I just got back from a 2 week excursion to Morocco! It was absolutely beautiful! We stayed in 4 different cities, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech and Casablanca and while we were there we took classes about the gender differences in their culture and did guided tours throughout each city. My favorite parts about the trip were getting to enjoy lunch with a host family in Rabat, exploring the medinas, the beautiful artwork and moroccan design, and the North African beaches. There was so much to see and do you could spend hours in the Medina shopping and bargaining with people on their leather products and tile products. The food was amazing(even though most of us got sick at least once) and the couscous was where it was at! It is tradition to share a big dish of couscous on Friday afternoons and that was always my favorite meal! Leaving Morocco, I’ve realized how grateful I am to live the life I do. We learned a lot about how women do not have a lot of privilege in Morocco because of religious and culture norms, which we experienced even as tourists. It was overwhelming at first to feel uncomfortable in public, but once we had an understanding of why men dominate the streets, it was easier to navigate and explore the cities. Overall, the excursion was one of the most eye opening experiences and I’m so happy we went. I never thought I’d get the chance to travel all of North Africa and meet the locals!
