God was on Water”)
• It will have a fully functioning, open to public hamam

I also spent my time in Casa hanging out with friends, exploring the ‘Corniche’ or boardwalk area, having coffees, eating out, and going out.

It isn’t my favorite place to go, but I have at least begun to not hate it as much as I used to. A couple more trips…including a stop at Rick’s Café…and I might be converted.