Never a Day Goes By

Missing the land of mint tea and fresh dates always.

I survived kayaking in Galway.
Capsized twice.

I have wanted to write a blog post about being home ever since my plane landed back on US soil on June 6th. It's now January. One year ago today I left on a plane and haven't really come back since.

I left Morocco on May 14th and not a day goes by without me thinking of it. I think about the places, the people, the smells, the sights, my Moroccan families and my friends. It's still weird to see English everywhere, and not have to think in three different languages trying to do simple tasks. Montpellier, Vermont's capital, has it's welcome sign in both English and French, and my heart jumps with joy every time I drive past it.

The Swiss Alps were 100% worth the bus rides from hell.

Since I last posted, I have gone on some great adventures. I traveled in England, Ireland and Italy for a few weeks after my program ended in Morocco. I had a great time meeting new people in hostels and making memories with them. I also got to see some of my friends who worked with me at camp in England and Ireland. Then I took three buses over 28 hours to journey to Zurich, Switzerland to see the Swiss Alps and continue by train to Rome to meet up with my parents. I got to explore some of the greatest historical venues and eat some of the best food in Rome and Sorrento. I finally got to jump in the Mediterranean, something I had lived so close to for months, in Capri the day before I flew home.

And something I never thought would happened did... Donald Trump is now President Trump. Last year people were asking me about this orange racist who was trying to be President of the U.S. I thought he could never be president, how could a complete narcissist with authoritarian tendencies be voted President of the Land of the Free through a fair and free election? Flash forward to now and we found out how free our elections really are.

Cliffs of Moher

Leaving the U.S. caused me to think in ways about our country that I never really had to think about. Yes, I tend to be very cynical to say the least while at home. Every American I talk to I will probably tell them to wake up and realize how flawed our country is and yearn to move abroad (because it's always greener on the other side, right?)

When I left my outlook was completely different because I realized how actually flipping awesome our country is because of the values we supposedly ascribe to — except now that it's banning people for religion and jailing journalists. But really that's the government, the will of the people is stronger. Progress won the popular vote, and "a  2015 Washington Post poll found that 78 percent of Americans favored equal consideration for refugees regardless of religion."

All of these things have made me reflect on some of the most amazing conversations I had abroad that challenged my conceptions of the U.S.

One day Moroccan journalism partner, Salma, and I were talking. She asked me where my family came from. I explained my European mutt-ness: family from England like when America was first discovered, Italian and Irish immigrants when those mass migrations were happening with some Norwegian sprinkled in there. She was in awe. She described her family tree Almazigh (the politically correct word for Berber, aka North African people before the Arabs took over) and Arab. I went to explaining how America is this crazy mix of everything, and really embracing the diversity is what makes it great.

This question also came up when trying to figure out what American food is, really. Burgers and fries? But when I yearned for "American food" it was really for Chinese take-out and Pad Thai, because "American food" is just like the American people, a mix of everything (and I guess throw in some chemicals and GMOs to make it extra tasty — JOKING fresh organic food will always be better.)

Always take invites to private parties.

In England a bartender questioned me about the Constitution. Because it reinforces Americans' gun-loving tendencies it must be bad, right? No, I rebutted. Yes it does protect the right to bear arms, but that it also gives us the rest of our freedoms. It is a living document that will change with the times. Yes law-makers take more time to create and implement laws than tech guys take to come up with some of the crazy new things; however, history is on our side.

The good guys tend to win because of the freedoms allotted by the Constitution. As we age as a country we get a clearer version of what "We the people"means. "We the people" originally was limited to white land-owning men. Thankfully now it includes me and every other person. Though there is still mass inequality we are trying, and growing as a people.

One example is the feminist movement, which is also the one I most familiar with. First there was First Wave Feminism, where women fought for equality in the eyes of the law, gaining the right to vote. Then there was Second Wave Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s that fought for women's rights as humanizing women and their experiences; putting domestic violence, sexuality and reproductive rights front and center. Both movements were mostly by and for straight white women. Now we are in the midst of the third wave of Intersectional Feminism, where we are realizing that women can't have total equality without everyone else also having equality. That's why the Women's March put out the most progressive platform for what started as a women's rights march to date.

