Two years ago, I told myself I was going to Morocco. I didn't know how I was going to get there or if it were even possible to make it, but I was determined to make my dream come true. Here I am, two years later, blogging about my experience in Morocco. One month in Morocco wasn't enough. I met so many people and went to so many places. The love I have for Morocco and everyone in it is amazing. I made a lot of friends at Qalam Wa Lawh, in Rabat, and even with the waiters who were patient with me while I was trying to order my food in a weird mixture of Arabic, French, English, and charades. I'm even going to miss the man who worked at Faceburger. He was always so nice and he even gave me a large drink for free one time.
This experience has changed me, and I like the person I am now. I was forced to travel out of my comfort zone and makes friends with people from around the world. I now have friends in Italy, Ukraine, South Korea, Thailand, Morocco, Japan, France, and many other places. When people who love to travel, learn, and study language and culture, your practically asking for everyone to be friends.
Thank you to Qalam Wa Lawh for accepting me and helping me go far in Arabic. Nawal , my teacher, helped me become more comfortable with speaking Arabic and thinking on my feet in Arabic. Also the faculty, staff, and students all welcomed me and made me feel like we were all one big happy family.
I must also thank my classmates who traveled with me from Georgia Southern. We started off as eleven strangers and we grew into eleven friends. From eating German gummy frogs with my roommate, Darby, to interesting taxi adventures with Laila and Sarah, I think Sarah said it best, "we're desert close," and I couldn't be any happier.
Lastly, I must thank the person who made this possible, Youssef Salhi. You made this trip unforgettable. I had the best month of my life in Morocco. I'd never traveled before, and I thank you for pushing all of us to step out of our comfort zones. We learned that the best way to learn about different cultures and languages is to experience it to the fullest. From locating the best restaurants and coffee shops to bringing us Lipton sweet tea on the last day, you helped make my Morocco experience perfect. You are a great mentor, role model, teacher, and person. Thank you for putting this trip together. Thank you for making our Arabic program what it is today. Thank you for inspiring me to travel and learn while traveling.
I love Morocco, and I can't wait to go back, Insha'Allah!
I remember when this whole study abroad trip was just an idea I had. I didn’t really know if I was going to go on it or not. But wow, I am so happy that I did. I can say, without a doubt, that it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. This whole experience has just been so amazing. It’s hard for me to put it into words really.
That last week was a little stressful though with the two projects we had to do and our final exam. But man, looking back the whole time in Morocco flew by so quickly. That first week seems not too long ago, even though in those moments it had already seemed like we were in Morocco for a month.
I am so thankful that I was able to go on this trip. It has really been a life changing experience for me. Before going to Morocco I heard all these things about the culture and everything, mostly negative to be completely honest, but I decided to not listen to any of those things. I went to Morocco with an open mind, and wow I was blown away. Nothing that was told to me was true, and I’m so glad.
Man, this trip has really just inspired me to travel more and I can’t wait to travel again. Hopefully, it will be sometime soon, but who knows.
Thank you to the 11 people who traveled with me. We all joked about being on “The Real World: Morocco”, but it was so true. There were 11 strangers picked to travel to Morocco together. To study Arabic together. To find out what happens, when people travel the world together. I am so happy each and every single one of you guys were able to come. I have definitely created life long memories with you all. I’ll never forget you or our time in morocco. You have no idea how much you all mean to me, and how much this experience has meant to me. Thank you guys for putting up with my craziness and shenanigans :)
Thank you to Youssef, without you, none of this would be able to happen. Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful country and sharing Morocco and the beautiful language that is Arabic with us. Thank you for pushing us to really experience Morocco by not holding out hands the whole time. Thank you for my last experience with Georgia Southern. I really don’t think I could have picked a better way. Honestly, it just makes me wish now that I wasn’t transferring. But just because I am, it doesn’t mean I won’t come visit.
At the end of the day, I really didn't want to leave Morocco, but here I am. Back in Atlanta, writing this blog. It’s time to go back to reality. Morocco and these 11 people who traveled with me will always have a part of my heart. Miss you guys already.
