I will never...

When we knew we were moving, I often said that I would never want to live in an apartment after having lived in a house. Well, here we are, in an... apartment. And we love it!

Pictured - the girls sitting in one of our windows (yes, that is a kitty on Katrina's lap, but that's another story), and the apartment complex. We live in the closest corner at the bottom. Beyond the apartments lies an international school, more apartments, and an empty hospital (yet another story...). Behind the apartments are clotheslines and a playground.

We have large, low windows meaning that people often drop by, lean in, or literally jump into our apartment! When people lean in, I feel like I own a drive-through window and should ask if they want fries with that... I think it's funny that one of my concerns in coming here is that I would be lonely - I am anything but that!

We have been treated with great kindness and generosity since being here. People often stop by bringing food - extra is not to be saved, but shared. Without a car for 3 1/2 months, we rarely had to go to the marche (market) with a taxi because several people either offered rides or called when in town asking what we needed. One day I ran out of clothes pins at the laundry lines, so I just called up to my friend Lynn, who dropped a bag down!

Everyone who lives here is in some way connected with the university, so it's a lot like living in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone else's business! So far this hasn't been a problem - it just means we all know a lot about each other. A simple walk to the playground behind the buildings can mean several stops, visits and the other day - a little girl who leaned out of her window for a kiss from us! Most of the occupants are Moroccans, others are American or German women married to Moroccans, there is one American family, and then there is a scattering of other nationalities. Almost everyone has traveled extensively and almost everyone knows English.

We live just outside of town and a few miles away from the university, so they provide a shuttle that goes back and forth several times a day which Gerald uses.