Month: November 2023

Experiencing Burnout Abroad

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

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As my time abroad has been nearing its end, I have been struggling with lots of conflicting emotions. I have reached the time in my semester when I am struggling with burnout, and living in another country is no exception to this. With the stress of school, the struggle to keep up with the language difference, and continual travel, my cup is very full. This may sound like I am complaining, but really I am extremely grateful.

I have had such an amazing experience and I am struggling with the thought of letting go of the place I have learned to call home the past few months. I am trying to express as much gratitude as possible to my host mother and come to terms with not seeing her every day. Thinking of all of the friends I have made here and when next I will see them, due to the fact we all live on opposite sides of the United States, is difficult as well. Waving and smiling a few extra times to the shop owners that have begin to have a place in my heart. All of these new feelings that are arising due to my experience coming to an end soon.

All of these thoughts are accompanied by the immense joy I feel to have studied here to begin with. The gratefulness I have for being able to study abroad and learn a new language and culture. The fear of not fitting in. The longing for home. The excitement of a new culture. The joy of finding another family halfway across the world. The fear of leaving them but the need to. All of this partnered with exams and deadlines has quickly become exhausting.

Yet at the same time I wouldn’t have it any other way. This experience has been absolutely amazing and I am so happy I was able to experience the culture of France and a few other cultures along the way. There have been so many amazing people and events I have been able to experience. Studying abroad can be very exhausting, a fact I am feeling right now, but it is also amazing. I see the good and the bad in so many different places and I have a new appreciation for people living abroad permanently.

I am trying to walk home slower so I can appreciate my neighborhood. Pay more attention to the details or the locals I recognize but don’t fully know. Pushing myself to take more risks and grow even more.

A Family Visit

Published on by hallieahoffLeave a comment

This last week I had the opportunity to show some family members around Morocco! It was so interesting to observe them experience all the different foods, cultures, and customs that I had only a month and a half prior. Spending the first week in Marrakesh we explored one of the most decorated palaces, the Bahia. Getting to take in the extreme attention to detail in almost every area of the palace, you quickly realize why the monument has become so famous.

We then boarded a train for Rabat, the city I’ve been based in since September. Switching gears and taking a slightly less touristic avenue we explored some of the best restaurants I’ve been able to find while still squeezing in a couple historic monuments and walks around the city. Ending their stay with a quick 12-hour pal-around Casablanca however short, may have been the most worthwhile thing we did the entire trip. Although the city is much busier than Marrakesh or Rabat, being the top economic city in the country it seemed to add to the overall experience. What really stood out was the Hassan II, one of the only mosques in Africa and the only in Morocco that is open to be viewed by the public. Massive in size and reputation you could truly spend hours inside and out taking it all in. Built on a wall of the sea the entire architecture seems like something out of a dream.

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