Last week, I had a friend ask "What will you miss about Marrakech when you come home?" Honestly, on the spot, I couldn't think of anything. No surface answers came to mind except the relationships we have managed to develop; but nothing about Marrakech itself. I found myself pondering that question the past few days. Claire and I had a long walk through Marrakech on Saturday and as she napped, I thought. I thought about our experiences in Marrakech and the life we have managed to build thousands of miles away.
Thinking deeper than the surface, I was able to think of a lot of things I will miss about Marrakech and these are the reasons that as we approach homecoming, it is a bitter sweet experience. Marrakech has a rich history that has rooted itself into the culture. Everywhere you look, the architecture, the people in traditional dress, all ties back to the richness of the history and the resilience in believing to hold fast to their faith. It all started with the Medina with the walls of protection. From the Medina the city outside the walls began to be built. The web and mess of streets that can keep you lost for hours navigating directions that make sense in a pre-planned city. Marrakech wasn't pre-planned. It developed. The streets are far from grids, the twist, they bend, they web out and do not connect in ways our minds think they should. This history is found in the vibrancy of the colors and the ornate decoration of the tiles, flooring, carved archways and lighting. It is rather deceiving to walk through the Medina and see what could be deemed as a desolate area, then you open up the battered door with litter strewn onto the dirt ground. Just behind the door can lie a beautiful home or riad that was build and designed with history and care to hold true to the core beliefs of the Moroccan culture. Pools with fountains, lanterns scattering designs across the painted walls, and walls and ceilings covered in carved wood. Judging from the outside, you would have never fathomed what lies behind those doors.
Morocco has a variety of landscapes that beckon to be explored. While living in Marrakech, we have managed to see the Mountains, the Sahara Desert, an Oasis, and the Atlantic Ocean. Each area has a unique spin on the culture that makes each place sightly different than the other. Whilst living in Morocco, we have been able to travel to other countries. This opportunity has provided us the most important one of all; we have seen not just landscapes- but the world through new eyes, developing an understanding of life. We have removed the option for ignorance and hatred from our children's eyes. They have loved other children from all of the world- connected heart to heart.
I will miss the genuine love and appreciation my children have experienced while living here. They are loved. We can be in the middle of the butcher and Claire will be giving a blown up glove and a piece of turkey lunch meat. We can go into Yves Rocher to buy nail polish and Claire walks out with a free body wash and reusable bag- why? Because they dote and love children. I love that my children are accepted, loved, and appreciated.
I will miss the utter inconvenience of buying my weekly groceries form three different places in three different directions. Why? Because of the loyalty, the familiar faces and the developed relationships with the people you interact with daily. The butcher- they always know what I am asking for and have managed to teach my some Arabic along the way. The grocery store- watching the cashier go from a tiny pregnant belly to very pregnant to now understanding she is on maternity leave. The veggie market- going for the bread and tea then to purchase veggies from Redouan and Claire always walked out with a free orange. Yes, absolutely inconvenient. A process that could take two days, but in the end- an unforgettable experience.
I will miss running down to the hanut or placing my order at a restaurant and not thinking about it, but speaking French and Arabic (minimally) and hearing my accent change from American French to more French. Claire greeting locals with Bonjour and saying goodbye with Auvoir. All the while beginning to clarify their meaning and connecting English and French.
I will miss the life that has broken the barriers. We have friends from the UK, Australia, Philippines, Canada, Morocco, France, Spain... We have busted through the borders and come together in a central place. We genuinely love each other, love each others children and will miss one another. Whether we all choose to talk again or not, I do believe that we will all be connected at the heart for life. The friends you can pick up in 15 years where you left off.
Most of all, I will miss the place that we had the opportunity to call home together as a family- away from everything familiar; only having each other to navigate the strange. Free from everything to help build a life anew.
Marrakech is a place that will forever be in my heart. A place that I will never be able to lose memory of. A place I may long to return because it has provided us a beginning for our entire family. A beginning of opportunity and richness beyond the self imposed barriers the majority of the population faces. So, Ms. Joan- that is what I will miss about Marrakech.
We love and miss you all at home.
xx
Lex
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