My living abroad experience started more than 20 years ago without any prior planning. It was a stroke of luck and opportunity that landed me the first time in Canada, then later in the USA. After all those years, I decided to return to live in Morocco. I pulled the trigger on this and now have returned to live in Morocco. This post explores my own reasoning that I wanted to share. Maybe they could be useful to someone contemplating the idea of returning to live in Morocco.

My whole immigration journey lasted two decades. After many years living in the USA, it eventually became my new home.

Now that I’m not anymore the young man that crossed the Atlantic Ocean many years ago, and I have a family, many things have changed. This led over the years to this persistent question, “Where to continue my journey ?”. Continue my life here, or contemplate the idea of returning “home”. Many immigrants probably one day or another face the same question. I bet if you ask multiple people about it, odds are you will get different responses. This is all good, as there is really no one right answer: all the answers are right. Every one’s experience and situation is different, and even if one had the choice, they still need to decide “what is it that they want”.

If you had the choice between continuing living in your new adopted country or returning home, what would you choose ?

Options

In my case, I was contemplating the idea of returning to Morocco during the last 6 years. The seed germinated and eventually, as a family, we came to a decision: we are going home back to our native land, Morocco.

To be candid, I could continue my life in the USA just fine and never return to live in Morocco. I love the country, the people, and the opportunity that the USA has offered and continues to offer me. A second option would be to continue my life in the USA until retirement, then go back to Morocco.

The first option, continuing to live in the USA, meant that my kids would probably settle in the USA for their lives and likely their connection with Morocco would be weakening over time. After all, Morocco would be the country of their dad and mom, but not theirs, really. I believe it’s a bit hard to develop a strong connection with a country if you did not get a chance to know it and more important, to live in it. My kids know Morocco through trips we make, but nothing substantial. The second option, returning to Morocco after retirement, is not very attractive to me, since when I reach retirement many things would have changed: Morocco and me. I hear that as people get older, in general, they get more conservative and look for fewer changes. When older, will I still have the desire and will to “reintegrate back” in Morocco ?

Since the two listed options did not appeal to me, I’m left with the option of returning home. But why do I want to return to live in Morocco ?  

My reasons

Isn’t just a nostalgic push ? Maybe/maybe not. In my case, a few points that drove this option home (pun intended :)) and we decided to make the big jump. Your mileage may vary.

Family

My parents, uncles and cousins; most of them live in Morocco. Visiting them every 2 years or so is not sufficient. Life can suddenly be very short, especially when one gets the news of the passing of a close family member. One by one, over the last few years, I have lost multiple close family members, and I’m not sure how much more time I still have with the remaining ones. Just thinking about the possibility of not having a chance to say “Goodbye/Adieu” to a loved one is terrifying; and even more so if that close person happens to be your father or mother. Is all this worth it if I miss the opportunity to spend time with my own parents, especially when they are old and frail ?. My answer to this is a clear and a loud “No”.

Kids

My kids do not know much about Morocco. I would like them to discover and get to know Morocco and make that connection stronger. While they are still at a young age, they can integrate with the local fabric more easily. They can learn Morocco’s languages, get immersed in the culture, and be as Moroccan as anyone can be.  Later, when they become adults, they can decide for themselves where they want to live. Morocco would be a viable option for them, since by then they had already lived in it. They would know the culture and the customs. It would not be a foreign land for them. By then, they would know both the USA and Morocco, as they lived in both countries. What they do with the choice later is theirs to make. Having that choice is better than not, in my view.

Environment

I lived in the north of New York state and cold snowy winters can last 4 months every year. Over the years, I got used to it. However, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, there is an almost yearly guaranteed sunshine. Morocco’s weather is an attractive feature. This is especially true for Marrakech, where I choose to live.  In addition to the weather, Marrakech seems to have a charming “joie de vivre”. People seem to have a great sense of humor and down to earth.

In addition to the above listed reasons, there is an also nostalgic touch: reconnecting with places I grew up when I was a kid, memories and may be reconnecting with old friends. 

Take away

A new chapter is now opening with our decision to return to live in Morocco. Of course, there is no way to know how it will unfold, but I’m willing to give it a try. As the saying goes, “if there is a will, there is a way”. Every one reason is different, and really there is not one right answer for every one contemplating the idea of returning to Morocco (or their homeland). The right answer is the one you make.

Over the next months and hopefully years, I will be sharing more about the experience of returning home as I live it. Some of it will be entertaining and some I hope useful to you. Stay tuned to this space for more to come.

Are you thinking about returning home one day ? If you had the choice, would you make that decision ? I love to hear your comments and input on this.