Millions of people came together yesterday for women's rights, migrant's rights, educational rights, environmental rights, healthcare reform and against bigotry and hatred. The progressive platform of the march advocated for people of all genders, sexualities, races, religions, abilities and socio-economic standings, understanding none of us are free until we all are. It's time to get to work #intersectionality #womensmarch #mybodymychoice

A photo posted by Maddie Hughes (@mhughes_9513) on Jan 22, 2017 at 6:36am PST

Going abroad in 2016 was extremely eye-opening and the most amazing and humbling experience. Two years ago I was inspired to go to someplace I never thought I would go (at the sophomore MJD meeting which I was asked to speak at this year and am SO excited to.) A year ago I took the leap of faith to go someplace where I didn't know the language, mainstream media told me to fear and someplace people questioned every time I told them where I was going (and yes I might have let some people continue when they misheard me as saying I was going to Monaco.)

When promised to be in a Moroccan movie we were taken
to some really nice private beaches, though never made my
film debut.

I strongly urge everyone to visit someplace that is out of your comfort zone, no tour, no extensive planned agenda. Talk to the locals, embrace the confusion, it always brings adventures. Sure I did some crazy stuff looking back. If I didn't embrace the adventure would I have really gotten in that white van with some of my friends after being promised that we would be in a Moroccan movie? Would I have gone to a private party for a dance festival? Would I have befriended street acrobats that helped my friends and I figure out the appliances in our apartment? Would I have met and heard stories from Syrian refugees? Probably not. These are all real stories that came from embracing the unknown.

I joke that because I lived in a country controlled by a *cough* Constitutional Monarchy *cough* (but really just Monarchy,) that I can survive this presidency and its propaganda. However, it's really the lessons I learned about getting out of my comfort zone that will help. That could mean traveling and meeting people that are different and hearing out their opinions, which will help you to grow. Or, maybe getting more active in civics — attending protests, calling your representatives (there is even an app for that), volunteering for causes close to your heart or actually going out to vote (Midterms AND the Presidential Election.)

Talk to people, question your nationalism. That's what I'm doing in my latest big project: my senior seminar book on bilingual education, which was inspired by experiences in Morocco, obviously.

Days are dwindling in Rabat

The river between Sale and Rabat is home to lots of colorful fishing boats.

This semester I have had a love/hate relationship with the city that I have come to call home. I have lived in the traditional medina and moved out to Hassan, one of the nicest areas in Rabat. I still love to get away from time to time, and will complain while I'm in the city, but there is some part of me that is so attached to this city. Walking around while I know my time here is coming to an end is somewhat of a relief, but also a deep sadness because this is a place where I have made new friends and had new experiences.

If there is one thing Morocco has it's nationalism. This is taken
at the King Mohammad V's Mausoleum. The red flag in the background
can be spotted often around Morocco. 

The Hate

So, because I don't want to end this on a bad note, I am putting the bad first. You better make it to the end though, because the good makes all of the bad go away.

1) The cat-calling is relentless. Walking down the street I could be called 2 times or 200 depending on the day. Just ask anyone here I almost never go anywhere without my 5'4 blonde best friend Becca. So, we get called a lot, especially when we are together. We try to laugh it off best we can with imagining kicking guys off their motorcycles, or using our few Arabic curse words when it gets really bad. Rabat is where we have experienced it the worst, but this is also where we spent the most time. This was especially hard when we were living in the medina, because it is so crowded there. The nicer the neighborhood and farther from the medina you experience it less. Also, headphones and sunglasses have become my best friends while walking alone; I might have hearing problems because of how loud I play my music, but I haven't had many problems while alone since I got my new phone to play music as I walk.

