Dear Reader,
Wow! Four whole years since I've updated this blog. Even though it's been so long since I left you, without a dope beat to step to...err...ummm...I haven't forgotten you! Simply put, I've
been on another journey...my beautiful Ethiopian, and Ethio-American-MoSotho-Proudly South African baby, and I moved to the United States. My Ethiopian, who was already a successful, practicing physician when I met him, wanted to advance his education. Thus, we moved to the US so that he could attend residency. Four years later, residency, lots of love, friends, family, an advancing career (for me), and a few trips sprinkled in for funzies has been a long ride, but well worth the fun!
Now to ponder about the meaning of life, the current state of political affairs, what I'll cook for dinner, planning my upcoming trip to Morocco with my Ethio/American boy, and what to do with this blog...
Well, some of these may require a bit more pondering, but I think I might have an idea about what to do with this blog. I just think I might leverage the "and beyond' part of the blog title and post about how I'm trying to raise a free-thinking, world-traveling, culturally competent, skate boarding, socially & emotionally intelligent, bad ass kid (and other musings)! Sound good with you? Mmkay!This sounds particularly salient given my current task of organizing our upcoming mama/boy trip to Morocco. First, I should probably give you a lil back story.
Yah see, my boy was born to travel (and run, but that's another story all together). First off, I'm his mom, so...enough said...but I'll tell you a bit more. He was born in a little place you may know of as South Africa (shout out Mzanzi), and was raised by an American mom and Ethiopian dad in the Kingdom of Lesotho. This guy had his passport by the ripe old age of 7 weeks, and was on his first international flight to Ethiopia at 7 weeks. This was followed by his second international flight to the US of A shortly thereafter. When we finally moved to the US, he had more frequent flyer points than many adults.
Side note: When we travel by plane, I always anticipate all of the passengers sitting within earshot of us giving me complements about how good of a traveler he is. They clearly hold their breath and anticipate an unnerving baby/toddler/young child screams. I quickly jump in when they ask if this was his first flight with a, "Nope, not this guy, he has a lot of stamps in his passport!"Ahh...such is life!
This brings me back to my task at hand...what to do with our trip to Morocco. You see, last year, my boy and I were on a trip to Chicago when I volunteered to get bumped on an oversold flight. Long story short, rather than the $200 they initially offered, we ended up getting a combined total of $1,800 worth of Delta credit...ummm yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah (said in my Lil'Jon voice).
I sat on the credit for a year, given that we already had plans to travel to Cuba at the time. Where oh where should we go? Oh, I know, the country I have been fantasizing about since I was in 3rd grade. You: "Third grade, you say?" Me: "Picture it: A little bit of #blackgirlmagic participating in her 3rd grade class during International Day. Her teacher invited her two friends- former RPCVs in Morocco- to speak about their experience. #Blackgirlmagic sat in awe as they showed pictures of the High Atlas Mountains, bright colors, geometric patterns, and dunes of the Sahara Dessert. You see, this #blackgirlmagic had only been as far as Oklahoma, at the time, but knew...just knew...that there was something more. That night, she recounted secondhand stories of travel and adventure to her parents vowing that one day, she would grow up to live her life out loud abroad, first in the Peace Corps, and after that, with her French husband, two boys (Jean-Michele & Jean-Jacques, respectively), and pet monkey on a remote farm in Congo. That young girl was me. The Frenchman was Monet..." (cue Sophia from the Golden Girls). So you see, the 3rd grade version of myself gifted me Delta credit from the past for me to have my own Moroccan experience...the place that captured my imagination so long ago!
Ever since the decision was made, I've been scouring the interwebs looking for magical experiences my boy and I can share (hubs is newly in his job so won't be coming), in addition to staring at my Delta app trip countdown. Everywhere I look, however, I read blogs from American or European moms who prefer to stay put in one city. The Lonely Planet Morocco Thorn Tree commentators gently admonish me for thinking that a 10 hour road trip with loads of stops is crazy talk. Even an overnight train ride from Marrakesh to Fez got me a virtual slap on the hand. Yikes! I promise you, I'm a responsible mom, but I think that if my guy can manage a 16 hour plane ride to South Africa in economy seating, he'll be ok with an air conditioned Sprinter van with amazing stops along the way.
We'll see...let me get back to pondering my trip and what's for dinner!
Alas, Dear Reader, if you have any tips for globe-trotting families or fun places to explore in Morocco, leave comments! I'll keep you posted on what we decide. It was great getting reacquainted with you, old friend!
