Home Sweet Home

I am sitting here in my new host family’s house in my fanfreakingtasic new town!! I am as of today the newest member of Taourirt, Morocco. I am in Northeast part of the country. I am about 2 hours or so from the Mediterranean and about the same distance to Algeria!! There are not many of us out this way but the people from my Staj(group I came to Morocco with) and the other volunteers here seem really awesome! I have a site mate who has been helping me a ton with the logistics of Taourirt. There are somewhere near 45,000 people who live here. SO far everyone Is great they all have welcomed me! I have even gotten a few ( “You look just like Adele’s”) My host sister makes custom traditional Morocco dresses and I believe she is making me one now!!! I have two host brothers and one is a NINJA!! Say whatttttt?!?!?! He is a full contact Thai Boxer and he is going to take me to the gym to check out the classes! The summer will be slow here as most of the Dar Chababs and other such places close. I will spend the summer with a Darija Tutor and planning workshops, projects, classes and activites. I really want to start the new school year with tons of stuff in the bank… then if I don’t use them at least I tried! So I don’t have too much to say now. My CBT (in Ras Elma) Was amazing and I am sure Taourirt will be too!! I have also listed my address below, this is it for the next 2 years so… IF you have been asking about care packages send away! I would really love letters too!! I have also listed a few things from America I would really love but mostly letters and pictures would be cool!

MIss you All like Crazy Have a fun Summer!!!! I hate I am missing everything!!

Address

Mallory Akins

20 Rue De La Resistance

Appt N 13

65800 Taourirt, Morocco

Some things I would love

·         #1 Vanilla Protien Powder!!

·         Ninja Juice A.K.A D-Stunner (ask Jet Fitness)

·         Magazines

·         A childs BuzzLight year shirt for my old host Brother he is 5 he would dig this seriously he loves some Buzz!!

·         Maybe some Tshirts from Old navy or anywhere just t-shirts My town is not so conservative

·         Some season packets especially Ranch

·         A list of books songs anything new I could try and download!

·         Real Coffee Starbucks, Dunken, Folgers any kind that is not instant

·         Regular notebooks with College Ruled Paper (THEY DON’T HAVE ANY LINED PAPER AHHHH)

·         Just anything you can think of that I would love

·         Plus a Chick Fil A Sandwhich! LOL seriously when anyone comes to visit please grab one right before your flight I’ll eat it I don’t care if its 10 hours old!

You're so Vain!!

SO from the title you can probably guess this post is gonna be all about me ( I think) you never know what I will be thinking from one min to the next...

So I just want to take a few to share some of my minor accomplishments since I have been here. I have jumped back into my workout routine and that for me is pretty good!

Biggest so far was the speech I gave in Moroccan Arabic last Saturday. I was able to convey to a group of children the Purpose of the Peace Corps and also tell them a little about what I am doing here. It was about 3 minutes I was amazed that after about 4 or 5 weeks I could convey even a sentence much less a speech! I am picking up Darija so well! I can not wait to get out on my own and learn more.

I have been able to get really close to my host family and everyday they spend with me opens them up to a new world! I am teaching them alot about Southern American Culture and opening there eyes to my craziness. They asked me why I dont have kids and I said b/c I have two dogs and they died! They think its hilarious the relationship I have with Chloe and Bandit. They just can not grasp that Chloe has her own pillow in my room at home!!

I have sucussfully travelled with the help of a teacher, I have shopped alone in the market. I have watched multiple chickens die so I can eat dinner and I have taught some Kids Yoga! I will also be teaching a Non Smoking class at the Youth Center on Thursday so That will be another notch in my accomplishment belt!

Beside doing all of this things, I am really just trying spend these last few weeks with my family here in Ras Elma. I will be leaving and heading to Rabat on the 19th! Where I will get my final site!! I will let you all know when I figure it out!

I also went to the Hammam with my group the other day, lets just say that was like an amazing body scrub in public with ladies only! I of course love it, I would love it more if it was private but No biggie!

Please feel free to ask me whatever you want to know, it is amazing here! Also if you could please send me letters or emails I would love to know what is going on with all of you. Email your addresses too!! '

MAlloryakins@yahoo.com