On the List for Hillary Clinton

Not writing for a span of a month does not mean that times were boring. In fact, times were busy, and tiring. I recently got over being sick... what I sum up to being a day that my body decided I was able to get sick and fully recover without missing anything big. I had been fighting it for about a week I think, but whatever. That is not important so much anymore. What IS important is that I was able to do a whole lot of things, including meeting (kind of) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

It just so happened that my training coincided with Sec. Clinton's visit for the "Forum of the Future" conference. This conference had representatives from all the G-8 countries as well as many Middle East and North African Countries, and was co-sponsored by the governments of Morocco and The United States.

Rumors about Sec. Clinton's visit abounded in the weeks preceding my recent training in Marrakesh. I had heard via a PCV who had heard via our training manager that they were trying to co-ordinate a visit from the Secretary or vice-versa, that we would go to see her. But as all rumor mills go, you take it with a grain of salt...potentially a bag of salt.

When I got to training, I found out from our Country Director that yes indeed, it was in the works, and would be Monday or Tuesday. Sec. Clinton arrived in Morocco from Israel/Palestine on Sunday, and would be leaving for Egypt on Wednesday.

The schedule changed about 15 times I believe, and what originally was supposed to be Monday, turned into Tuesday. We found out Tuesday morning that we were going to visit the Forum, and meet with Sec. Clinton. Everything that followed was kind of surreal, and a taste of what truly being "on the list" means. By the way, I have been on the list before, but never for one of the most important figures in the political world.

All 70 of us PCVs and staff loaded onto two buses, and headed off to the forum. When we got close, we saw the super increase in security, we saw the golf course surrounding the hotel, and then the hotel itself. It was an absolutely gorgeous place (naturally, right?...) We sat on the buses for a few minutes, while a group photo was finished of many of the attendees. When we got off the buses, we were met by US Embassy security staff, and we stood there for a few. They were super-kind, and it was nice to chat it up in kind of a "we both are serving our country" sort of way. We were then ushered into the hotel grounds, where we were put into two lines as to be orderly. We also had a security person checking our names off of the list provided by our Country Director (we all had passports as well).

We were led inside the conference center, where we passed all of these big shots dresses in suits and various business formal wear (think middle east business wear.) We went down inside this conference room, and there we sat and waited. While we were waiting a number of things happened:

1. Sec. Clinton's schedule changed five more times.
2. The new US Ambassador to Morocco spoke (We had met him on Sunday at our hotel)
3. A few PCV's spoke (including the now famous Muriel Johnson See CNN ARTICLE )
4. Then we got the procedures for when Hillary Clinton comes through the doors

Secretary Clinton came in, said a few words ( Transcript found HERE ) and then shook some hands of PCVs sitting on the rows, as well as the US Embassy staff and guests. The Secretary then bustled out the door, onto her next lunch or other meeting. We then waited about 45 minutes for her to leave the conference center, as no one was aloud to go near the motorcade (tight tight security eh?). BUT, this gave us a chance to once again talk with US Embassy staff about their jobs, and see what it is like for them to do what they do so so well. Also, they were interested to hear about what we did, and it was kind of humorous to think that some of them have no idea about the life we live as Peace Corps Volunteers.

So this is the story. Now my reaction to it all. Even while writing this now, It all seems pretty surreal. Initially I really did not think I would be impressed. But instead, I was floored with all the security, and the craziness of it all. I felt very privileged not only to have been a guest for a Embassy meet and greet (150 people i think) with the Secretary of State Clinton, but also that I had met and talked to the Ambassador to Morocco not just once, but twice in the span of three days.

I think what I am trying to say is that I felt special (wow that is cheesy eh?), but not in that stuck up "I am on the list" sort of way (yeah I know, it is the title of this post right.) INSTEAD, I felt that sort of camaraderie about being somewhere and serving your country, and that there are so many of us here just in Morocco doing that, where it be within Embassy posts, PCVs, Fullbrighters, USAID people, and so many others that I probably forgot or do not even know.

Sometimes, just going through the day to day basics of being in the same place, I tend to forget how privileged I am to be actually representing my country. This is not to say I take it for granted. I feel lucky everyday to be able to be in this amazing place, doing this amazing work, and meeting and learning some amazing things. There are just times that because of what I am doing here I get to meet some pretty amazing people, and it is a sort of "reality check." Hopefully you understand what I mean by this all.