2) When you are lost and there isn't a magical person that knows English, you are really lost. So, this doesn't happen in Rabat anymore because I have lived here for four months, but it did at the beginning and it did a lot in other cities. We actually had to direct a cab driver back to our apartment because he was still new at his job and didn't know the city well. You just have to keep walking and get yourself situated again when you recognize something, whether that means leaving the medina and trying again or finding the one building you recognize and go from there. It really isn't that bad, and as the semester went on learning more Arabic did help. Also, when in doubt use a cab; they are so cheap, especially in Rabat, because cab drivers are generally nice and use their meters. If the cab driver refuses the meter in Rabat you can find another one that will use the meter, unlike many of the bigger tourist cities *cough* Marrakesh *cough.*

3) Women's dress code: No knees or elbows. It's subtropical North Africa. It's starting to get toasty over hear and I can't leave the apartment even to grab something from the corner store below the apartment in my shorts. It's not illegal like Saudi Arabia, but it's h'shuma and you will get more people staring. I have been pushing the boundaries with short sleeves, but all I really want are sundresses and shorts.

That's all for the bad, really if the cat-calling wasn't as bad and if I had data on my phone to use Google Maps I would probably stay here forever. I also really dislike and take the catcalling to heart, because I miss Saint Mike's where I could not walk more than 50 feet without smiling at a friend or starting a new conversation. You learn the hard way to walk with your head down to attempt to ward off unwanted attention. Also, I could never do summer here. It's getting too hot already.

The Good:

My little host brother Samad.

1) There is nothing like walking around and seeing palm trees everywhere.

2) There are some truly nice people that you meet randomly walking around and in cafes.

3) The protests; ok it's probably because I'm a journalism student, but it's always an interesting sight to see. And since Rabat is the political capital, protests happen often. It might not be to the same extent as home, but it is partially free speech, so yay. (Can't wait 'till I'm back in the land where democracy was founded and speech really is free).

4) Not always being attached to the grid. So, the majority of us don't have data on our cell phones here; we are back to the burner phones of 7th grade. So, we can enjoy not being constantly connected; days you spend outside your home or cafe's are spent completely off the gird, forcing you to post those snapchats after you get back to wifi. I didn't even have a phone for a month. Sure I missed it a little, but over all I didn't die. It's going to be weird going back and having data literally. At your fingertips at all times.

5) The languages. I'm gonna miss hearing Arabic and French everywhere, and feeling the immense happiness when I'm in a crowd and hear the few English speaking people. It's going to be weird going back where everyone can understand what I say and I understand everything they say. I'm also going to miss the happiness I see on people's faces where I can actually speak a little Arabic to them. It will be weird going back to saying "Hey" instead of "Salam." My American friends and I even still use some Arabic words while talking to each other. 

So here is a little vocab lesson:

Inshalla- God willing

Mzien- Good

Bzzffff- Lots

Shweya- A little or so-so

Hamdallah- Thanks be to God

6) The feeling of relief and pride that you get after dealing with a difficult situation, which is extra difficult because of the language barrier.

7) The ease of travel. The Moroccan train system is great! First class is the way to go by far, and those tickets aren't too expensive. It's about $20 to go from Rabat to Marrakesh first class, which is a 5-hour train ride. You have plenty of time and room to relax. And the trip can be productive if you bring work to do.

I think Tangier was my favorite spontaneous trip.

8) 4G data USB sticks. So, I'm not sure why these haven't caught on in America yet (probably because they would be too expensive because wireless companies are only in it for the profit), but these things are freaking fabulous! Especially on long train rides, or when the wifi isn't working. *BONUS* I can FaceTime while using my wifi stick, though video chat services are technically banned in Morocco, because VPNs don't always work.

9) The exchange rate. Hamdallah for the US Dollar being so strong!

10) The food. Fresh veggies that are domestic, not imported and with GMOs that are wicked cheap. I bought enough veggies for a few meals for under $0.50. Also, chicken will never taste as good as it does the same day it is killed. And tajine and couscous are mzien bzzzffff.                                            

11) I'm going to miss living downtown in a city. Almost everything is walkable, though I do tend to take lots of cabs when I'm out at night (but again the exchange rate is amazing so they are wicked cheap and everything is relatively close.) And though restaurants are not really a thing in Morocco (I can't wait to go home and be able to go out to really good restaurants) there are a few that we enjoy and that give variety to the tajine I ate every night in my home stay or the pasta I cook for myself all too often on my own (I can't really cook that much, but when I do it is good).

Most of all I am going to miss my friends that I have made in Rabat. My host family was absolutely amazing, welcoming me into their home and lives. The friends we made that go to circus school in Sale.

