Celebrations all round!

Lots of things to celebrate in the last few days, so let’s start from the start. Firstly, I’m in Morocco again after a long 4 months! Karim came to meet me in Casa airport and we made our way back to Fes, my home away from home. Our apartment is really nice, in a great location and the bed isn’t even too hard! And most importantly, there is some couch space for friends to stay! It’s so great being back here with Karim, it’s almost as if I never left. 

The second thing to celebrate is the amazing weather! After missing 2 winters in a row, the weather in Melbourne was really getting me down, so I’m slowly being revived by the Fes sunshine! It’s not too hot either, and even quite cool at nights, although it’s set to get hotter in the next few weeks! With the sunshine comes the delicious fruit – cherries, watermelon and apricots have been my favourite so far, not to mention fresh orange juice every day!

The next thing to celebrate is our upcoming wedding, which we have been busy organising. And by we, I really mean Karim as he does all the work! I think most things are booked now, the venue, the bands, the photographer and the lady who will have my dresses. We have been helped a lot by a Karim’s chef friend who we went to visit last night at another wedding he was catering. This wedding was a little larger than ours will be, with around 600 guests invited, so I don’t think they noticed us 2 gatecrashers! It was all very grand with a red carpet entrance, stunning chandeliers and at least 4 different music groups, including a brass band! At 3am, we were the first ones to leave, so I hope the rest of the guests didn’t have to work or go to school today!

Celebration number 4 is my birthday – today! After last night, we slept most of the morning so it hasn’t been too eventful. My one request was to go to the supermarket so we will do that after lunch and then I think we will have a nice dinner somewhere in the medina. Then tomorrow we are going to see Bjork as part of the Fes world music festival. My second birthday here in Morocco and I wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else! 

The last and most important thing to celebrate is the one thing I have wanted more than anything else in the world. The other morning we received a phone call from the Australian embassy in Cairo notifying us that Karim’s visa has been granted!! I think I’m still in shock; I have to keep checking the acceptance email just in case I imagined it. I never allowed myself to think it would happen, and definitely not so soon. We were expecting at least another few months for a decision and even then there was a chance it would be refused. But after countless prayers and having our fingers and toes permanently crossed our dream has come true, Karim gets to come to Australia! At this stage it will be late August and I can’t wait for him to finally be a part of my Australian life!

That’s it from me for now, a very eventful few days! 

Me in our new apartment

The pool in our new apartment. I wish! A beautiful moroccan palace/restaurant with some traditional music

The food for the wedding

The bride and groom making their entrance

Kittens!

Phoebe and Karim - Thanks for the well thought out birthday surprise mum!