My feet are back on US soil...

I made it back to USA!  An experience of a lifetime! I can't wait to share my stories in person with everyone.

My Beloved Madrid and VUCO family...

Madird, Spain...this city is everything and so much more I ever thought it could ever be...

It is as if the excitment of NYC was wrapped up in the charm and the history of Andalusion Spain.  It is so incredibly beautiful!  As I walked the historic 16th century streets I could barely concentrate with each step I took throughout this glorious city.  I can´t quite explain why it is that I feel so connected to this beautiful area of Spain...but, I do.  I feel at home, I feel as though this is where I was meant to be.  Madrid...Cordoba...Malaga...Tarifa...all these beautiful places in the south of Spain hit straight at my heart.

To  my new VCU family (Allison, Debbie, Kris, Patty, Rob, Sarah Jane...and, Sasha we missed you tonight...and, of course our sweet Humberto, McKenna, Osama) -- our relationships and memories together were the unexpected beautiful surprise of this experience.

aaaaaahhhhhh....Madrid...aaaaaaahhhh....Spain...I will forever hold you near and dear to my heart.

We made it Madrid!

The plane ride was great and now we are off to see the city if my dreams...aaahhhhh....Madrid.

To my family...my phone is not working for some reason, so I am not able to call. But, I'm here and all is great.  I'm all set to leave tomorrow morning at 7:10am and will arrive in Las Vegas by 4:30pm.

Adios!

Last day in Africa ...last day with Cristina, Fernando and Monolo :(

Yesterday was quite a memory...our last day in Africa we braved the markets and negotiated like soldiers.  When you first enter the market it's overwhelming with vibrant colors, exilerating smells and rapid movement of cars...bicycles, motorcycles, vans, buses, and people everywhere.  There are words and coversations of French, Spanish, Arabic... and English spoken among the muffled sounds of donkeys and horses, monkeys, drums, snakes being mesmerized by charmers and sellers bolting out at you with descriptions of hand carved boxes.

Wow...what an exhilarating experience! I've never experienced something like this that has your senses in overload.

Our family  from University of Cordoba invited us for a farewell dinner at Azar...an absolutely gorgeous restaurant! Another amazing dining experiencing continued with tabbouleh, hummus, falafel, pita, and tangein (spelling? This is slow cooking process of beef and chicken and lamb), grilled kabobs and lamb chops.  There was so much laughter, many pictures, expressions of gratitude, and tears for our farewell. But, I know this is not the last time I will see my new found family...Monolo, Cristina, and Fernando.  I can not express the amount of laughter and the many stories that have been shared with such passion, expression, humor, and sentiment as I have heard from Monolo and Fernando. These are certainly memories I will carry with me for a lifetime.

I look forward to the day that I can return and experience such joy again.

We of course finished our evening in true Andalusian style....ending our night at 3:50am...yes, that's right.  How I'm functioning with such energy...I have no idea...but, I am :)

And, now, we are all preparing for our departure to Spain.  I feel as though I am going to burst with excitements in anticipation of experiencing Madrid!

Til then....

I'm feeling a little "princessy"...

Really it's as if every place we stay everything we eat everywhere we look we are being taken care of with the highest level of attention.  Our leaders...McKenna, Humberto and Osama are UNBELIEVABLE!!! One of the other folks in our group just said..."hmmm...I'm feeling a little hungry"... And literally 20 seconds later there was mint tea and cookies. As I'm writing this blog I'm sitting a gorgeous riad looking at a marble fountain in a room with crystal chandeliers...ornate tiles...beautiful tapestries...and yep...I'm sipping on mint tea and eating cookies :)

As I said before "what is happening?"...:)

Oh my goodness...our train ride last night was so much fun! We slept 4 to a small cabin "bunk bed" style...it was quite an adventure. We stayed up late listening to stories and jokes being shared in Spanish and we did our best to translate. Even with the language barrier...we all managed to laugh hysterically together. It was an early night for us...midnight. We've started to come accustomed to nights ending around 2am (Spanish time...not so much Moroccan time).

We arrived in Marakech around 9am the next morning.

The traffic is crazy...the buildings have gorgeous terracota color...and there are markets everywhere

Tonight we will meet with new colleagues from the university of Marrakech for dinner.

Til next time...

Wow....is this my life?

My mantra on this trip has been "what is happening ...is this my life right now?" because every moment of this trip has been one unbelievable experience after another.

So, after we arrived in Tatouam, Morocco...we traveled to a gorgeous riad (architectural structure that  has a beautiful open courtyard in the middle of the structure with living areas surrounding the main courtyard. It has an open area all the up the middle of the structure with elaborated adorned bedrooms .  We had a lovely dinner with our colleagues from the university in Tatouam with a magnificent Moroccan spread of food. My experience and encountered with food in both Spain and morocco have changed the way I think about what I eat...how much I eat...and how I eat. The typical breakfast has been toast with tomatoes or olives and honey, jams or olive oil with cafe con leche. It's been fabulous!

And lunch and dinner are quite a remarkable experience...the communal feeling and environment for  meals is exhilarating. And then coffee and tea breaks are not grabbing a quick cup from the local Starbucks but instead it's either freshly ground espresso or a delicious mint tea and we sit and enjoy it along with a break and conversation with one another.

We learned from our meeting that the higher education system in Morocco is free to all students who graduate high school and there is only one exam at the end of the year to pass the class.  There is no system of advising and all students begin college with a specific field and start taking the courses in that chosen field immediately.  Quite different from our US schools.  And undergraduate studies are only 3 years bc there is a focus on general education "core curriculum" during high school.  The level of masters is two year and a doctorate is 3 years of study.

After our meeting and tour, we prepared ourselves for the overnight train ride...but, first we were joined by our  universidad de cordoba colleagues "mi familia" :)

There presence completely brightened everything.  Their free spirit is contagious.

Tales from Our overnight train experience to Marrakech to come....

A little sea sick on my voyage....

Well, I made it to Morocco...even though I got a little motion sickness from the ferry ride from Tarifa to Tangier. It was well worth it all.  When we first arrived in Tangier we walked through the beautiful streets of the old city. And off in the cityscape we saw a mosque...a synagogue...and a cathedral.  These standing structures remind us that there was a time with all three religions living in harmony.  The architecture is reminiscent of the structures that are standing in Spain. And it's very clear of the Islamic influences in Spain.

The colors are so very vibrant and the streets are so busy and filled with activity, with community, with an odd sense in a random nature.  It's very common to see a mule on the side...vendors set up with exotic fruits and vegetables ...or shoe shiner or children playing.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch and tea overlooking where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet.  We then took a drive along the Mediterranean with phenomenal views on our way to Tatuam.

Our plan tonight is to have dinner with the Vice President and some of his colleagues from the University of Tatuam.

More to come soon....