Our Last Weekend

This past weekend marked our last weekend in Marrakech.  This week, we bid farewell to our family and friends here as well as continue to pack up our home.  The walls are just as bare as when we first arrived as I have removed all of the kids artwork to make the 5,000 mile trek across the world.  Our suitcases are packed to the brim with our material lives ready to be unpacked in The States as we settle into our new home.

Today, I had the conversation with Happy about flying on the airplane to America as we gave away her balloon cat to Maia.  However, when we went to "throw away" her pools (things get taken out of the trash- so I knew they would find a home), the guard at our building hollered out at us and asked us for the pools.  We happily handed them over.  Well, I happily handed them over.  The man spoke to me in French that his baby would love them.  I just nodded and replied with "oui, oui."  Claire whined a bit asking me for her swimming pool.  I decided to kneel down and explain to her a bit more seriously.

"Happy, remember mommy told you where we are going?  Do you remember where?"

"Yes.  We are going on a.... airplane."

"Yep.  The pools will not fit in our suitcases when we go on the airplane.  We have a swimming pool in America.  We can play with Daddy and Chaddy in the pool in America.  Ok?  We gave the pools to the man for his baby since we are leaving."

"Ok.  The pool is for his babies to play."

Unfortunately, there is a lot of poverty in Marrakech, so many people here will take ANYTHING they are given and find someone who can use the items.  I am more than happy to pass things on to those who can utilize them.  Claire and I headed to the hanut and on the way back, the guard stopped us again and asked if we had any clothes for his baby.  I told him I would look.  My heartaches knowing I have nothing for his baby as he clearly needs things.  He can't make more than 2000 dirhams a month, literally a fraction of what it costs to survive.  I stopped at Nick and Anna's to relay his message as they have Amelie and possibly some unwanted clothes to pass on.  Helps remind me that in times we can give- give willingly and wholeheartedly.  It fills the heart with joy.

This weekend was filled with more adventures and fun.  I absolutely needed this weekend adventures to spend with my best friends and have time to cherish each one of them.

In Friday night, Romy, Anna, Danielle, Amelie and Claire- we all headed out to a villa that Aisha and Feras had rented for the weekend- Al Maaden.  They rented a Riad for their daughter to have a pool party and sleep over for her last BIG birthday bash in Marrakech.  They are headed back to Libya and Missouri come the end of this month.  The party started Saturday afternoon, so we had a girls night on Friday afternoon to Saturday morning.

After work, we headed out on in a van to Al Maaden and arrived.  Our bodies instantly relaxed seeing the conditions we would get to relish in for the next 24 hours.  A private pool, four bedrooms, terrace, and GRASS! I told Mr. F, if we ever ended back in Morocco at some point in our lives- that this place is where we should land!

That evening, we played and relaxed by the pool until we decided that we should eat and play games.  We weakly surprised Aisha with a baby shower celebration complete with gifts, games and a cake.

We had a wonderful and relaxing time, just enjoying each other's company.  It was a lovely way to spend our last weekend- surrounded by those we love.  I will have a hard time saying goodbye to these ladies- hopefully we will just be saying "see you soon" instead.  It is hard to imagine this expat life of meeting people you love and saying goodbye when you have spent a huge part of your life relating to these women.  We are all in the same boat- learning, open our eyes, love for traveling- the connection feels so strong.  Yet, in the end, we all jump on our separate airplane and resume what we may consider our normal lives.  I hope that these connections that feel embedded so deeply continue to flourish with love and deliberate care.   

Claire and I are feverishly preparing for home.  We are finalizing packing, printing itineraries and scheduling transportation.  We get to see all of you in just a matter of days.  We cannot wait to hug each one of you!

xo

Lex