Thursday, July 16, 2015

Clothes... Hair... What Else?

Again: CLOTHES!

Yup, they are back! I knew I said that I was going to only online shop, but I changed my mind. In the end, I only bought two pairs of pants online, and just went to the mall and Marshalls for the rest! I first went to Forever 21 where I mainly bought loose linen pants and a couple of shirts. Man do I love shopping. After about three hours of shopping, lugging the clothes around the store- resulting in a dead arm- I left happy as a clam. I love love love what I got, and think that it will be very cool (weather wise) and fashionable for Rabat! 

After Forever 21, mom and I got hungry so obvi we stopped at one of northern NJ's finest diners :), and after, headed to Marshalls *gospel sounds play as the heavens open*. 

Yes, I LOVE Marshalls. 

Like always, I found so many amazing things. I bought about six or seven tops, all of which are flowy, thin and designed with vibrant colors! Everything I need for the Middle East. 

Clothes: CHECK!
Toiletries: CHECK!
Luggage: CHECK
Random Goodies: CHECK!
Mindset: CHECK! 
Hair: ....... soon!

Yup, I'm changing my hair. It's already shoulder length which will be just fine for the heat, but I'm not just getting a trim, I'm changing the color. Currently I have dark roots, and about four inches down my head, it turns blonde. But get ready, because after Wednesday at 12pm I will officially be a "brunette". I put that in quotes because it pains me to get rid of my blonde. I love my blonde. We have the most fun! However, I don't want the unwated attention that I believe may come with my hair. I mean, nobody there is really blonde, so I don't think it could do any good. A blonde, blue eyed, white girl... I'd stick out like a sore thumb. 

But don't worry, I can never fully get rid of my blonde. I just can't do that to myself. I plan on dying my hair light brown with a blonde undertone. 

Boy oh boy I hope its cute. 




I was thinking something like this. The length is just right, and even though my hair is not naturally wavy like that, I think it will be just fine. 


Here is a before and after of my hair! As you can see, my hair on the left has a very distinct cut off between blonde and brown which I was just not feeling anymore. Now my new hair (on the right) is mostly brown, with a little blonde to it. My hair is naturally straight, the it was just curled in the salon. Also, I think my hair looks a little darker in person. 

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

A New Addition

It was at 3:18 p.m. on April 13th when I pronounced my- now former- laptop dead. Yes, I was very sad, almost cried actually. My computer really stuck with me throughout the years, especially after all the unintentional abuse I inflicted upon it. For example, when I studied at Georgetown University in DC last summer, the bed in my dorm was lifted to the highest level, probably four to five feet off the ground. If I wanted to get into bed, I would have to step on a table in order to prop myself up. One day I was laying down using my computer- watching Netflix of course- and as I reached for the trail mix that I was practically shoving in my mouth, my computer went flying off my lap and fell onto the floor. Yup. I just watched as my beloved computer fell five feet towards the ugly carpeted, hard floor. Luckily it still worked... barley though :/. Needless to say, a year later, it was time for a new addition into the 'Florise technology collection'.

Last Friday my mother and I went to Best Buy looking for a sturdy laptop that would survive... me, in Morocco. We didn't want anything too expensive because Georgetown provides me a laptop (or so I've been told), so really we were just looking for a computer that would Skype and type. Easy. After about thirty minutes of looking, and eventually deciding we needed help, I bought my new laptop!

It's an ASUS, easy to use and dependable (or at least that's what the IT guy told me. He could have just been saying that so I would buy it... and I did. So either he is true to his word or a good liar. Eh, what's done is done).

Anyway, as my departure date creeps up, I can't help but feel I will not be ready in time. In reality though, I'll be fine. I've bought most of the toiletries I need, have yet to buy the clothes (but that takes 2.5), and then all I have to do is pack. Easy(ish).

Meh, I'll just wing it and hope for the best :)!


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Clothes, Oh Clothes

Clothes.


Oh yes, the word deserves its own period, own line, own space in this blog, that's how powerful it is.

The ultimate question in life: "What should I pack?".

Morocco's climate varies by month, just like the United States. One day it could rain and be 82 degrees, another day there could be clear skies but it could be 50 degrees; it all just depends on the day. I recently read that it snowed this past year; I don't want to pack clothes for snow! I don't want there to be snow! I live on the east coast, I get plenty of that already.

