Anyone consider moving to Morocco

[landp 0]

Salams all,

stressed and tired with work so taking a mental break. I can't help but think about living in Morocco. I love the country and the people, my husband would be estatic and I woudln't have to work so hard. My only concern, is making enough making there to pay off my student loans and credit cards here first or finding a job that would pay enough for use to live and pay our bills here....

anyone thought of this yet? I know there are so many benefits to living in the states but......

plus I dont' think I"ll ever have children living here, my career is too stressful and I swear the culture, at least where I live, is almost against it. For i.e. UNPAID maternity leave now....

that's insane.

just a thought....

salams,

prena

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Prena

I have thought about it... but my worries are not speaking the language, and worrying about if I could find a job... but, I do agree... Morocco is a beautiful country... and the people there treated me fabulously... I love it!

But, I wish YOU all the best!

*hugs*

Lynne

[noura 0]

yes, prena, i think abt it alot! some of my main reasons are the same as yours... debt payment! I have a new car that is now worth less than what i owe, so i would take a loss to sell it. I have to pay off credit cards and some loans and figure out what to do w/ all my *stuff*. One of the bigger things, tho, is my dogs... I don't know abt bringing them w/ me or how long they would have to be "quarantined" and what abt a yard, blah, blah, blah! the other issue is my parents... they would flip! i guess they would learn to deal, but it would be very difficult for them. i would definitely like to consider it for the future.

another thought is for Said's daughter... I think she will get a better education here in USA. It's a really hard call... I also don't speak enough of the languages to get by on my own and wonder how I would be able to hold a job.... Lots of things to consider and some days I just want to say f*@# it... and go! But I can't really do that - the responsible side of me takes over and I have to be accountable for my life..... fortunately, Said loves my dogs too, and he wants to move here. But he would be just as happy to have me there.

Don't know if that really got me anywhere - this roundabout thinking... i'm back at square one!

Noura

[MrsAmera 41]

We talk about moving back a lot and I know that someday we will (maybe in 5 or 6 years). I want my son (he's 2) to grow up speaking English, Arabic and French (hopefully) and I know there are a few really good private schools in Marrakech. I'm not worried about a job or living there. For those of you who are worried about a job something you might consider is teaching English? As long as you have a 4 yr. Univ. Degree (any degree) you could get a job at the American Language Center (there are about 12 I think in Morocco). The pay is about 9000 dh a month. $900 a month is a lot there. They are generally looking for native English speakers. I've seen the school and a lot of the students are older teens to young adults and some older adults too. It's partially funded by the US State Dept. so it's reputable. Just a thought

Anywho we plan to go back someday and sometimes it seems like TODAY would be a great day to do it!

[landp 0]

Amera,

while thats a great idea, still not enough. my son will be i college and i'll probably need to sned him about $500 or more a month, we would both need to be working and pulling in $900 a month....

I think about starting a business there, but don't know where to begin. Even a spa/workout salon for women to teach them how to take care of themselfes, but I dont' have a degree in health education, so I need to figure how to do that without being held liable. At the same time, a hair/barber shop. I just don't know. Need to to something though, to have kids here just seems impossible.

:-(

[MrsAmera 41]

Prena - Wow I really like your spa/workout idea. One of my dreams is to open like a women's shelter in Marrakech for women and children. You see so many women with babies on the street and while some of them might be doing it because their husbands don't have a job I know (at least from what my husband says) that a lot of them got pregnant when they weren't married and their families kicked them out. I would love to open a shelter for them, so that they could finish school, and get some kind of training. There's more to it but that's sorta my little idea I'm running with!

[~kiyah~ 14]

You have no idea how many times a day I think and dream about this! The only thing keeping me from doing it is giving up a great paying job here in the US and I have legal payments I have to keep up for the next 4 years...I do not fluently speak Arabic or French and getting a job there for me would probably be hard due to the language barrier. However, there do seem to be quite a lot of openings for someone in my field in Casablanca.

If I knew I could work there with a good salary, make my current payments here in the US...I would so be there. NO KIDDING! It would be the ultimate solution to this immigration issue. Se ya...bye...bye US!

