Well, two more days until I depart for Morocco. My bags are packed, my preparations are made, and I’m ready to go. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous, going to a new country and a new culture, but I’m also excited. I have experience living abroad in France and traveling extensively, so that part isn’t as nerve-racking to me, it’s just going to a totally unknown place that is a bit anxiety producing. But at the same time, it’s very exciting and I can’t wait for all the new experiences I will have.
I will be arriving in Rabat on the 30th, and then traveling to Fez, where I will spend time with a host family in the old section of town. During the day we take Moroccan Arabic courses and learn about Moroccan culture. During that time we will also be traveling to roman ruins and exploring the medina. After a couple of weeks in Fez, we return to Rabat where we begin classes and I take up residence with my semester hosts, a pair of unmarried older sisters. I am very interested to learn their perspective on Morocco, being that they have a unique position as unmarried women in a traditionally male-dominated culture. From Rabat, I will be taking field trips to Spain, the Atlas mountains, and the Sahara desert. I can’t wait!
I am looking forward to all of these new experiences, and while a I may be a bit nervous now, I know that once I am there that will change. I anticipate many exciting and unusual events in the next couple of months. Allons-y!
Madison Sommers
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">I am a third-year student at Saint Michael's College in Vermont majoring in Gender Studies with a double minor in Philosophy and Political Science. I hope to attend law school after graduation, and want to work with women who are victims of domestic violence. I also have a fascination with neurology and would like to find some way to combine the two. I enjoy traveling and lived abroad in France after graduating early from high school. My current home is in New Hampshire with my parents, sister, dog, and two cats. I love cooking, knitting, reading, and art, and am looking forward to experiencing Moroccan culture. I have always had a passion for gender issues and am excited to study gender from a Moroccan perspective. I hope I can share my experience of Moroccan culture with you.</span></p>