It's time for change... hopefully.

My packing situation is not going to be as easy as I would like it to be. Since I am going to the Middle East, I practically have to buy a whole new wardrobe as there are different modesty standards for those living there. However, I have to buy clothes for both Morocco and Qatar. The only problem is, Qatar's weather practically stays the same throughout the year; HOT! This means that when I buy the clothes for Morocco, I am also buying clothes for Qatar.

I have an online shopping cart filled with all types of clothing. Mainly short sleeve shirts, some long sleeve (peasant like), and jogger/flowy pants-- classic Middle Eastern clothes. My main worries are that I will have too much of the same type of clothing, or I would not have packed accordingly for the weather. Basically it's a hit or miss.

My grandmother is a travel junkie, so she taught be how to pack efficiently. I once went to England for two weeks and literally packed my whole closet. Two checked bags, and I was nowhere close to wearing everything in my suitcases. To make matters worse, I went with a friend of mine and mainly wore what she had brought. I was waaaayyy over packed and would have been just fine with a few shorts, shirts and undergarments.

Since that trip, and after my grandmother had taught me her ways, I can now pack for a three week trip into a single carry on! It's great!

Nonetheless, I am leaving for another country for nine months and will be forced to pack a little too much. Shortly I am going to start making a packing list (clothes, toiletries, etc) and get everything I need :) !!

So in the end, when you hear the words "clothes" and "travel" in the same sentence, don't get too worried. Just be strategic when packing, and everything will be just fine.



shirts like these; simple but cute
pants like these

pants like these

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Getting the Vaccinations For Morocco

Uggghhhhhhhh-- shots! Probably one of my greatest fears in life- crazy, I know. For some reason the thought of  watching a person stick a needle into my arm doesn't a appeal to me; weird.

The shots I need for Morocco are...
1. Hepatitis A
2. Hepatitis B
3. Rabies
4. Typhoid (capsules; picking up at my local pharmacy)

I walked into the doctors office today at 11 a.m., filled out the necessary paperwork, and was escorted to my room. The nurse comes in to tell my mother and I that our insurance did not pay for my shots (when the insurance clearly told me they did). We complained, the nurse left, another woman came in, she then left, and another person came in. I thought, "what is this? Am I just to meet every worker in the doctors office today?".  I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited-- oh, did I mention I waited? Yup, about an hour had passed- even with my mother yelling at the staff about time- and still nobody showed up. Soon after (finally), a doctor came to see me.

I don't think I have ever met a doctor as fun and kind as he! We spoke about my upcoming travels, about Morocco and Georgetown, and the heat in Qatar (my friend Maya told me that when she visited, it reached 135 degrees Fahrenheit :( ); all-around, it was a pleasure to have this conversation after all the hostility between my agitated mother, the nurses and I.

After the doctor had finished the standard check-up, he told me that a nurse would be back to give me the Hepatitis A shot. I had already received the Hepatitis B shot in grade school, the Typhoid "shot" comes in capsule form, so of course I picked that, and the Rabies shot needed to be specially ordered; so I was left with Hep A.

So then guess what... I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. By this time it was 1 p.m. (two hours after I had arrived, with only a check-up done), and was laying on the exam table for this shot that I now believed would never come. In the midst of my waiting, my mom had to leave because she was taking my little brother to soccer and was running out of time.

I kid you not, three minutes after my mom left, the nurses came in with the shot. As they came in they asked where my mom went. I told them to my little brother's soccer, and then they said............. "Oh, we need a parent here to sign the consent form and to oversee the giving of the shot". 

Okay, now I was pissed.

I called my mom, who then said call my dad, who then rushed out of the house to get to the doctor's office so I could be done.

My dad arrived 15 minutes later, signed what he needed to sign, and now the nurse was finally able to give me the shot. So, after hours of waiting, I got my shot which took all of 5 seconds; yay.

Even though I arrived at 11 a.m and left at 2:15 p.m., it was all worth it because this means I am one step closer to leaving for Morocco!

P.S: I overcame my fear of shots :). So at least two good things came out of this visit.