Sincerely,
Dani
Wow! Four whole years since I've updated this blog. Even though it's been so long since I left you, without a dope beat to step to...err...ummm...I haven't forgotten you! Simply put, I've
been on another journey...my beautiful Ethiopian, and Ethio-American-MoSotho-Proudly South African baby, and I moved to the United States. My Ethiopian, who was already a successful, practicing physician when I met him, wanted to advance his education. Thus, we moved to the US so that he could attend residency. Four years later, residency, lots of love, friends, family, an advancing career (for me), and a few trips sprinkled in for funzies has been a long ride, but well worth the fun!
Now to ponder about the meaning of life, the current state of political affairs, what I'll cook for dinner, planning my upcoming trip to Morocco with my Ethio/American boy, and what to do with this blog...
Well, some of these may require a bit more pondering, but I think I might have an idea about what to do with this blog. I just think I might leverage the "and beyond' part of the blog title and post about how I'm trying to raise a free-thinking, world-traveling, culturally competent, skate boarding, socially & emotionally intelligent, bad ass kid (and other musings)! Sound good with you? Mmkay!This sounds particularly salient given my current task of organizing our upcoming mama/boy trip to Morocco. First, I should probably give you a lil back story.
Yah see, my boy was born to travel (and run, but that's another story all together). First off, I'm his mom, so...enough said...but I'll tell you a bit more. He was born in a little place you may know of as South Africa (shout out Mzanzi), and was raised by an American mom and Ethiopian dad in the Kingdom of Lesotho. This guy had his passport by the ripe old age of 7 weeks, and was on his first international flight to Ethiopia at 7 weeks. This was followed by his second international flight to the US of A shortly thereafter. When we finally moved to the US, he had more frequent flyer points than many adults.
Side note: When we travel by plane, I always anticipate all of the passengers sitting within earshot of us giving me complements about how good of a traveler he is. They clearly hold their breath and anticipate an unnerving baby/toddler/young child screams. I quickly jump in when they ask if this was his first flight with a, "Nope, not this guy, he has a lot of stamps in his passport!"Ahh...such is life!
This brings me back to my task at hand...what to do with our trip to Morocco. You see, last year, my boy and I were on a trip to Chicago when I volunteered to get bumped on an oversold flight. Long story short, rather than the $200 they initially offered, we ended up getting a combined total of $1,800 worth of Delta credit...ummm yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah (said in my Lil'Jon voice).
I sat on the credit for a year, given that we already had plans to travel to Cuba at the time. Where oh where should we go? Oh, I know, the country I have been fantasizing about since I was in 3rd grade. You: "Third grade, you say?" Me: "Picture it: A little bit of #blackgirlmagic participating in her 3rd grade class during International Day. Her teacher invited her two friends- former RPCVs in Morocco- to speak about their experience. #Blackgirlmagic sat in awe as they showed pictures of the High Atlas Mountains, bright colors, geometric patterns, and dunes of the Sahara Dessert. You see, this #blackgirlmagic had only been as far as Oklahoma, at the time, but knew...just knew...that there was something more. That night, she recounted secondhand stories of travel and adventure to her parents vowing that one day, she would grow up to live her life out loud abroad, first in the Peace Corps, and after that, with her French husband, two boys (Jean-Michele & Jean-Jacques, respectively), and pet monkey on a remote farm in Congo. That young girl was me. The Frenchman was Monet..." (cue Sophia from the Golden Girls). So you see, the 3rd grade version of myself gifted me Delta credit from the past for me to have my own Moroccan experience...the place that captured my imagination so long ago!
Ever since the decision was made, I've been scouring the interwebs looking for magical experiences my boy and I can share (hubs is newly in his job so won't be coming), in addition to staring at my Delta app trip countdown. Everywhere I look, however, I read blogs from American or European moms who prefer to stay put in one city. The Lonely Planet Morocco Thorn Tree commentators gently admonish me for thinking that a 10 hour road trip with loads of stops is crazy talk. Even an overnight train ride from Marrakesh to Fez got me a virtual slap on the hand. Yikes! I promise you, I'm a responsible mom, but I think that if my guy can manage a 16 hour plane ride to South Africa in economy seating, he'll be ok with an air conditioned Sprinter van with amazing stops along the way.
We'll see...let me get back to pondering my trip and what's for dinner!
Alas, Dear Reader, if you have any tips for globe-trotting families or fun places to explore in Morocco, leave comments! I'll keep you posted on what we decide. It was great getting reacquainted with you, old friend!
Sincerely,
Dani
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