Outdoors-ing in Morocco

It was during our two-year stint in Berkeley, CA that our love for hiking really blossomed. The redwoods were practically in our backyard, and we took advantage of all the regional, state, and national parks that dot Northern California.  After a super-fun summer family vacation to Grand Teton National park, I decided to audit an undergraduate environmental biology class at Cal Berkeley (because grad school just isn't busy enough).  Honestly, the professor spent more time chatting about the protests over public school funding that were raging across campus that year than he spent lecturing about watersheds and carbon footprints, but I was still smitten.  Leaves! Bovines! Nature!  A welcome break from Durkheim, Weber, and my other sociology of religion friends (whom I still adore, but sometimes it's more fun to read about insects).  Once we were back in Texas, I enrolled in the Cross Timbers Master Naturalist program and eventually earned my official certification.  Pete and I pulled invasive species from local parks on the weekends (why oh why do people insist on planting privet?!), and I got to do fun things like lead wildflower hikes for families during the Fort Worth Prairie Fest.

One of many trees we've hugged.

I've provided this background information so that you can fully understand how elated we are to be living where we live in Morocco.  Our little town of 12,000 is nestled in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, and there are plenty of trails criss-crossing the area.  Sure, it was 110 degrees in the summer and we hid in our home whilst binging on television and young-adult fiction.  But those days are behind us, and the season of exploring the outdoors is here!

About once a week, Pete and I hike up to a place called Tizikhoran.  I don't know what that means, I just know that it's a 40-minute hike that provides a lovely bird's eye view of our town.  There are logs to sit on, shade-a-plenty, and giant yucca plants.  

This fall, our English class has also been eager to hike up into the mountains.  A few weeks ago, we hiked up to Ait Ourit, a place we've visited before.  The hike takes about two hours, and we did it with backpacks full of vegetables, soda, snacks, and a tagine and a teapot.  We filled the afternoon with games, food, and music (turning anything and everything into a drum).

No Moroccan outing is complete without tea!

Trekking home after sunset.

This past weekend, we headed into the mountains again with our English students.  And, just this week, we showed off the hiking trails to our good friends Sarah and Mustapha (she took a lot of great photos, so be sure and check out her blog!).  Seriously, we just can't get enough of the outdoors now that the weather is cool and crisp.

Hiking with some of my favorite English students.
They understand my terrible Darija better than most.

Headed for the mountains.

Firdous diligently watches over the snacks.

Pete and Khalid take in the view from the top.

I feel like I end nearly every blog this way, but I'm going to say it again: this is not easy.  Living in a new place, learning a new language, waiting for our workspace to open, and adjusting to new expectations--- these are hard things.  But having mountains and having friends helps, and we are grateful for all the time we get to spend with people and in the outdoors.

Who needs a fancy toddler backpack?  Malika shows us how it's done.