I never thought that I would be able to go to Africa. And honestly I never even really thought I would want to go. But I did go...and it has changed my life. Before going to Morocco I had stereotypes about what it would be like: very hot, all the girls having to wear a veil, everywhere being kind of desert like, stuff like that. I couldn't have been wrong. I love Morocco. I got to do and see so many things and meet so many wonderful people. Everything about the country is exciting, from the mountains to the beautiful trees and flowers to the ocean, to the old Medina's, to the souks, to the people, to the culture. I can't believe the four weeks is already over. It has been the best month of my life. The trips we went on were both short of amazing. We got to see beautiful cities, roman ruins, very old schools, cool museums, and play and read with children (who deeply touched my heart!) And meet the most wonderful people! Everyone at the school was so welcoming and friendly! We all became friends very quickly. I loved to talk to the teachers and staff, they taught me so much about the language, culture, religion, and way of life. We had emotional goodbyes on Friday but I will be back inshallah. I also became quick friend with the 10 other student from GSU. They are so nice and funny and they love the Arabic language and Morocco just as much as I do. I will miss being around every single one of them. Thank you guys for being the greatest traveling buddies and roommates a person could ask for! Y'all have touched my heart and will always be in my heart. I'm so glad that y'all were able to come, it wouldn't have been the same without you! And Youssef, when you started talking about the trip to Morocco, I never thought I'd be able to go, but I did! And you helped make that possible. You took such good car of us while we were in Morocco ( and still are :) ) and your enthusiasm about Morocco was contagious! You made this trip worth while. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for us, especially for me. I was very nervous going to a country without any family and not know the language, but by the end of the first day I was no longer nervous, I was excited :) you made this trip possible for us and it has changed my life for the better. So thank you for everything you have done :) I still can't believe I'm not in morocco anymore but in my heart I know that one day I'll be back inshallah.
Back home from my last week in Morocco and I have to say that I miss it already. There are so many things left to do there that we just didnt have time to do. I met so many people from Morocco who wanted to hang out but didnt have time to. I really do have a better understanding of how closed off america is to everyone else and I do not want to remain that way. This trip made me realize that I NEED to explore the world and see everything I can. I am already planning trips to visit people I have only met for a couple of weeks in other countries and i would even do that for people 2 hours away. This trips means so much to me in ways that I cant even talk about. The food, the culture, the women, the community, the lifestyle and just parts of what I am going to miss from there. I will be back soon and I just hope that it is sooner than i expect.
What it’s already over? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I never thought my first time out of the states would be to a place as amazing and diverse as Morocco was. I met so many great people from Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Morocco of course, and many more. Thank you first to Youssef for being such a great friend and mentor and always being there for us on this trip. To all the members of Real World Morocco I will never forget you all and I can’t wait to see you all in the fall. Thanks to all the staff at Qalam Wa Lawh to helping us with our Arabic, to the dining crew for making us so many amazing meals, and the rest of the staff for making our stay as amazing as it was. I will never forget all the amazing sights, sounds, smells and tasty things I experienced here in morocco I know that when I’m old and grey one day this will remain one of my most vivid memories. Austin Branham
I'm in New York waiting for a plane back to Savannah, and I really didn't want to leave. I probably should have sent out resumes on the second day instead of the third week. All the same, I intend to use my time back in the state productively, take the CELTA or the TEFL and go back. Nothing in America will ever taste good after Moroccan food anyway.
I'll miss you guys, and you're always welcome to come and visit me wherever I am in the world, Morocco or otherwise.
It's over! How can this be?! It's definitely bittersweet. Morocco has been all I could have imagined and more. This last week was filled with emotions and finals. Saying goodbye to this country has been one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. Sure there have been some ups and downs but that's life and we made it through them. I couldn't have asked for a better trip in my life. Getting to come to this beautiful country and immerse myself into the culture has truly been a blessing. But above all, getting to meet so many amazing people along the way has been amazing and getting to call them my friends is one of, if not the best, feelings in the world. A huge thank you to my parents and family at home who went above and beyond to help make this trip possible. Another thank you to my study abroad group for becoming not just my friends, but my family. Love you guys! And last, but certainly not least, a giant thank you to the best teacher, mentor, and one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, Youssef Salhi! You have gone above and beyond to make this trip a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you for all that you have done for us and me personally to make sure that we got the most out of this experience. I will always be grateful for what you have done for us here. Morocco, it's been real. I'm not going to say goodbye because this is definitely a "see you later" inshalla. New York was fun with the group also. Study Abroad 2015: Morocco anyone?