In our last few days Becca and I are checking off our Morocco bucket list! We move back to the hotel we first started in Sunday for a week of presentations about our projects. I'm going to miss our Hassan apartment, even if every time we try to cook we almost blow ourselves up with the gas stove, or always seem to have trouble turning on the hot water for showers, or a lot of things in the apartment are actually broken.

We visited King Mohammad V's Mausoleum as part of our Morocco Bucket List.

Then Saturday May 14, we leave the program. We are all headed in separate directions. First stop for me will be London! It's going to be fun and an easy transition because I will get to see some of my summer camp friends and in England they speak English! We joke that nothing will ever be as hard or confusing as it is in Morocco. Our teachers tell us if we can be journalists in Morocco we can be them anywhere.

However, I'm sad to be leaving a place I have fallen so madly in love with. Everyday is a new adventure here, from the first time we walked through the medina to living on our own and traveling. I have grown a lot, and somethings are not as glamorous as they first were. However, this is my here and now, and I'm not sure what is going to happen when it is not.

Tangier: Where the tourists drove me crazy

Becca and I decided to go to Tangier on a whim while finishing up our ISPJ drafts.
Once in Tangier we knew we wanted to explore and see the sights, so we hired a
grand taxi driver for the afternoon to take us to all over the place.

My deepest apologies to the man in the jalaba and the shoe-shiner who I saw exploited by American tourists taking photos with them like they were with Mickey Mouse at Disney World. Yes, Morocco is foreign, and we as a country don't know much about Morocco. Is it all camels and Palm Trees, or just out of the movie Casablanca? No, it is not, it is so much more. Do you really have to take photos of everything and everyone? The people living here are normal people with everyday lives, just like you have back home. They have a beautiful culture that if you took anytime to attempt to learn you would get so much more from your experience.

To the man who made the assumption of why you don't see dogs in the streets: No, it is not because Moroccans like cats more because they eat the mice. It's actually because domesticated pets as we have aren't as much of a thing in Morocco. There is obviously the occasional dog on a leash my friends and I ogle over, but they aren't common. Pets in the home are seen as dirty to Moroccan Muslims. In order to pray they have to preform a practice called an abolition, where they clense themselves to pray. If they are touched by their pet between doing an abolition before praying they have to redo them.

The panoramic view of one of Tangier's lush beaches. I will
have to go back someday for a beach vacation. 

To all of the annoying tourists use your smartphones to google something you have a question about, instead of snapping a bazillion meaningless photos. Take it all in, without taking a million photos, I promise you it's better that way. The few meaningful photos are the ones that are worth a thousand words. I was at the same cafe you were at earlier today, I have a funny story to remember it by (aka you), you have photos of random men who you never asked their permission to take their photos in the first place.

As an American traveling abroad you have immense power to portray our culture and people, just as the people you encounter in your travels make up your perception of the people of your chosen destination. There are good and bad people everywhere obviously, but you are the visitors. It's like going into someone's house, if they ask you to take off your shoes you do it because it's their home. 

This is the view from Cape Spartle, where the Mediterranean
meets the Atlantic.

We are able to visit a country with just the purchase of a plane ticket, our visa is waiting on arrival. It's a lot harder for Moroccans to get to America, the visa process to get to America is brutal; so you are a first-hand account of our culture. Coming from a country where Donald Trump is running for president I beg you to take your privilege of travel to really see where you are going. They hear Trump and the rest of the GOP blabbering on about how all Muslims are terrorists. That looks badly on us. I have actually been asked on multiple occasions, even on some interviews with important people about Donald Trump running for president. It's embarrassing. It's also embarrassing when large groups of American tourists act like they have never seen people different from them before. I don't know if America has changed much since I left, but I think it's still a nation of people from all different cultures and backgrounds.

In no way am I saying don't travel. Please do. Take everything in and immerse yourself in the culture. There are really special things, especially about Morocco. Travel should be a mechanism to widen our world views, not perpetuate closed-mindedness.

Our cab driver and tour guide picked flowers
for us.

