I have found that if you love life,

Life will love you back.
-- Arthur Rubinstein

Summer days have a wonderful way of dragging her feet. Days melt together into one drawn out thought. Life is a perpetual snooze mode. And I've tremendously enjoyed living in this unwound fashion! I have all the time in the world to savor precious moments in Morocco and cross off some to-dos. Wake me up in 100 or so days.

What I have been occupying myself with:

* Good reads. I've been reading with a renewed appetite. I polished off Culture Shock! Morocco, Amartya Sen's Development As Freedom, Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success and A Billion Bootstraps: Barefoot Banking by Smith and Thurmon. I'm diving into The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.

* Drawing and painting on my walls! When I was little, I often stole away to doodle on the wall or bedroom dressers. My parents did not think too highly of my artist expression. And I, deservingly, endured subsequent beatings. Finally at 24, I finally know what I want to say on my canvas-like walls.

** My piece of Moroccan heaven.

* Hiking Jbel Toubkal, the tallest peak in North Africa. What a challenge! If I could do the trek all over again, I'd wear my other sneakers and avoid the painful blisters. Of course, the view from the top, company of good people and bragging rights made it worth the while.

** Trek from Imlil to Base Camp

** View from 4,167 meters up!

* Seeing Aicha's bled. I'm at a loss of words to describe her family and my short time there. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to visit.

** Small oasis, photos from around the house

* Bringing home the bride. There have been several occasions I have been asked to joining the family and "bring home" the bride. This involves staying awake until 3am, climbing into a pick-up truck while horns blaze and singing all the way. In the past, I have politely declined. Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather have a good night's sleep. But when Khadija asked me last week, I resisted my natural inclination. Why not? What other time would I be able to have this experience? And like that, I was swept into a broken record of slow slams (the song they sing when the bride enters the room).

* Documenting my learned lessons. In many respects, the Association is still in their its infancy stages. In a recent conversation with several Association members, they commented how lucky they were to have the Women's Center and be apart of the income-generating project. There's plenty of meaningful work (though at times frustrating) for another volunteer. I wonder what she's doing right now....