Throughout my life I have always been eager to meet people who come from a multitude of backgrounds different than my own, and learn about their way of life. I never wanted to hear just the surface, but rather obtain much deeper levels of understanding. There’s an old saying that goes, “life is like a book, and if you don’t travel and meet new people, you only get to read one page”. I wanted to listen to each person I met in every place we went so that it wasn’t just a sight-seeing trip or a trip where I only talked with the other Americans in my group. I was there to ask questions, to laugh, to smile, and to soak up as much culture and information as I could every moment of the day. That is what travel is about to me. And what better place to explore diversity and how it affects culture than in Morocco? It is a country characterized by migration, multiple languages, merging cultures, and pure beauty. Morocco was its own unique entity all together. Each region was very different, yet the country felt, to a significant degree, unified. This feeling of inter-connectivity and just being there for each other as a way to express pride for their country was undoubtedly beautiful. It was like nothing I have ever seen before.
The first thing I became aware of was the wave of kindness I felt. Whether it was from the bus drivers, airport workers, hotel clerks, street merchants, or children out playing soccer. Everyone I had the privilege to speak with was welcoming. Each person I met said “welcome to Morocco, you are welcome here at any time and in any place”. It truly made the trip special, and made me realize how much of an impact friendliness and an open mind can have on a person, because how much it affected my own personal travels. Upon first arriving in Rabat, and after a few Darija classes, I was soon bargaining in English, French, and Darija. In the restaurants I would greet the waiter in Arabic, order in French, and thank them in English. The whole experience of learning how to communicate with people and get to know them while using multiple languages was fascinating.
Simply listening made me more conscious of the things happening around me, and it was the best way to learn. It is obvious many people ask questions and then do not make an effort to listen to the answer. But my entire purpose of traveling, and the purpose of traveling as a whole, is to stop and listen. Listen and be in that moment. It made me appreciate the differences between the cities we traveled to, and hearing the sounds of the various environments is what made each place unique. In the Sahara, the wind blew and the sand glided across the dunes as the men leading our camels laughed into the night and spoke freely with joy amongst each other. I heard the men selling orange juice in Marrakech in the Jemaa el fna square calling and beckoning each onlooker over to their stand. In Rabat, I heard music played by groups of boys playing soccer, and in the village of Brachoua, the donkeys and chickens clucked and called all day. I listened to every word of each tour guide we had, and of all of the random people in the streets I spoke with. This to me is the best way to learn and digest all of the things another culture has to offer because there is no book equivalence. Everyday I was amazed by what I was able to discover, and every opportunity I had to experience something new that increased my understanding I took.
My time with my host family was a very special part of the trip and something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I was fortunate in that my host brother spoke English. However the rest of my family did not, yet I developed relationships I know will last a lifetime. I realized that a smile can go a long way. I helped my host sisters cook, clean, tend the garden, wash clothes, and more. I was able to observe their household dynamics, and I loved our late night dinners and time spent just sitting with each other, enjoying the day. The village we stayed in had so much kindness. Every family was close to one another and were incredibly supportive. This taught me so much about life and how money, a big house, cars, clothes, and lots of stuff are not indicators of happiness. All of the people in the village were always happy, even though they did not have a lot in the material sense. Each day was slow and no one ever became frustrated, angry, or was in a rush. There was patience between all people, regardless of age. The village taught me about another way of life and allowed me to become fully immersed in Moroccan culture. This to me is what life is about, developing relationships and bonds with people and places. This cultivates true happiness and love.
While in Morocco, I slept under the stars, saw the oldest university in the world, traveled through the desert, listened to traditional music, learned about Islam and Muslim culture, stayed with a welcoming family, drank lots of mint tea, appreciated artwork, and watched the waves of the Atlantic oceans crash to shore while the sun set in the distance. Every moment had something beautiful to offer. I bonded with a very diverse group of other students from America who especially made the trip remarkable. I traveled with an open mind and felt I had more cultural competency, intercultural and interpersonal skills, and awareness by the time the trip ended. It taught me to just appreciate what life has to offer and be happy and thankful in the present rather than focusing or being consumed by materialism. I learned about myself and experienced ample personal growth. Although I have always be resolute in what I wish my future endeavors to be, my experience abroad solidified this even further. Much of my experience in Morocco is difficult to articulate in the right words, because words do not do justice for some of the places I traveled. Life is not also measured by number and statistics and averages. Instead, everyday has a story, and every place has a purpose that is uniquely its own. Morocco had a little bit of everything, and the moment I had stepped off the plane I fell in love.