I can't even to begin to describe how I feel right now. to keep this shirt all I can say that this was honestly the best month of my life and that this trip to morocco has definitely been life changing. I miss it so much already. there is so much I've learned from just being there and it opened my eyes to so much being surrounded by so many different things. I just want to Thank My classmates for always looking out for me and making me laugh and making everything about this trip more enjoyable. also, Qalam wa lawh the most amazing people I have ever had a pleasure of meeting. Such an amazing staff who took us in and loved us like their own. last but not least Youssef you made is all feel so comfortable and took care of us, I thank you so much for making this possible because this trip changed me. As far as Arabic, I love it even more now. I can't wait to go back to Morocco inshallah because this one month was not enough.
WARNING: DON'T GO TO MOROCCO WITH YOUSSEF SALHI AND STUDY ARABIC AT QALAM WA LAWH!!! I say this to help you because you will literally fall in love with Morocco and try not to return to your country of origin. Trust me, I think all of my classmates did this! Leaving Morocco was one of the most emotional things that I had ever done, and I hated it. How dare I cry when saying farewell to everyone? Why was I already looking for return flights? Truth of the matter is, I couldn't help it. I can recall two other times when I felt that every fiber of my being was connected to a particular thing, and those two things happen to be tied into what I believe my purpose on Earth is. Well, this makes three. I think it's quite amazing the way God reveals to us the splendor in His plans for our lives - the things we thought were just secret desires and dreams that we had, were never really hidden from Him, and when explored and given back to God with faith, are used to draw us that much closer to Him, and that much closer to our destinies. Morocco was splendid for me because I get it now. It took me really trusting that it would happen, and speaking that into my life, that made my experience abroad one that I would never forget. It also took nurturing and being pushed by my amazing teacher (Youssef Salhi) that caused me to make the most out of my experience there. From the time that we met up at the airport, he always led by example, and I think seeing his care for others, made us as a class want to be the same. But I don't just credit him, because being at the Qalam Center helped to further my growth as a human being as well. Every staff member played an important role in what I learned there - be it academically, socially, spiritually, etc., and they were so patient, and never let the fact that we didn't speak the same language hinder the love and warmth they so freely shared. Finally, it took being around people who were just as open and hungry for growth as I was, that took this trip over the moon for me. I was nervous initially because I didn't think I could be around the same people every single day, but they became such a fixture in my life during that month, it feels weird to have it so quiet. I don't think they'll ever know how much I appreciated their energy and the laughs, the talks, and their concern. Only they understand what it means to be desert close. Hopefully by now, you'll see that my first statement was just a ploy to get your attention, because what I hope for you, as the reader, is to go after your Morocco - whatever that may be. Take notes from the "Youssef"s in your life, and the wisdom they give, and find yourself a group of people that will go on this journey, growing with you! I love you guys, thanks for sharing in this experience with me!! Sarah Keith, checking in for my last study abroad blog. Now go live!
I am strongly trying to avoid writing this final blog post because I feel like if I write this now it will all be over and if I just hold off on this I may be back in Morocco tomorrow morning or something. Sadly, life doesn't work that way and I am back home. The last week was fun and normal until the end. We came back from Tangier and Chefchaouen and went to class and prepared for everything to come such as finals and projects. It was a bit stressful as was this whole trip kind of, but the ending was the hardest. Having to see friends cry and myself crying at the fact that I was leaving them. It was hard and difficult and I don't know if I can do that again, but i know it will happen again of course. I guess that is the curse of a traveler. I was so happy about everything I had done at Qalam Wa Lawh from the friends I had made and to the grades I got (ALL A's). It was very hard to give it up but I learned some things. I learned that no matter what happens, you just have to hold your head up high and keep moving forward and to do that it's best to just let all your emotions out and than jut let go. Don't hold on to the negative and don't keep dwelling on the past. I learned that adventures do exist but staying locked away or travelling the safe routes means that you won't be able to see any of these adventures. I also remembered the most important thing that I had forgotten in a while and that is the importance of a smile and a positive attitude. I had never felt as welcomed and comfortable as I had in Morocco and I think it's because I kept smiling and was just happy to be there. I had forgotten about this due to the negativity that had been following me for a while but it's best to let go of that negativity and just keep moving forward. Than, with a smile on my face and the pride for myself that I carry, I will go out into the world and find new adventures to see. Thank you again to everyone who came along with me on my adventure in Morocco. We will meet again.
