In Order to Play, You Need to Work

Studying abroad is not all about traveling around Morocco and going to Spain and just hanging out with new friends all the time.  I also need to focus on my vocational and academic goals.  That being said, what are my vocational and academic goals?  It's always at this point in the conversations where my mind goes blank.  I honestly have no idea what exactly I want to do with the rest of my life.  However, I have small and very basic ideas.  For example, I want to get my graduate degree at some point.  I want to work in some type of foreign affairs, be it for the government or for an NGO or maybe even in the business world.  I just don't know the specifics.

Morocco is a developing country; it's a developing Islamic country with wonderful ties to the United States of America.  Part of the reason I want to travel to Morocco is because I want to know why that is!  Why is it that Morocco gets along with the United States?  Why does Morocco have a zero-tolerance policy against al-Quaeda when other Muslim countries don't?  What makes Morocco so unique in today's world?  How is is that an economically struggling nation is doing so well politically?  It's fascinating and discovering why Morocco is so successful could help lead me to my future in international relations or education or business or economics or what have you.  

While in Morocco, I can't have a job, but I do have the opportunity to volunteer while in Ifrane.  I plan on seeking out volunteer opportunities at my university because it might give me more insight in to what I want my future to look like.  I want to learn about the country and about it's political and economic processes.  I believe that volunteer work is the best way to get involved in such areas.  Volunteering should also help my people skills and get me outside of my comfort zone when it comes to meeting new people.  I'm very shy, so meeting new people is difficult.  Going into such a new situation in Morocco will definitely help me, but volunteering should also help me build a framework for meeting people cross-culturally, which can be difficult at times.

My trip to Morocco is two months away.  It's going to be fun; it's going to be exciting; and I'm going to learn a lot about myself and my future while I'm there.