Introducing Fall Blogger Emeline Avignon
Hello everyone! My name is Emeline Avignon and I am a junior from Trinity College. I double major in Global Studies and French. I am from a small island off the coast of Portland, Maine called Long Island. This semester I will be studying French and Darija, the local dialect of Arabic, along with Moroccan history and culture.
Ever since I remember it has been a dream of mine to travel to Morocco. My parents tell me that I have spoken about going since I was three. While studying abroad is actually a requirement for my major, when choosing which college I would attend and planning my time there, study abroad was high on the list of requirements. Studying abroad here in Morocco is fulfilling a lifelong dream, but also aligns with much of my studies. I have taken many courses on Islam and music and urban studies across Africa and the Middle East. It is one layer to learn in a classroom, but it will be another to see the concepts I have learned about in practice and with real world experience. Being half American, half French, I also see this as a two-fold opportunity to confront and learn more about what my identity means in terms of privilege and positionality in Morocco.
While in Morocco, I hope to travel, meet new friends, learn Arabic, and improve my French speaking skills, try many new foods, and push myself out of my comfort zone to culturally immerse myself a little more each day. In the United States, I love music, dance, exploring the outdoors, cooking, art, and writing. In Morocco, I hope to further explore these interests with new friends and in the context of Moroccan culture, learning on my own, in the classroom, and from my host family, peers, and friends. Maybe I will attend an event to listen to Gnawa music, learn to cook traditional dishes from my host mother, ask my friends from Morocco about their favorite Moroccan music, or go hike the tallest mountain in North Africa–Toubkal.
So far, I have been settling into Rabat–where I am studying–for a few days. I have already met new friends, who are the language partners which Amideast pairs us with and explored parts of Rabat and tried several new Moroccan dishes. In this period of adjustment, I am practicing embracing and accepting this experience, walking around a lot to familiarize myself with the area, reminding myself that it is okay to rest, compiling a bucket list, and pushing myself to not be afraid of making speaking mistakes as to set this expectation for myself for the rest of the semester. Bienvenue/Mhreba مرحابة à cette aventure!
Emeline is a junior at Trinity College and studying abroad on the Amideast Regional Studies in French Program this fall in Morocco.
