Dagnabbit!

Those moments when you just have to say “dagnabbit!”.  Anyone who travels will tell you to expect the unexpected.  I’m a Girl Scout, being prepared is our motto (okay, well it’s really the Boy Scouts motto but I’m not using the real Girl Scout motto of “sell more cookies!”).  However, shit happens, things break, and unexpected costs arise.  As much as me or any other traveler would like to say they are prepared for anything (because I did bring duck tape) it’s most likely not going to be the case.  Here is a list of things that caused me to say “dagnabbit!” on this trip so far:

·    Computer is Blue – I don’t mean sad or depressed, I mean it’s blue.  Sometime in the first month of being here my laptop screen went wacky and all the colors turned black, blue, and red all over (this is sadly not a start of a joke).  It made it very hard to read anything or work.  When I took it to the Apple certified store they told me that it was the motherboard and it would cost hundreds of dollars and take a month to send it out to get fixed.  I followed up with a tech geek back home who confirmed the theory (thanks Aaron! Geek is a complement!).  I had to have a computer for work and couldn’t afford to send it away for a month.  Six weeks of this color cluster late my computer screen fixed itself.  It was a Christmas miracle! OR I dropped in the right spot and the motherboard readjusted.  Dagnabbit! – Why did I spend all that time and money to have someone say they can’t really fix it and then it just fixes itself!

·    Computer Charger – This was something that did not get a miracle and fix itself.  My computer charger just flat out stopped working.  Even after I ducked taped it!  Nothing to do but go back to the tech store for a new one.  Dagnabbit! – Why is Apple so expensive!  

·      DVD's that Destroy Computers – I was downloading a video off a DVD to put on YouTube for work when all of a sudden my computer started making the noise of a strangled animal.  I was about to take my third trip to the tech store after 20 stressful minutes of my computer trying to eat the DVD.  I believe sweating and swearing at it finally caused the demon noise to stop and the disk popped out.  Dagnabbit! – This computer has been through too much!

·      The Internet – is broken ALL THE TIME!  The work wifi is a joke and I didn’t have Internet at home for the first 10 weeks.  This caused me to purchase my own portable modem to get Internet at work and home.  Dagnabbit! – You want how much for a modem?!

·      INWI Modem – That portable modem was not all it’s cracked up to be.  The thing takes forever to get going and dies multiple times throughout the day.  I have come close to chucking it out the window or smashing it to bits with my foot.  Dagnabbit! – Why did I send money on this again?

"WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?!"

·      Umbrella – This was a pathetic excuse for an umbrella to begin with.  People would laugh at how small and useless it was.  Since I am here during the rainy season, it was imperative I get a new one to avoid hypothermia as I sat at work in soaking wet clothes.  Dagnabbit! – I look so pathetic!  

“I need an upgrade.”

·     Gloves and Hat – have holes in them.  Several in fact.  Several holes that let out precious heat when you are cold and wet from your crap umbrella. Dagnabbit! – Where’s the duck tape!

·      My hair – is breaking off.  Turns out my shampoo and conditioner hate the water here.  Morocco has very hard water and after reading several articles about it I learned that the chemicals in the hard water could cause shampoo and conditioner to not rinse out.  My hair was waxy, breaking, and I could barely run a brush through it.  Time to get new shampoo and conditioner.  Dagnabbit! – I was wearing hats and my hair up for way too long because of this! My hair hurts.

"On the plus side I got a pretty scarf to cover my hair"

·      Hairbrush – it literally broke because of my hair!  The teeth were popping off in my rats nest hair and the soap build up was caked on to the rest of the brush.  Dagnabbit! – My hair was seriously gross.

·      My Face – is pealing off.  Remember the part about the hard water?  Yup, it causes skin issues too for those not accustomed to it.  Had to stop washing my face with the water and instead just use Clean and Clear cleaning cloths (say that five times fast).  Dagnabbit! – I don’t want to spend more money on these so I started cutting each sheet in half.

·      My Pants – are problematic in this weather.  It’s not exactly hot here and the linen pants I brought have this issue of letting ALL the air in.  Dagnabbit! – Need to buy more leggings and wool socks to keep warm in Africa. Go figure.  

·     Disintegrating Shoes – Three pairs of shoes/boots have broken here.  The first to go were my hiking boots in the desert.  Then the Toms soles escaped.  Last, my favorite boots were losing their bottoms and letting in water.  Couldn’t do anything about the first two, but I could save the boots with a trip to the cobbler.  Dagnabbit! – I loved those hiking boots! 

“On the plus side I got to take some of the desert sand home with me in my new heal compartment”

·      Zipper – Leather is one of the specialties in Moroccan.  Purses are kind of my thing.  So obviously I would be getting a leather purse in Morocco.  Fun fact: zippers are NOT a specialty in Morocco.  The zipper on my new purse has broken 3 times now.  I have taken it back to the guy who sold it to me and he fixed it for free the first 2 times.  Dagnabbit! – Third strike your out and I had to pay to fix it.

"On the bright side it's pretty"

·      Paper Cuts – into your wallet.  Paper is expensive here.  So is the majority of office supplies.  When working with the childcare group we wanted to buy them some more school supplies and were a bit sticker shocked when we saw how much markers were.  At work I don’t always have access to the printer so if I need something quickly I have to pay to get it printed.  Dagnabbit! – I should have filled my bag with office supplies and sold it here. I would have made a fortune!

 

·     Taxi Meters – Small taxies in Morocco are supposed to have meters to track how much the ride is.  The problem is when you come across one that doesn’t have a meter or one that all of a sudden breaks.  You can fight with them about cost all you want, but when I’m traveling alone I don’t have much luck on getting them to “fix the meter” or give me a fair price.  Dagnabbit! – I was saving that money for a cookie!

·      Café Menus – Many cafés don’t have menus and you just order what you want (usually tea or coffee and pick from an assortment of sweets).  I understand that I look different and suck at Arabic so you think I won’t notice the change in price.  And you’re right, I’m sure I don’t notice I paid more until I ask someone else how much they paid.  Dagnabbit! – That cookie was way too expensive!

"I shared!" 

·     Key Chains – Five key chains have broken while in my custody in Morocco!  From hotel keys on the weekends to my home key in Rabat, almost all keys that have key chains on them have been destroyed.  Okay, one breaking is a mistake, two is bad luck, five might be my fault.  Dagnabbit! – I guess I didn’t know how strong my hands are.   

“Seriously, does this need to be so big?”

·     My Bank Account – Dagnabbit! – Where did the money go?

I have enjoyed my time in Morocco and am learning a lot! Many of you know that I’m funding  this volunteer program out of my own pocket.  I created a GoFundMe page when I started and I am so thankful for everyone who has donated!  I am truly blessed to have so many great friends and family.  Unfortunately, Morocco has had some unexpected expenses and things are getting a bit tight.  I hope to raise some money to help pay for the normal expenses that a paycheck usually covers. 

Thank you again to everyone who has already donated!  It truly means a lot to me!  

I hope to see you all in April when I return!

Lots of Love, Caity/Donia 

http://www.gofundme.com/