Really, it's no wonder that as an American in Morocco I have been ripped off by cab drivers and merchants. Really to all of those cab drivers and merchants please continue trying to rip off people that don't try to learn your culture. However, if I am speaking shwaya Arabic to you and trying to bargain let it happen, please don't rip me off completely. (I'm talking to the man I bought my first leather bag from and the horrific cab drivers in Marrakesh, you dear men are assholes.) Bargaining is just what you do in Morocco.

While in Tangier we met some truly nice people. All of the cab drivers put on the meter, except for one, but it was so close it would have been under the minimum of 5 dirhams. I even met shop owners that were actually giving me great prices on items (yay I got a tajine, now I just have to learn to cook in it.) It was the first time in Morocco I felt like I wasn't being completely ripped off (except for the restaurant with no menus . Pro tip: go to places with menus.)

Really a little of the language and some knowledge of the culture goes a long way. I love the smile on a person's face when they see that I can speak Arabic to them. So, if you got this far, sorry for my rant; but it had to be said. Please remember to be polite while traveling. Over all Morocco is a fantastic place. Please visit, I would be happy to answer any questions you have about it.

The view from a park in Tangier.

P.S. We really can't elect Trump. So, please go out and exercise your right to vote. We are Americans. It's one of the most amazing countries in the world. We are a country built on the dream where anyone can come and work their way to the top. The system is broken right now, but if we actually focus on letting people from any background come and work their way to a better future then it will benefit us all.

This is the Cave of Hercules. It has an opening to the Atlantic
Ocean that looks like Africa. It was fun to get to do things
out of the norm. We definitely wanted to get away from the city. 

P.P.S. I'm not saying this as some self-righteous asshole who thinks I know everything since I came to study abroad in Morocco. There is still so much more I don't know, but I would like to. And I do stupid idiot American things while I'm here, though they are mostly funny stupid things, like hoping on a train not knowing where I will sleep that night. It's obviously okay to make mistakes, you always learn something; like now I know to go to always go to a restaurant with a menu. Just don't be an oblivious American that takes advantage of the "exotic" culture.

How did I get here?

Have to go all out for St. Mike's Kentucky Derby.

If you asked me two years ago where I would be I would probably prepping for my junior year P-Day. It was always the plan to go abroad to Ireland fall of junior year and be home for spring. It is the most fun semester after all.

Winter weekends are spent falling on my ass at Smuggs, or skiing as most people call it, on Saturdays, or patches of ice at school. Then when the sun comes out its time for sundresses and my favorite St. Mike's traditions: bringing your tapestry out to the quad to sit and study with friends, enjoy Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's on Church Street, celebrating P-Day and Derby Day with the entire SMC community. These are some of the traditions that make St. Mike's the close-knit awesome community I have come to call my home the past few years.

Plans changed sophomore year when I joined rugby in the fall. It was the best thing to happen to me at St. Mike's. I was already friends with a bunch of people on the team, it made joining and loving it that much easier. I knew I had to go abroad in the spring because I would be playing rugby in the fall.

Sophomore spring rolled around and at our annual MJD meeting our professors strongly encouraged us to go to a new place where we wouldn't speak the language or know the customs. It wasn't until one of my professors strongly suggested SIT's Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media program that I started looking into it.

Camp friends are the best friends. Can't
wait to see some in my travels after.

A senior that had done the program a year earlier was actually in one of my classes. I struck up the conversation and she told me all about it. I was fascinated. I quickly decided that Morocco was the place for me. I applied through St. Mike's and was allowed to go. Then in the summer I applied through SIT and I got into the program.

I was spending the summer in Maine as a camp counselor, which was by far one of the most fun summers ever. When I got the news I was accepted into the program I was ecstatic, my campers and friends all knew right away. I rode that high all the way to fall semester. Sometime in October I booked my round trip tickets to Paris, because I knew I wanted to travel and see my friends who lived abroad.

Looking back I just think: how the hell did I get here? Who knew I would join rugby and I could actually have so much love and passion for a sport? Who knew I would choose Morocco of all places to go abroad? And who knew I would be a summer camp counselor in Maine? However, I'm thankful for every one of these things because they made me the smart-ass, confident traveler I am today and I would be doing none of this without the support from my amazing friends I have met along the way. 

So, P-Day is fast approaching at St. Mike's I miss it all dearly, but I wouldn't change this semester with all of my crazy shenanigans for anything. Have fun and stay safe St. Mike's.

