Anyone consider moving to Morocco

[tnh9479 1]

I would love to live in Morocco one day. But, we both want to have money saved and for Hicham to get a college degree (he only went 2 years in Morocco). We are seriously hoping to save up to buy an apartment as well some day in the near future to have some place to stay and some place for his family to go on vacation to for free.

As for me, I am a teacher and really love teaching physics here. I don't think I would love teaching ESL. I would definitely need to learn Arabic.

Twila

[jennieh 0]

I have considered moving to Morocco. But I just graduated college and may so I just started making my student loan paysments back. So one of the main reasons for not moving there is this it would be impossible to ever pay off in Morocco even considering my husbands job is good there. I dont think I can handle not working and not being able to speak to anyone there. I do really want to learn to speak Arabic thats kind of my goal.

[MrsAmera 41]

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.

I've thought a lot about it and what I've figured is that it would be possible through grants and possibly even getting USAID funding? They do a lot of development work and I think there is already some type of program established in Morocco. Since the first time I went to Morocco I wanted to do this and I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do. I think the 4 of us have a great combination of skills so far! I have (as of May) a degree in International Politics to add to the combination here. I am so up for this and would love to make it a reality! I'm not sure how much money is really in this, but maybe? I know that some of the work done in Africa and developing countries is making handcrafts or the like, and then selling them free trade (The Body Shop - for example sells all free trade products, mostly from developing countries) That could work as income to support the project once it gets off the ground. Too bad we cant' find someone who has accounting skills to add on here!! Let's keep going with this!

[honeyblonde 0]

Abdel and I had always planned on me going there if he didn't get his visa. He told me recently that he was really worried because he felt that I probably would need about 5 years to master the languages so he was expecting to have to try to support me for that time.

I am currently working on degrees in political science and economics and hope to go to graduate school for international law. I've already been checking out the websites of USAID, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank for a while now, to keep an eye on positions and their requirements. One of my professors is retired from the World Bank, so he has encouraged me to stick with my goals and go for it.

One requirement to work for the African Development Bank is that you must live in one of the countries it covers, so living in Morocco would be natural. Abdel's family has land in the countryside and we picked out a mountainside we really want. I hope to be able to go negotiate with his uncles before they pass on so we clearly own title to that side of the mountain before it's too late. He loves the idea of us building our retirement home there and letting his sisters and brothers use it for an escape from the city until we can go live there. Right now we're pouring everything we have into making our house here a dream home, but he is all in favor of giving it to my sons if we leave. I'd rather have the profit from it to move on, but he wants to wait until we can move on our own money.

Honestly though, Abdel and I both have studied the politics of Morocco so much that neither of us would want to live there for a while. In fact, last night he was just saying that he couldn't see the changes that need to be made happening within the next 60 to 80 years. The king is going to have to give up the monarchy before the country will ever have a decent economy; and while the young king is doing a whole lot better than his father, his personal budget will not allow him to give up his control. When I was researching their legal system I found that the king of Morocco spent about 18 times more in one year than the queen of England!

Like Rebecca I think that living there for a little while would be enlightening, but living there long term just isn't really feasible. Unless I was able to live and work on my mountainside away from all the political #######, I wouldn't want to be there.

[morocco4ever 63]

We have always planned to move there after about 10 years after we become more established, but now with our situation it might be sooner than planned. Of course the language is an issue...not only can I not speak Arabic or French, but when I try I am pretty much the center of jokes. Just can't get it right...lol

Now jobs....I picture myself walking up and down the streets...bag in hand....picking up garbage. I don't see that it is currently a fulfilled job and I doubt my lack of Arabic would be of much concern. Purhaps I would sit on the street and beg...now that would be a sight! Me, a US citizen, with my freshly manicured nails, begging for money from a third world country.

I will admit I am a bit spoiled here. I like my central air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. I like hot running water and damnit....I like my toilet paper! <hehe>

The really sad part for me would be leaving my family. With the job situation there I don't see how we would ever have enough money for me to come back for visits....this would be my true heart breaker.

All in all...if it came down to my luxuries or my husband, well, my husband wins hands down!

[sarah and hicham 3]

Yes I have considered it but I am still in school and I also know that moving there would absolutely kill my parents, and I love them but they just don't understand the situation. Last year I talked to them about studying abroad in Ifrane for a semester and they freaked out about that so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he can come here. If nothing works then I will go there, but we'll see.

[kerewin21 2]

I thought about it, until I realized that there is no way I'd EVER pay off my $160K in medical school loans, even if I worked as a doctor there. Maybe in 15 or 20 years when I have them paid off

I think it would be great to live there for a while if I had the opportunity, but I don't think I could make it permanent. The thing I don't like about Morocco is that whenever I am out on my own, men follow me around, try to grab my hand, say things I don't understand, and often insist that I go to their house for lunch even when I say in arabic that I'm married. It drives me nuts; there were days when I just waited until my fiance (now husband) got home from work because I just couldn't stand to be out by myself. I'm very independant, so it really pissed me off!

Sharon

[landp 0]

I thought about it, until I realized that there is no way I'd EVER pay off my $160K in medical school loans, even if I worked as a doctor there. Maybe in 15 or 20 years when I have them paid off

I think it would be great to live there for a while if I had the opportunity, but I don't think I could make it permanent. The thing I don't like about Morocco is that whenever I am out on my own, men follow me around, try to grab my hand, say things I don't understand, and often insist that I go to their house for lunch even when I say in arabic that I'm married. It drives me nuts; there were days when I just waited until my fiance (now husband) got home from work because I just couldn't stand to be out by myself. I'm very independant, so it really pissed me off!

Sharon

Wow, that's crazy - I'd be pissed too. The funny thing for my husband and I is everyone thought HE was the tourist and I was moroccan, sooooo we found lots of people saying things in arabic that only he could hear, then every so often he'd respect and shock them. LOL

[anxious 0]

I can't wait to move there permanently, hopefully in the next 5-6 yrs.

From my dad's experience it seems with the economy so shaky, we also

would want to purchase our house first before living there. The utilities and food

I think are really inexpensive, and I have grown sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

bored with life here in the U.S., I've seen what it has to offer and I just want

a refreshing change. I miss my younger siblings so much too, I want that

same close connection I have with my siblings here.

It's interesting to see all the new businesses that will evolve over the

years in Morocco from the American/Moroccan relationships we have.