Expat Advice: Dream vs. Reality of Expat Life in Fes, Morocco
What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?
Fes
Describe how you "dreamed" expat life would be before you moved overseas. Please provide as much detail as possible.
I am currently, entirely and completely in the "dream" phase of my new adventure towards becoming an expat. I am absolutely disgusted with life in the United States, and have been for quite some time now. I am a single, divorced mother of two wonderful sons, ages 16 and 21. I have wanted to move overseas to Morocco for many years, but have had to wait for my younger son to reach adulthood before doing so. He will be graduating from high school in June of 2013, and I intend on boarding a flight to Europe immediately thereafter! I am 40 years old, and am ready to begin my life anew, and have been fascinated with Morocco since early childhood. I plan on packing as much as I can into a huge backpack and going from there! I would like to document my experiences along the way, and eventually write a book. My mother has always said that I NEED to write a book, considering the rather "colorful" life I have led thus far! Hee hee! I know that I will face many challenges becoming an expat, but that is what life is all about. Challenges and how we go about dealing with them. Morocco has been around for so damned long, that I simply have to see what it is all about, and why it has survived fairly unscathed all these years. Well, I guess that is enough of an answer for this particular question. Ciao for now!! ;)
How has your expat experience met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?
Unfortunately, I don't have much of a response to this particular question, as I have yet to travel abroad. I am still stuck here in the United States, and can't wait to begin my adventure as an expat! So, for now, I must impatiently await that day, which SHOULD only be 16 months from now. A lot daydreaming going on at this point--lovely, lovely daydreaming...
How has your expat experience NOT met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?
Once again, I cannot respond to this question, as I have yet to move overseas. I will let you know once I do!
More About Dream vs. Reality of Expat Life in Morocco
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Comments about this Report
guestI love Morocco and have been there twice. I would highly suggest you take a week or two vaction there first, is this in your plan? I have thought about spending a couple of months there. The people are wonderful! My favorite place to live would be Essaouira, right on the coast. I also liked Fes and Rabat. Make sure you understand that your freedoms as a woman in the USA are huge compared to other countries, especially a Muslim country.
guestI hope this person has gotten briefed about the culture women traveling alone, especially with a back pack. Morocco is beautiful, Fez is fascinating, BUT be careful.
guesthi, i've been twice to morocco and i loved it especially El Fina Plaza in Marrakesh which is a living nightly circus(guaranteed you'll like it) . is a very safe country. aside from that ( i hate being a party pooper) i suggest you be careful: don't forget that this is a relatively conservative moslem country and women don't have the same type of freedom they enjoy in europe or america. you should be careful how you dress. you will hardly see any women on a cafe or any where else frequented by men. i suggest you be careful for women traveling alone could face serious risk to their well being. other than that i wish you luck in your adventures. jorg.
guestThank you for your comments. May I ask if you've ever visited Morocco? Also, might you be planning on staying temporarily in Morocco for a while, in case the reality of living there turns out not to match your dream of living there? Thanks.
guestChimi19 Sadly your not the only one fed up disgusted and bored with the United States. I too am trying to get out of here. Only to South America for me. You go live those dreams ! Peace and Safety to you and yours always. Best of luck to you Fibroman50
guestIf "I have yet to travel abroad" means you have never been out of the country, be prepared for some *serious* culture shock! I strongly recommend spending some serious time there before making any kind of permanent arrangements. Morocco is a fascinating country, but if you move there unprepared you may find that "adventure" becomes synonymous with "terror" in the first few months you are there. Even moving to a country as similar culturally to ours as England involves a lot of adjustment.
guestcongratulations, ive been in morocco for some time now, beautiful place! learn a few key phrases and you'll be just fine!!
sidirahalI am a Moroccan living in the U.S. I can tell that Morocco is witnessing right now an economic boom never seen before and the standard living in Casablanca is becoming more expensive that some cities in U.S, adding to that the pollution. My recommendation to you is to visit the small town, they are a lot of opportunities there and you may save a lot of money if you finally decide to live in Morocco. I wish you a good luck
Billy99Wishing you all the best of luck !!! Such a courageous lady !
nosratAgree with you completely. I am quite disenchanted with the US and the direction it has been going for the past 10-15 years. It is only getting worse. Our liberties are being taken away. I, too, am dreaming about moving to Morocco particularly because it is close to Europe and access to US is also available and at the same time it should be significantly cheaper than Europe.
GringaCRBravo Chimi19! Morocco has always appealed to me as well. However, we elected to expat to Costa Rica 9 years ago. You have the right attitude - it's all in how we respond to the challenges. But as many others have stated, do keep in mind the differences in culture. Keep your eyes wide open and aware of all that goes on around you. Your 2 boys will likely pave an easier path for a woman in a Muslim country. Are you considering writing a blog for this adventure? Do post it here, if so! All the best....safe travels!
ProperfessorHow much money are you/have you saved up? I have been looking at Morocco my whole life, too. Like you, I am fed up with America. I am single with no kids, so I'm hoping that will make things easier.
