Home away from home

by Karina Wong (Canada)

Making a local connection Morocco

Dear Veronica, As I swipe through the photos, I came to realize that it has been a decade since my trip to Morocco. Your grandmother's expression of disbelief is still vivid in my mind. "Morocco? In Africa? I thought you said Monaco! Can you cancel your trip?" I made a promise to stay in touch every day for the next two weeks. Your grandmother reluctantly gave her blessings, knowing that I was accompanied by a trusted friend. Kendra and I made an impromptu decision to visit somewhere exotic. Morocco seemed to fit the criteria. From camping in the Sahara desert to following a dog out of a sprawling medina, it would take more pages to document our venture, which I will do at a later time. The one memory that left an imprint in my heart even on this day was the overnight stay with a local Moroccan family. We had been exploring Morocco for about a week now. I was starting to feel homesick. After a long drive out of the Sahara desert, we finally arrived at our next destination. A sense of uneasiness came over me as our jeep pulled into a neighborhood with orange brick houses. The scenery had changed from one that I was familiar with, a riad with modern amenities to a home with minimal decor in a rural village. While our tour guide Mohammed was unloading our suitcases, our host mom came to welcome us. Her invitational gesture led us to the living room, a place where two cultures would soon collide to exchange simple dialogues solidified by infectious smiles. A teenage boy quietly appeared to say hello. This must be her son, I thought. He grabbed some pieces of paper and pencils and began to lay them out on the living room table. The next few moments were spent on sharpening our French over multiple rounds of Hangman. At times when we were struggling to figure out the most blatantly obvious words like DI_ _ _C_E, Mohammed would gracefully drop hints to help bridge the gap. "Ladies, what is the day of the week?" "Oh, duh! DIMANCHE!" We screamed with satisfaction and gave each other high fives. Our waves of laughter captured the attention of his younger sister, who soon came to join the party. In our short exchange, I was touched by her calming spirit and genuine curiosity to get to know us better. Before we knew it, it was close to dinner time. The tantalizing smell of the traditional Moroccan cuisine drifted into the living room. Kendra and I rushed into the kitchen to offer our help. To our surprise, we were greeted by their youngest brother, who was helping in the kitchen, gathering utensils and plates for our scrumptious meal. I wish I could pause that moment in time. I stood in the corner of the room, taking it all in. I couldn't remember the last time I had an interaction like this with your grandparents and uncle. What a beautiful sight of unity! The entire family sitting together at the dinner table, enjoying conversations and meeting new friends. That evening as I drifted off into sleep, I dreamt about my future husband (your future daddy whom I haven't met yet) and the traditions that I want to instill in our family. Veronica, when you are at an age where we can converse in full sentences, I will fill you in on all my travel adventures. And now that I have become a mother, I came to realize that your grandmother was very courageous to give me the independence and opportunity to explore the world. I hope that when it is time to let you go, I can be brave. Love, Your Mommy