PeaceWorks

This past weekend I traveled to Rabat in order to assist in the editing and assembling of PeaceWorks, a quarterly publication of Peace Corps Morocco-related news and volunteer-submitted essays, poetry, artwork, photographs recipes, and miscellaneous other stuff.

During training I was elected as my stage's editor, and last weekend was my first opportunity (of how many, I don't know) to take part in the process at the Peace Corps offices. I had not returned to Rabat since the day they bussed us over from the Casablanca airport. At the time we were like zombies, fatigued and disoriented from the jet lag and overload of new input, so it was nice to revisit the city with a clear head and a bit of perspective.

The actual composition of the issue itself consisted of two days' worth of sitting behind a computer doing basic editing, formatting, and layout of the submissions. It was considerably simpler and more laid-back than I had expected, likely due to the excellent company provided to me by the Volunteers I met over the course of my stay.

A stage of COSing (Completion Of Service-ing) PCVs was in town taking care of medical appointments, so due to that and a country-wide transportation strike, I opted to stay around after having finished work on PeaceWorks.

I've always enjoyed listening to what other PCVs have to say regarding their time spent in country. There are, naturally, a wide variety of experiences, opinions, and attitudes from them, ranging from jaded and disgruntled to bubbly and grateful. Positive or not, hearing of their experience is valuable and often comforting-- knowing that others are or have been in the same boat. Also, lots of juicy gossip and some wild stories.


Having no further agenda or obligations, I spent time wandering around the city with others, visiting the Tomb of Hassan II, Chellah (a beautiful area of Moroccan and Roman ruins and wild gardens populated by thousands of storks), the Oudaias Kasbah (an ocean-side neighborhood of narrow streets and blue and white painted houses), and the rocky coast. I squinted hard but still could not see America.

Getting out of site can be quite rejuvinating; every now and then a wave of isolation comes by and weirds you out for a little while, and a change in environment and some good company are often the cure. Rabat is a beautiful city; it definitely did me some good.


see some more pics here