My experience in Morocco was truly one of the most impactful ones of my life. Coming from such a developed country like the United States has the potential to sort of shield us from the way the rest of the world lives and I am so thankful to have caught a glimpse of a different way of life. As someone who has never experienced much outside of the United States, I found the trip to be very informative and honestly so much fun.
Starting off with our group, I hope they are friends that I have forever. It was a scary thought for me at the beginning, knowing that I was essentially stuck with a group of strangers for two weeks in a country where I have never been. So much so that I struggled wrapping my head around it the first night in Rabat. I laid in bed missing home and my people, but by the next day, I felt as though I was in the right place. Once I had taken the time to get comfortable around my group, it was as if we had all known each other before the trip and soon all became very close.
The first city, Rabat, seemed as if this was our “main base.” While we skipped the old medina in this town, we toured the Kasbah Fortress on the first day. This place had a beautiful view overlooking the water and was a cool historic site. I remember the masque that was inside and also the sort of venue part that could be rented out for parties or events. The same day, we went to a local’s house for lunch and this was our first introduction to true Moroccan cuisine. It was also the moment that we all realized that we are going to be eating a whole lot of food on this trip! The day following, we got to participate in a cooking class and made a few dishes. A fun part of this day for me was the henna that we were able to get afterwards. I learned that it is typically used at weddings or special, happy occasions.
The next city we visited was Tangier. The most memorable part of this portion of the trip was being able to see Spain from a lookout point on the port. It was interesting to see just how close these two continents were. Since this was the city that Tuvan and I did our presentation over, it was fun to see everything in real time. We went to the cafe that we mentioned in our presentation and even had some of their famous tea, too. The business visit to Polydesign was probably my favorite one. Being able to see how the interior of a car is made and the work that goes into it was fascinating to see. I had no idea that the interior of a car can have up to 3,000 different suppliers and over 100,000 different components!
Between the visits to Tangier, we went to Chefchaouen. This was the prettiest city and old medina by far! Being known as the “blue city,” it definitely lives up to the name. We all got some great pictures here and were even able to see the powdered dye they use to make the blue color. It was evident around Morocco that the blue color was used in order to sort of dim the glares of the once white medinas. Around other parts of Morocco, there was a lot of blue paint that had been covered up, but not in Chefchaouen.
Finally, our shopping day in Fes! For the entire trip leading up to this day, everyone kept telling us that “everything is better in Fes” and to save our shopping for this city. Being able to see scarves and a variety of other clothes being made by hand was something I have never gotten to see in the United States. It was truly amazing to see and I still cannot comprehend how they are able to do it everytime I look at my scarves. The tannery was also something that was so cool to see. While we were there, we were told that a job stripping and preparing the leather there was the third most dangerous job in the country! I believe that this blew all of our minds and made us appreciate the beautiful pieces that much more. Along with these two shops, we got to see how pottery and many skincare products were made and the process behind them. Once we got back to the hotel in Fes, we were mindblown again. The tilework in this hotel was absolutely breathtaking. While it seemed as tilework is a trend in Morocco, nothing compared to the Riad.
My favorite part of the trip was the next city, Merzouga. While we were here, we were emerged in the traditions of music and of course camels! The music show that we attended was much different than I was expecting. Rather than being a concert type show like we have in the US, it was a very interactive show that made it that much more fun. Seeing the Sahara Desert and learning about the nomads that live there was an experience that is difficult to even explain.
By the time we reached Marrakech, we were all exhausted and ready to return home I think. Nonetheless, the business we visited was the most heartwarming place. Here they employed women with disabilities. Despite their hardships, the women were able to produce the most beautiful embroidered pieces. It was interesting to learn that at this business, they had drivers whose job was to bring these women to work everyday and take them home later. This entire place was something that I have not seen in the United States.
Overall, this study abroad was something that I wish I would have done sooner and more of! With such different ways of life, I often wondered what people from Morocco would think about the way we live here. The architecture alone was completely opposite from us here. While we have skyscrapers and office buildings, they have history and beautiful buildings. To this day, our differences amaze me.