It took us 1 year from the beginning to end of filing our I-130 visa to receiving it. During that time, Zouhair and I lived with each other in the north of Morocco. Watch our newest video to see what we got up to during that time. Waiting for a visa to process can be stressful and time-consuming. Each little update from the embassy or the NVC is a gift, but usually it is followed by more waiting. Besides filing paperwork and researching the next steps in the visa process, we traveled.
#1 Traveling - We traveled all over the north of Morocco. We went to Tetouan, Tangier, Assilah, Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, and Ceuta. #2 Watching Series - Lost, Prison Break, Breaking Bad, and Dexter were the top series we watched while waiting for our visa. What are your favorite series? Zouhair also learned how to improve his english while watching these series with english subtitles. #3 Blogging - We shared our general experience, marriage experience, visa process, pregnancy, birth, and more on our blog. It kept us busy, organized, and helped others, too. #4 Trying Foods - We tried many new restaurants and I got to taste a lot of Moroccan dishes for the first time. Our favorites are djej mhamar, Moroccan "tacos", kefta d'tajine, Moroccan sandwiches, zaa zaa, halwa, and medio polo. #5 Moving - We struggled finding furnished homes for rent in Morocco. It was easy in the summer near the beaches during high tourism season. In the winter, it was difficult finding homes within our budget with furniture. #6 Cooking Videos - It was a lot of fun cooking at home we made dishes such as: pastilla, kefta d'tajine, djej mhamar, asliya, Moroccan bread, and more.
#7 Doctor Visits - We visited many doctors in Morocco to find one we trusted while planning for the birth of our son. We eventually found someone that spoke english, french, and darija and we ended up working with her for the remainder of pregnancy and birth. If you would like any other details of these topics, let us know and we will be happy to make a more in-depth blog or sit-down video addressing your questions. We hope you enjoyed and found this helpful! Masalama!