What we talk about when we talk about love

No, this blog entry isn't about Raymond Carver's subdued short story. It's about the idea of "loving" a country. When we told people we were moving to Morocco, some said, "So-and-so went there last year and just fell in love with the country." Others said things like, "Oh, you'll love it there."

I have no idea what people mean when they say they "love" a country. I've never loved a country. I don't love the U.S. There are things I like about my home country, and probably things I'll come to appreciate more now that I'm not there, and there are also many things I greatly dislike about it. But I know people who "love" the U.S., and quite a few people who "love" Morocco. We have met an American couple working at the University who were in Morocco with the Peace Corps a couple of years ago and "fell in love" with Morocco. They've wanted nothing else since then but to figure out how to get back here. We know another American couple who want to own a second home in Morocco, and a third couple who knew the first day they got here that they loved it. What do they mean when they say they love Morocco? I'm really not sure.

As of right now, my feelings about Morocco on an average day, at their most positive, are probably best described as ambivalent. Especially after Ramadan, I kept waiting for feelings to develop. I kept waiting to fall in love (or not to). Anyone who has been reading my blog knows that I have carefully highlighted the positive elements of my experience here; nevertheless, I remain ambivalent. I'm not saying I think I should feel anything other than what I feel.

I'm just saying.