My apologies for posting so late but I've been very busy with military duties. The very last week I had to take my exams a little early. Also, I did some last minute shopping in the Madina Qadeema. We would also all eat dinner at a few nice cafes for the last time. The weather stayed beautiful up until the morning I left. I really enjoyed this trip and I would like to return again sometime in the future.
Two years ago, I told myself I was going to Morocco. I didn't know how I was going to get there or if it were even possible to make it, but I was determined to make my dream come true. Here I am, two years later, blogging about my experience in Morocco. One month in Morocco wasn't enough. I met so many people and went to so many places. The love I have for Morocco and everyone in it is amazing. I made a lot of friends at Qalam Wa Lawh, in Rabat, and even with the waiters who were patient with me while I was trying to order my food in a weird mixture of Arabic, French, English, and charades. I'm even going to miss the man who worked at Faceburger. He was always so nice and he even gave me a large drink for free one time.
ReplyDeleteThis experience has changed me, and I like the person I am now. I was forced to travel out of my comfort zone and makes friends with people from around the world. I now have friends in Italy, Ukraine, South Korea, Thailand, Morocco, Japan, France, and many other places. When people who love to travel, learn, and study language and culture, your practically asking for everyone to be friends.
Thank you to Qalam Wa Lawh for accepting me and helping me go far in Arabic. Nawal , my teacher, helped me become more comfortable with speaking Arabic and thinking on my feet in Arabic. Also the faculty, staff, and students all welcomed me and made me feel like we were all one big happy family.
I must also thank my classmates who traveled with me from Georgia Southern. We started off as eleven strangers and we grew into eleven friends. From eating German gummy frogs with my roommate, Darby, to interesting taxi adventures with Laila and Sarah, I think Sarah said it best, "we're desert close," and I couldn't be any happier.
Lastly, I must thank the person who made this possible, Youssef Salhi. You made this trip unforgettable. I had the best month of my life in Morocco. I'd never traveled before, and I thank you for pushing all of us to step out of our comfort zones. We learned that the best way to learn about different cultures and languages is to experience it to the fullest. From locating the best restaurants and coffee shops to bringing us Lipton sweet tea on the last day, you helped make my Morocco experience perfect. You are a great mentor, role model, teacher, and person. Thank you for putting this trip together. Thank you for making our Arabic program what it is today. Thank you for inspiring me to travel and learn while traveling.
I love Morocco, and I can't wait to go back, Insha'Allah!
--Yavaria Ryan
I remember when this whole study abroad trip was just an idea I had. I didn’t really know if I was going to go on it or not. But wow, I am so happy that I did. I can say, without a doubt, that it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. This whole experience has just been so amazing. It’s hard for me to put it into words really.
ReplyDeleteThat last week was a little stressful though with the two projects we had to do and our final exam. But man, looking back the whole time in Morocco flew by so quickly. That first week seems not too long ago, even though in those moments it had already seemed like we were in Morocco for a month.
I am so thankful that I was able to go on this trip. It has really been a life changing experience for me. Before going to Morocco I heard all these things about the culture and everything, mostly negative to be completely honest, but I decided to not listen to any of those things. I went to Morocco with an open mind, and wow I was blown away. Nothing that was told to me was true, and I’m so glad.
Man, this trip has really just inspired me to travel more and I can’t wait to travel again. Hopefully, it will be sometime soon, but who knows.
