I am sure I have confused plenty of people with the name of my blog. Unless you: 1. Speak Arabic 2. Have lived/been too Morocco (or other parts of the Arab world) 3. Know Me really well (especially seen me post study abroad/traveling). Anyways if you do not fall into any the above three categories let me break it down for you. Mashi Moshkil is not only a popular saying used in Morocco (with other versions being used throughout the Arab world and Middle East) but in my opinion it is also symbolic of a way of life and mentality. It roughly translates to "not a problem" and you can literally use it in any situation when you want to tell someone "don't worry about it." In practical form it is a courtesy I believe.
But the reason I chose it to be my blog address is because it represents THE biggest lesson I have ever learned (especially while living abroad). And this is a lesson in the way you choose to live your life. Mashi moshkil means reaching inner peace, letting life happen and not worrying about it, letting go of situations you have no control over, being free, being flexible, enjoying small and seemingly trivial moments, and remaining calm. This means taking a moment to smell the flowers and not stress that you have a billion things to do instead of breathe in that scent for an extra minute. Mashi Moshkil- you will get to it when you get to it.
This mentality, I believe, will serve me quite well in the Peace Corps. In the United States, I often forget about it and I remain addicted to my watch, deadlines, and constantly doing something "productive." But I hope as soon I step out of the United States I get this back. And if I don't right away, mashi moshkil, I believe it will come in due time. Heck, maybe there is an El Salvadoran way of expressing this sentiment I need to learn.
