My parents visited me in Morocco and I took them to Marrakech, Essaouria and some of my other favorite places.

My second Ramadan in Morocco was so much more fun now that I understood Islamic traditions better.

After one year in Morocco, I reflect on everything I’ve learned as a Peace Corps Volunteer. It’s been a big year of a lot of firsts!

My first solo trip to stay at a camp in the Moroccan Sahara near Zagora. A full day from the village I lived in, I finally felt like a tourist in a country that had so far been a lot of work.

A fun escape to the Boulmane Gorges that reminded me of Utah.

A weekend trip to a smaller villages in the Atlas Mountains.

A bus trip from Kelaa to Marrakech and up over the Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate.

My first Eide in Morocco was a lesson in cultural understanding - and letting go of my vegetarian squeamishness.

On a road trip over the Atlas to Errachidia, we stopped for a snowball fight with some Barbary Macaques. They won.

After an intense couple months in Sefrou, it was time to move on. Finally, I would find out where I would be posted for the next two years.

During my two months in Sefrou, I had the opportunity to learn how to work in both a Dar Chebab and a Neddi Neswi.

During training, I was in a group of five trainees, in Sefrou. We each had our own host family, all within shouting distance from the front door.

Peace Corps starts with three months of training before you can swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. My training began in Fes.