After reaching the train station in Sidi Kacem, an hour away from Fez, we called Hassan, the arm-wrestling coach. Even though I had seen his profile on Facebook, Hassan was…
Letters
An Everyday Hero in Tangier
As I entered the pharmacy, to me it looked like just another small business on the bustling streets of Tangier. The only noticeable difference was its width, which was necessary…
Extra Sauce
In the month of December, I worked alongside my father for his company, Dracut Plumbing and Heating. Every day, like clockwork at 11am, we would climb into our box truck…
Corona vs. Craft
March 13th is a date that will be engraved on my brain for the rest of my life. It was my last time stepping foot into my old high school,…
Call Me Ismael
Seven grueling months ago, I decided to run away to a new country. In this new country, I met Ismael. Ismael was my age (he’s 20) with dark hair that…
The Nutmeg
As the bus traveled through Tangier, I saw soccer fields and longed to play again. Three years had passed since my last game due to an injury in high school….
The Beautiful Game, the Moroccan Way
A soccer ball slammed into my leg as I walked the streets of Tangier. It was my second day in Morocco, and a kid barely eight years old was already…
Destiny is Fixed
When our Berber guide Hicham was speaking of destiny, he was referring to the concept of Qadar. In Islam, Qadar or “divine destiny” means that we have agency to act…
I am a Strong Hero
The door to the clinic opened, and in walked a mother lugging a baby car seat. She appeared calm, but her eyes betrayed her stress. A small boy trailed her…
Confronting My Kryptonite
Preparing for this lesson, teaching students whose first language wasn’t even English, my stomach churned. Talking to strangers has always been my kryptonite. The youngest of four, I grew up…
