But regardless of how many minutes there are in a year, I feel like I’ve lived a year here in Morocco already. Today is not only Eid al-Mawlid, which is the festival to celebrate the birth of the Prophet, but it’s also a day after the unfortunate death of an uncle of Madame Halima, God keep his soul.

It’s important for me, because even though it’s of course very sad, it means I’ve witnessed more than a lot of students would manage in 10 years here. I’ve been present at the celebrations of birth, of baby Lina. I’ve been to two weddings, and have a third coming up in March, and now I’ve been part of a family mourning a death. Of course I am not attending the funeral, because I don’t feel like it’s my right to intrude, but I do feel like I’ve really experienced something different today.

Even though it’s a sad occasion, it’s made me feel even luckier to get this opportunity, living with my lovely family. These 525600 minutes will probably be some of the best and most formative of my life.