We aren't tourists, here.

We're all having a really hard time with these blogs - not because we don't want to write, and certainly not because we aren't having an incredible time together here in Rabat - but because it's very hard to attempt to put into words what's happening around us. This place is filled with beauty - and there's no way anything I could write could properly convey what that beauty has done for me as a teacher and as a human being. In just a handful of days, I've seen more than I could even begin to share. I'm going to try and do that - but read ahead knowing that these words pale in comparison to the experience and feeling of gratitude that's flooded me these last few days.

Today is Friday. Most of the day felt like a dream - we drove out early to Casablanca, where we met the most incredible Moroccan high schoolers. They welcomed us with flowers and food and had prepared a series of exhibits all about Morocco and their culture. Just like every Moroccan I've met on this trip - they were so warm and kind. When my wifi is a bit stronger - I'll add photos to show you some of the remarkable things I saw today. Words just aren't enough.

After the exhibits, we participated in a panel discussion on issues that face both American and Moroccan students. The lesson that our similarities are greater than our differences has rung true everywhere we've gone on this trip - I saw so many of my own students in the faces on that panel today. It made me miss them very much.

Once we left our school visit - we drove to the third largest Mosque in the world and the largest Mosque in Africa. This mosque - Hassan II - sits on the coast of Casablanca. You see, hear, and feel it all at once - it's undeniable beauty, the sound of the waves, and the peaceful nature of the place. It's all at once - and it's unforgettable.

From there, we headed out to the Casablanca countryside. Our in country host's family had invited us for a traditional Moroccan meal in their country home. The country has always hit me square in the heart- I'd always choose the middle of nowhere over the crowds of everywhere. This place - with its peacocks on the roof (On the roof!) and it's fields of a green that I'm not sure exists anywhere else - it was striking. It occurred to me there - standing on that dirt road, looking up at more sky than I've ever seen in my life - that we aren't Tourists, here. I'm actually not sure what we are - but we aren't Tourists. We're in this culture - and it's a beautiful one.