~Kiya~

[dyewise 0]

Ali has been here for about 18 months, and we constantly think of moving back to Algeria or perhaps to Morocco.

The adjustment has not been as easy as I had hoped. Ali went from owning a construction company, he had a lot of respect in his community and in Algiers. Now here he is treated like he is stupid because his English isn't perfect ( it's his 4th language, how many Americans even know another language). He recently decided to give up his job and go back to college, he seems much happier.

We will probably move after my 13 year starts college. I'm just not up to the custody battle that would ensue if I tried to move with her to Algeria or Morocco. Personally I think it would be a wonderful experience for her. Our life here is so crazy and busy. I work about 50 to 60 hours a week and long for a more peaceful life, especially one in which people and family are more important than money, careers and bills.

[landp 0]

Hi Debi,

nice to see you - haven't seen you before in the this forum.

Yes, I agree, it would be nice to be in a place where family was more important. The adjustment hasn't been easy for us either. My husband feels like 2nd rate because of his english - he's talkign ESL classes now and hopefully that will help.

In the meantime, Amera, we should get together about that shelter/spa for women. I would totally be into somthing like that and very serious... I'd sell my car and furniture in a heartbeat. I thought ti would be great to wait until my 13 year old is in college, but who knows, maybe he would go to a school in europe, which would be better than an american education anyways.

[noura 0]

Prena & Amera,

While I do not have a college degree, I am a licensed, trained, and experienced spa professional. I am trained as a therapist and educator in both Esthetics and Massage Therapy... I'm so there for your spa if/when it happens... let me know...

I currently own my own business and have a mostly thriving clientele. I have also thought of this idea as an option... don't know how easy it would be to do or to "sell" to the potential clients! I understand the wage would be much lower (ie: I charge $65/hr for massage, there's it's abt $15/hr). Just a thought to consider

Noura

Let's go Morocco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jasman0717 9]

I understand your delima, I have been giving similar considerations about moving the the Philippines because I can't stand my manager. Only 5 more years of him!

[dyewise 0]

Amera and Prena,

I used to work in a Domestic Violence shelter, and have some training in Art Therapy with children. I have often wondered about doing similar work over there. Right now I'm a real estate appraiser and hate it, it just feels empty and meaningless, but the money is fairly good.

I actually checked into VJ today, as I was searching the internet for possible positions in some sort of NGO that works with women and children in North Africa. Thought if I started planning now I could finish my masters degree in Psych, Social work or Art Therapy by the time my daughter is ready for college.

[landp 0]

Jasman - that too - 5 yrs and counting..

Deb, Amera, Noura - we need to meet up seriously. Is this really so hard to put together? I'm not looking to get rich, just live comfortably over seas and support my son (who is 13) when he goes to college). I wonder wear I could start looking for some time of grant - there's has to be something out there.

[lostinlove228 0]

Not Morocco, but my plan is actually to move to lebanon this summer and wait out the process there. Thre is a good chance if the waiver is denied that we will have to live there for the next 5 years.

[Bosco 1]

I have a home-based business and I could continue my work in Morocco. If my productivity was cut drastically due to the shabby internet connections, I imagine I could bring in 30,000 a year. However, to live in the standard I would want in Morocco would take a lot of money. The schools I have looked into for my daughter cost about $13,000 a year and there are none in Fes that I would consider sending my daughter to. If we were not living near to his family, I don't really know what the point would be.

Another thing is work for my husband. Abderrafie left a great job in Morocco and it would not be easy for him to find another. Work there is hard to come by. There is no way he would stand for me supporting him. If he is going to have to start over, he has a chance of going farther with his life here.

The real issue, however, is my daughter. While I think living there for a few years would be enriching, I cannot imagine uprooting her from her friends, father and my extended family for much longer. I love my family so much, and even though I am sure my parents would gladly spend part of each year in Morocco, it would be hard to be apart from them. They add so much to my life and my daughters.

We do hope to buy a small apartment in the near future, and maybe once we have a place of our own there, I will feel differently.

Abderrafie is doing great with the adjustment. If that changes, it might be something I have to rethink.

Rebecca