My study abroad experience has been nothing short of transformative. As someone who’d never traveled beyond the U.S. prior to this program, this entire semester has provided me with endless learning opportunities and so many little moments of growth. If I had to pinpoint one particularly impactful excursion, though, it would probably be my journey across the continent to Morocco.
Living in Italy has been an incredible experience, but it’s not impossible to find pockets of familiarity in day-to-day living. With international corporations and easily recognizable cuisine, there are brief moments where life can feel somewhat reminiscent of that in the States. Morocco, by stark contrast, felt instantly unlike any place I’d ever visited before. From the moment we ventured off the airport shuttle, we were met with redstone buildings, streetside markets (souks), and a faint note of dust hanging in the air. While we did opt into a guided tour over the course of our stay, we got to see a number of different villages and towns across the route from Marrakech to Merzouga, with various opportunities along the way to learn about local industries and practices. We got to eat local cuisine, dishes composed of simple ingredients that left us thoroughly satiated, and in our conversations with residents and tour guides, we managed to bond over cultural differences and educational moments.
But of course, the most life altering part of the experience was journeying into the desert. We rode out into the sand dunes via camel and spent the night at a desert campsite, talking and dancing around a fire pit well into the night. We were in the company of folks from all around the world, fellow tourists from Japan and India and the Americas all united for the same experience. It was one of those rare life moments where I felt a part of something truly bigger than myself, the world feeling massive and miniscule all at once. There are very few other instances in my life where I’ve felt so happy and lucky to be present and alive.
What made Morocco so special was ultimately the uniqueness of the experience. It was a country lacking in virtually any familiarity, and yet it had this abundance of life that made it feel all the more welcoming. More than any other place I’ve been, it taught me the importance of stepping outside one’s comfort zone, daring to step beyond familiar territory for the sake of learning more about yourself and the outside world.
