Moving countries will conjure up many different emotions throughout the whole process. The feeling of nervousness and excitement will soon calm down and it is then that the reality will begin to sink in. You will be in a foreign country, probably not fluent in the language and perhaps without a job if you have retired there. So, what can you to in Morocco to help settle in?

Morocco is a very religious country. Classical Arabic is the national language and the religion is that of Islam. Moroccan people are traditional, and their Islamic practices affect all aspects of life, especially in the remote communities. As in all Islamic communities, the call to prayer can be heard several times a day. Ramadan is a holy month (which takes place at a different time each year), and you will see the Muslims fasting from daybreak till sunset until the end of the month. The fast puts a huge strain on the Muslim people as they will often have to rise at 4am to have breakfast before the sun comes up. It will be normal to find that during Ramadan many shops will close for long periods of daylight hours.

Contrary to lots of beliefs, women are fairly free to do as they please in Morocco. Most do not always wear a veil and they partake in all aspects of living a ‘normal’ life. It is important however, that the non-Muslim women are respectful to the culture when they dress; shorts are seen as being provocative, as is anything which does not fall below the knee. The more you learn about the culture and way of life, the more you will hopefully understand the way in which the Moroccan people live their lives.

Children will need to understand the different culture that they will be living in. Perhaps set them some questions to research the answers to, and give them incentives to research into the new country. It is important that they know how they will be expected to behave in Morocco, and whilst they will soon learn from their Moroccan counterparts, it will be less of a shock to their system if they know what to expect.

Once you have arrived in Morocco, be sure to register your family with the local doctor and dentist; with such a change in cuisine, you never know how your body will react to it. Be aware that outside of large towns, medical care will be basic and somewhat old fashioned. The larger hospitals tackle accidental injuries well though, and the majority of doctors will be able to speak English which helps.