A few days ago I decided to come to Tangier with one of my friends because we finished our first drafts of our ISPJ stories. We just got in. I know it will be a fun time. At this point I'm just asking for crazy stuff to happen. I just planned my travels after, they involve an overnight bus from London to Zurich, a day in Zurich and the next day a train from Zurich to Rome to meet my family for our vacation. It won't go all according to plan as I know from my travels in Morocco. I promise - Inshalla- mom and dad I'll make it to Rome.

P.S. Becca and Oly thanks for some crazy adventures and learning with me nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. How the hell am I gonna survive traveling with anyone else?

The view of Rabat's Centre Ville from the top of the Terminus hotel in Rabat.

The Magical Views of Morocco

Happy Earth Day with a sunset view of  Ouarzazate which is located in southern Morocco
in the desert. Ouarzazate is the Hollywood of  Morocco, with the largest movie studio in Northern Africa.

Happy Earth Day!

So, I meant to write this blog post a while ago right after we went on our first excursion. But I ultimately got too busy with class and life that I am happy to be finally getting to it now. It was our first time out of Rabat. We went from a coastal city, to snow covered mountains, to the Sahara Desert and everything in between. The 5-night, 6-day tour of Morocco made me breathless at every stop. We never stayed anywhere too long, because we always had to get to the next place.

Foothills of the Middle-Atlas: Meknes and Fez

Sultan Moulay Ismail built the largest grain storehouse while
he ruled Morocco from Meknes. It could hold three years of
grain for all of his horses. 

Drive 2-hours inland from the coast and you get two of Morocco's great imperial cities. Meknes was a stop on the way to Fez. It was the first place I saw mountains; something I had been craving while missing Vermont a little extra that week. We only did a quick tour and Meknes wasn't the most fascinating city. We then carried onto Fez.

Fez is an old imperial city in the Middle Atlas mountains.
It has the larges medina and is a commercial center.

The manufacturing center of Morocco is Fez. It's where the leather goods, woven goods and metal goods are made. The Fez medina is enormous; it's the largest in all of Morocco. It was really fun, but I also bought way too much. It was very interesting seeing the process behind the leather at the tanneries, the weaving of scarves and the labor behind the ceramics.

An artisan paints a tile in Fez.

Into the Mountains: Azrou

Azrou was by far one of my favorite places (Hint: It's the first place we saw snow in Morocco). If I had the time I would have liked to hike and really explore the outdoor beauty. However, we did get some time to go to a park and see some monkeys in their natural habitat. It was kind of sad though because there was so much trash laying around. The monkeys were also waiting for onlookers to give them food.

One of the most annoying things I find about Morocco is the amount of trash everywhere. There is no sort of national parks service like we have in the states to maintain federal land. There were also no trash cans at this popular picnic and camping destination. Moroccan homes are kept very tidy, but public areas not so much. Trash is a common sight in city streets. It baffled me to see so much trash in nature, alongside roads and in parks like the one we visited in Azrou.   

Sunset over the village of Azrou in the Middle Atlas mountains.

The morning sun shines over our campsite in Merzouga.

Snow to Sand: Merzouga
We rode camels, listened to Ganawa music and camped in the Sahara Desert. Most amazing experience, 'nuf said.  

Moroccan Hollywood: Ouarzazate

A view of Ouarzazate from a roof-top terrace in the kasbah. 

When we got to Ouarzazate we had some free time to explore. A few of us went to the kasbah. We were met by the typical Moroccan "tour guides" that wait to lure tourists in and scam them for a tour. We knew this would be the case, but he haggled with us and we got it down to about 7 dirahms (about $0.70) from each of us. It ended up being totally worth it. He brought us up to a few private terraces with great views.

Instead of staying in a hotel we got to stay in a girls dormitory where girls board during the week when they go to school, because they live too far away to commute every day. It was very fun and definitely a much-needed break from the super-touristy experience we got in the desert. We stayed up playing games and dancing. At one point my American cohorts and I gave our bravest attempt at singing the National Anthem in response to the Moroccan girls singing us theirs.


