Day 172 - Surfboards, Stomach Wins and the Start of 40

Everyone woke up feeling much better today, which honestly felt like a massive win after the last week. Morocco has definitely tested all of our stomachs, so waking up feeling somewhat normal again lifted everyone’s mood straight away.

The morning started as usual with coffees and breakfast, but I also had a heap of work stuff to sort through. I spent a good chunk of the morning on the phone making calls, organising things and trying to line up a few important pieces for my cadastral endorsement. It actually felt really positive for the first time in a while. Like things are finally moving into place and I’m starting to see a clearer path forward, which is a huge relief.

Kia and the kids also kicked off what they’ve apparently decided will be a full week of celebrations for my 40th birthday. Maddie handed me a homemade card for “Day One” saying I got to choose what we did for the day, which was pretty special. I also finally called Mum and Dad after missing Mother’s Day yesterday. The funny part is I’d accidentally called Mum the Sunday before and wished her Happy Mother’s Day a week early, so somehow I managed to get it wrong on both ends. But they’re doing well, which was nice to hear.

For my birthday activity choice, I decided we should all head down to the beach. Kia and I hired wetsuits while the kids grabbed surfboards, and we spent a couple of hours out in the water just mucking around and having fun. Kia and I even jumped on the kids’ boards for a while and had a crack ourselves. It was one of those simple family moments that just felt really good.

Before surfing we grabbed some msemens to tie us over because by the time we headed down it was already around 11:30. Then after our surf session, we wandered back to the local restaurant strip near our accommodation and found the little pizza and pasta place we’d eaten at before.

Honestly, it was probably the best meal we’ve had since arriving in Morocco.

Kia and I both got pasta, the kids demolished pizzas, and for the first time in ages my stomach actually felt completely fine afterwards. No weird cramps. No dodgy feeling. Nothing. It was such a relief that we’ll probably end up back there a few more times before leaving Essaouira just to give all our bellies a chance to recover properly.

After lunch we headed back to the apartment. Kia was exhausted after a big day in the water and still recovering from being sick, so she went and had a lay down. The kids chilled out watching a movie while I got stuck into the work I needed to finish. I really wanted it off my plate because there are a few other things building in the background now that I need to focus on.

Eventually Kia surfaced again, the kids knocked over a bit of schoolwork, we had some dinner and just relaxed for the evening before heading to bed reasonably early.

A pretty simple day overall, but honestly one of the better ones we’ve had in a while.

Good food, good surf, healthy kids and the start of my 40th birthday week. Not a bad way to spend Day 172.