Over Spring break, I traveled with four friends from Madrid to Morocco to Barcelona. Going to Morocco was one of the coolest experiences that I have ever had. I would say this trip had a very positive impact on me. We booked our trip on a travel website, so we were with a big group of people that we did not know. I have never done a group trip like this before because I am usually with friends, family, or classmates. We met people from all over the world. Throughout the trip, we did everything with the people who were on our bus, and our group was awesome! We made friends with two guys from Germany, two guys studying in Paris, and others who were also studying in Florence. Some of the people were traveling solo. It was so nice to see everyone getting to know each other and becoming closer in such a short time. By the end of the trip, everyone had made a friend. This makes me think I would be fine going on a solo trip myself after seeing others easily go to the middle of the desert, not knowing anyone.
On the way to the Sahara Desert, we stopped at a few villages to learn from the people living there. The first one had only 18 residents, and it was where they shot Gladiator and parts of Outer Banks, which I thought was really cool. On the second day of our excursion, we finally reached the desert, and I was in awe. I could not believe that I was about to ride a camel through the Sahara Desert. I could not stop staring out at the bright orange sand that stretched for miles on end. It was incredible.
Once we were in the middle of the desert, we rode ATVs, which was a little scary but also very freeing. Then we arrived at our camp, where we ate as a group and then spent time outside by a big fire. Some locals were playing drums, and everyone was dancing together. This was probably my favorite part aside from just being there and seeing the Sahara with my own eyes. I loved seeing everyone dancing together, knowing that we were all strangers.
Morocco was truly a trip of a lifetime! This was one of our less expensive trips and was definitely the coolest place we have traveled yet. I was reminded of my love for traveling and seeing the world, and of sharing experiences with others who share that same passion.
