Updates from Deep in the Desert

April 24--
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​As with all good stories, one plot twist (or even two) isn’t enough.

Marc checked in this morning from Taroudant.  He's there with another colleague Michael from La.  Let’s go back in time for a moment, since there’s some key information about their placement in a desert town that’s important to know.  Back in January, when we first got our placements, Marc texted our large “Morocco field visit 2024 group” with a few one liners.  The first one was especially memorable.  He said something like, "It’s like a Seinfeld episode.  They send the guys from LA and NYC to the desert lol.”  Well, I scrolled way up in the group chat and took a screen shot of the actual comment.  Here it is:

A screen grab of the group chat back in January when we received and shared our placements.

At that point most of us didn’t know Marc.  At all.  But of course I for one was instantly intrigued.   And amused.   I couldn't wait to watch this Seinfeld episode.

Well, now it’s begun.

As the rest of us were stopped at the beautiful Casablanca train station, Marc and Michael took a taxi to the Casablanca airport.  While the rest of us boarded our trains without a hitch, Marc and Michael hit a glitch.   They were bumped from their flight.   You can read a little of the sequence of events in our group chat - we all report on successful and joyful arrivals while Marc, with his signature wit, checks in from the Casablanca airport. 

Joyful arrival messages intermingle with Marc's "we're still at the airport" message.

 Finally, after lots of back and forth (and loads of help from our amazing leader Meryem), Marc and Michael were rebooked on a new flight hours later.  Late that evening, Marc and Michael arrived in Taroudant and sent a quick (one-liner) report:

We were delighted when they sent a quick photo with their host teacher:

Michael, Marc, and their host teacher. The Seinfeld episode with the LA and NYC guys in the desert has begun!

And the early reports coming in indicate that the desert is indeed as “vibe-y” as Casablanca, but surely in a different way.  I even overheard the word “magical” being thrown around.  Will the allure of the Moroccan desert overshadow the cool Casablanca vibe?  More to come, surely.