Morocco: A country more alike than you imagine

Author: Kayla Doyle

Location: Morocco, North Africa

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

I went to Morocco the last weekend of January for the program excursion with eleven other students from my group. Going into the trip, I was nervous as there had been some violence in the news with tourists there only a few weeks earlier. But I did not feel scared one bit during the excursion. I experienced something that honestly has changed the way I look at the country, religion, and people. It was an experience that can only be had going to the country, talking to the natives, and forming relationships.

The first day, we had to travel across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Africa. We arrived in Tangier and walked around a local market with fresh spices, meat, and vegetables. Then we went on a visit to a women’s center where we had a tour of the building and learned about what the organization does for women in the community. After the tour, we lunch and a discussion with three college women about life in Morocco. My eyes were opened further after that talk about Muslim women and their role in the society. After the visit, we traveled to another city along the coast called Asila where we were able to ride camels on the beach. It was a lot harder than you would think! We continued traveling ending in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, to meet our host families and have dinner with them. I was humbled by their generosity and hospitality towards all of us even through the language barrier.

The next day we visited the mausoleum of the kings and ruins of an old mosque that was never finished. I was unaware that there was a king of Morocco and rumor has it he is one of the richest men in the world. Later that day we headed to a place that had Roman ruins that you could literally touch. Then we went to lunch with our host families and tried on traditional dresses. After lunch we went on a walk around the Medina with students from the University of Rabat to get a better understanding of Morocco through students’ perspectives our own age. They were all very nice and similar to us in their hobbies, studies, aspirations, and interests. Then we went to a hammam which is a public bath and we all enjoyed it more than we had expected to!

The third day we traveled four hours to the next stop, which was a village in the Ref mountains. We met a family and had a discussion about life in the mountains over lunch. Then we went on a hike to the top of the mountain, including mud, neighbors back yards, and crop fields. The view was breathtaking and worth the trek. Then we said our goodbyes and left for the most instagrammable city in Morocco: Chefchoan. We explored the city a bit and had a traditional Moroccan dinner of pastila. The next morning, we headed back to Spain.

After reflection of this experience I learned that Moroccans are not that different than us. Yes, they do have a different life and culture than us, but they all have the same dreams and aspirations as people from the US. They are a predominantly Muslim country but have the same core beliefs and values as most Americans. I was overwhelmed by their hospitality from my host family to every person I met. Women are treated almost the same there as they are in the US except it is harder for them to find jobs. This experience has changed my perspective and I would encourage anyone to go to Morocco and see first-hand the culture and caring people of the country.