Where Desert Meets Mountains: Marrakesh

By far my favorite city in Morocco. We were only supposed to stay one night, but our program director let us stay on our own an extra night if we wanted. The first day we went to a cool art exhibit the Marrakesh Biennial. I also got to explore some Marrakesh nightlife with some of my friends.

The next morning we woke up ready to explore the city. We obviously had to  stop at Starbucks, because that was only a few blocks from the hotel. We also got to visit Majorelle Gardens and the main square, Jemaa El Fna, to shop in the soukes and get freshly squeezed orange juice.

It was an incredible experience to be able to see the diverse landscapes of Morocco. Mother Earth is truly incredible to have this many landscapes so close to be able to see them all in a week, or even a day.

PS: We went on this excursion just days after my phone was stolen. Therefore, all photos had to be taken on my camera, so there are also fewer than expected because phones make photos 10x easer.

Oh Morocco.... Sometimes you just have to laugh

The first time in Marrakesh we went to the Marrakesh Biennial Art instillation.
This is the view from the top of the building.  

Morocco you never cease to amaze me in so many different ways. There are deserts and then mountains with snow. There are beautiful landscapes that are either impeccable or covered in garbage. And I should come to expect the unexpected.

The reception started off with a more touristy Ganawa group
preforming. It then turned into a private party with real
Ganawa music. 

This week has been absolutely insane. I moved into my new apartment; it is a beautiful apartment but with no gas for hot water, and the oven and washing machine it has been hard to love. I ended up having to bucket bathe because I hadn't showered in so long. I started my article and got to interview Syrian refugees. It was absolutely amazing and their stories are so touching. And now I'm on a train to Marrakesh.

As I have mentioned Marrakesh is my favorite city. It's always an adventure visiting. The first time we had a whirlwind adventure exploring the city. It's the most touristy city. We spent too much money in the soukes and had too much fun at the club. The second time I visited we did not have time to make it to any club; instead we covered a dance festival and found ourselves at a Ganawa  party that doubled as the closing party to the festival.

Inside the soukes.

And the outside. Marrakesh is called the pink city because
of all the pink buildings.

This time we were just going for fun; not with school or any particular purpose other than to see friends living there for the ISPJ period. However, because we are college students and leave things till the last minute often we left booking where we were going to stay till it was a tad late. As we were scrambling for places we couldn't find any in our budget. Finally my friends who are also going down for the weekend said we could stay at their friend's place they are staying at. However, as I was sitting on the train platform I got a call saying that fell through.

Scrambling, I called my friend in Marrakesh to ask what to do. I still had time to decide to go or not. It seemed like this trip was doomed from the start. However, the train came and I got on. While jumping onto the train I received a call from my friends saying they found a cheap AirBnb.

I then scrambled to find my seat. Thankfully I got first class. It's the weekend and a 5 hour train ride, so second class would be hectic. I pulled out my computer and booked the AirBnb while eating the my McRoyal burger I got while waiting an insanely long time at the train station. Stuffing my face with a burger while frantically trying to book and AirBnb and call my friends probably made the men in my car judge me hardcore. Oh well In'Shallah the patriarchy will be punished with some karma.

However, I am finally now on my way. I'm going with zero expectations and a can-do attitude. This is one of those day where you just have to laugh and go with the flow. Because when in Morocco be on Moroccan time -- eventually you will get where you need to be.

How can you not love a city with this view?

ISPJ: Don't Blink

The view from our kitchen window.

            So, I'm finally on the long-awaited ISPJ period that I essentially worked my way to since stepping foot into the continent. I have to report on and write a feature story that is hopefully pitch-able to a major news outlet. I get to live with a variety of friends and travel around Morocco on my own.

Living: 

We have a gas stove that has to be lit with
a lighter... so I will be eating lots
of fresh veggies and PB&Js.

            So, this is the coolest thing. My friends and I actually found an apartment on our own in Rabat and are gonna live there on our own. The location is perfect in an amazing neighborhood, Hassan. Everything is either walkable or easy to get to via tram. I'm getting my student tram pass later this week to be able to take advantage of it more.

            It's been an adventure already. Friday we moved our stuff in early so that 2 of my best friends I'm living with and I could have our first official night in our apartment before they went on their ways traveling for the first week or two.

