Preparing to Return Home

Blog Summary:

• Emotions are running high in my preparation to return to the United States
• Budget time to work on your exams but also hang out with your host family and friends
• Packing should not be too long a process so do not worry about leaving it until later if your other option is quality time with the people you care about
• Souvenirs should be bought during the last part of the semester as you will have the most experience operating in the medina at that point
• Emotionally, when preparing to leave you may feel the opposite of what you felt when arriving in that things you were excited about when arriving will make you sad to leave 

As I prepare to return to the United States I am feeling a mixture of countless emotions. Since we are in exam season right now, I must confess that I am stressed and frustrated because I want to truly enjoy my last few days here in Rabat with my family, but I am busy with my educational responsibilities. Of course, I know this is simply a phase as I have loved my classes for the entire semester and my professors have been wonderful. Most of my finals have been papers or presentations as opposed to exams which has allowed me to spend more time with my family because I do not feel the need to endlessly prepare, rather I simply work until my papers or presentations until they are complete and ready to turn in. Thankfully, I will have two free days after the end of the program to hang out with my family and enjoy this last bit of Rabat.

I have started packing a little bit but not a lot, namely because I use most everything I have brought with me. Packing shouldn’t take too long though so I am saving it for one of my free days. Since my parents were here a few weeks ago, they were able to bring some of my souvenirs home for me which has opened up some space in my bag for more souvenirs. It seems as though everyone’s final errand in Rabat is buying souvenirs which is not necessarily a bad thing. Since we have spent so much time in the medina now, we are able to discern what a good price is for our target item. We have also been able to identify shops that will sell higher quality items thanks to our experience living in the old medina. I fear that if I had taken on the chore of buying souvenirs in the beginning of my study abroad trip I would have been overcharged for lower quality goods.

Returning back to the topic of emotions I have concluded that what I am feeling is the opposite of the mixture of emotions I felt when I was arriving in Rabat. Upon arrival I was sad about leaving my family but excited to meet my host family but now I am sad to leave my host family and excited to see my family.