            However, I will not be alone because we are the designated transient house for anyone coming to and needing a place in Rabat for our group. The apartment is so big I bet we could fit everyone if needed. Three of our other friends from the program will be living with us the last two weeks of ISPJ after they have traveled for their stories.

            It's nice living in Rabat because I know it really well and already have a few friends. Some of our friends include some guys who go to circus school across the river in Salé. They came over the first night for dinner. We attempted to cook for them, but after being scared of the gas stove we had to ask for their help. It was nice of them to help. Sunday they also came over to teach us to properly use the stove because we still couldn't get it. Our washing machine is currently broken (it had to have happened before we got there) and we have no gas for the hot water heater, so it's going to be a few interesting days until the apartment owner can help us out.

Traveling: 

            So, because it's ISPJ and I don't actually have class I can travel as long as I get stuff done. One of my friends had to be in Casablanca for an event last night. So as a casual Monday I decided why not go; I wanted to get coffee and a burger anyways (Bless Burger is the best burger on this side of the Atlantic). So we left, not booking our hotel till we were on the train because the AirBnb we wanted wasn't available anymore. It looked OK enough for $40 in Casa for the night.

Living with Becca and Oly. When we were in Casablanca 2 weeks ago.

            We rolled up to the hotel and I felt itchy in the lobby. We fought with the receptionist because she didn't see that we had just made the reservation. All we wanted to do was drop off our bags and go to our favorite burger place.

            After getting into the room we saw that it was not cleaned, but the cleaning lady was on the floor, so she should be cleaning it soon. My friend went into he bathroom and the cleaning lady came in the "clean" the room. She made the beds with the same sheets that were already on the beds. What could be more disgusting. The room was already cringe-worthy and that sealed the deal. We called our friends who are living in Casa for ISPJ and asked if we could crash there for the night. Thankfully they welcomed us with open arms.

            All in all I think the lesson learned was to just try to stay with friends first. I'm also going to avoid all budget hotels without reading MULTIPLE reviews first. Hostels and AirBnbs are probably the way to go.

Other Shenanigans: 

            So, as I mentioned we are friends with some acrobats, so that just always makes for good times and laughter. My American friends and I have gotten to the point where we just look at each other and laugh at our situation. We met them a while back when they were performing in front of Parliament. If I have learned anything in Morocco it's rule of not talking to strangers is absolute bullshit, because hey look who you can become friends with.

            I have talked to protestors in the streets and random people all over the place. Being i. Casa for less than 24 hours I met some really cool people. The guy who spoke impeccable English in a cab we took is actually an editor and journalist for the Moroccan paper Telquel, which is one of the free-est papers in Morocco.

            The manager at Starbucks in Casa is actually an American Moroccan that lived in DC. He worked at the Starbucks in DuPont Circle up until 3 years ago. I had an interesting conversation about how Starbucks is expanding in Morocco. (Hopefully  when I come back to Rabat one day I'll be able to get an iced coffee.) He also advised me to get a Cold Brew instead of an Iced Americano, which is actually my favorite in America, it's just so new in Morocco they didn't have it the first time I went to a Starbucks in Marrakech. Then he gave my friend and I a voucher for a free Cold Brew.

The Count-Down is On: 

Starbucks on the train back to Rabat.

            It being ISPJ means that our time is coming to an end. The first two months flew by. Now with only 5 and 1/2 weeks left it's time to really make things count. Last night after the event my friend and I attended we were stranded in a café by the cold rain. We ended up talking about what it's gonna mean to go home. Sad thought.

            I love being here and able to travel and do tons of crazy things. We might be bound to Morocco, because according to our program we can't leave the country. However, the opportunities are endless. I'm going to Marrakesh for a third time this weekend because it's my favorite city and I know there is still a ton left to explore. I physically won't be able to do everything I want while I'm in Morocco. I want to go to Essaouira, Agadir and Tangier; I'm hoping to make it to at least one of those.

            And after I know I get three more weeks of travel, but it won't be the same. I won't have the same friends I've gotten so close to. And it won't be in Morocco, a place I have absolutely fallen in love with and have only gotten more confused and intrigued by the more I'm learning about it.