Thank you to the 11 people who traveled with me. We all joked about being on “The Real World: Morocco”, but it was so true. There were 11 strangers picked to travel to Morocco together. To study Arabic together. To find out what happens, when people travel the world together.
I am so happy each and every single one of you guys were able to come. I have definitely created life long memories with you all. I’ll never forget you or our time in morocco. You have no idea how much you all mean to me, and how much this experience has meant to me. Thank you guys for putting up with my craziness and shenanigans :)
Thank you to Youssef, without you, none of this would be able to happen. Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful country and sharing Morocco and the beautiful language that is Arabic with us. Thank you for pushing us to really experience Morocco by not holding out hands the whole time. Thank you for my last experience with Georgia Southern. I really don’t think I could have picked a better way. Honestly, it just makes me wish now that I wasn’t transferring. But just because I am, it doesn’t mean I won’t come visit.
At the end of the day, I really didn't want to leave Morocco, but here I am. Back in Atlanta, writing this blog. It’s time to go back to reality.
Morocco and these 11 people who traveled with me will always have a part of my heart. Miss you guys already.
Darby
I never thought that I would be able to go to Africa. And honestly I never even really thought I would want to go. But I did go...and it has changed my life. Before going to Morocco I had stereotypes about what it would be like: very hot, all the girls having to wear a veil, everywhere being kind of desert like, stuff like that. I couldn't have been wrong. I love Morocco. I got to do and see so many things and meet so many wonderful people. Everything about the country is exciting, from the mountains to the beautiful trees and flowers to the ocean, to the old Medina's, to the souks, to the people, to the culture. I can't believe the four weeks is already over. It has been the best month of my life. The trips we went on were both short of amazing. We got to see beautiful cities, roman ruins, very old schools, cool museums, and play and read with children (who deeply touched my heart!) And meet the most wonderful people! Everyone at the school was so welcoming and friendly! We all became friends very quickly. I loved to talk to the teachers and staff, they taught me so much about the language, culture, religion, and way of life. We had emotional goodbyes on Friday but I will be back inshallah. I also became quick friend with the 10 other student from GSU. They are so nice and funny and they love the Arabic language and Morocco just as much as I do. I will miss being around every single one of them. Thank you guys for being the greatest traveling buddies and roommates a person could ask for! Y'all have touched my heart and will always be in my heart. I'm so glad that y'all were able to come, it wouldn't have been the same without you! And Youssef, when you started talking about the trip to Morocco, I never thought I'd be able to go, but I did! And you helped make that possible. You took such good car of us while we were in Morocco ( and still are :) ) and your enthusiasm about Morocco was contagious! You made this trip worth while. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for us, especially for me. I was very nervous going to a country without any family and not know the language, but by the end of the first day I was no longer nervous, I was excited :) you made this trip possible for us and it has changed my life for the better. So thank you for everything you have done :) I still can't believe I'm not in morocco anymore but in my heart I know that one day I'll be back inshallah.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Gunnels
Nardja Owens
ReplyDeleteBack home from my last week in Morocco and I have to say that I miss it already. There are so many things left to do there that we just didnt have time to do. I met so many people from Morocco who wanted to hang out but didnt have time to. I really do have a better understanding of how closed off america is to everyone else and I do not want to remain that way. This trip made me realize that I NEED to explore the world and see everything I can. I am already planning trips to visit people I have only met for a couple of weeks in other countries and i would even do that for people 2 hours away.
This trips means so much to me in ways that I cant even talk about. The food, the culture, the women, the community, the lifestyle and just parts of what I am going to miss from there. I will be back soon and I just hope that it is sooner than i expect.
What it’s already over? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
ReplyDeleteI never thought my first time out of the states would be to a place as amazing and diverse as Morocco was. I met so many great people from Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Morocco of course, and many more. Thank you first to Youssef for being such a great friend and mentor and always being there for us on this trip. To all the members of Real World Morocco I will never forget you all and I can’t wait to see you all in the fall. Thanks to all the staff at Qalam Wa Lawh to helping us with our Arabic, to the dining crew for making us so many amazing meals, and the rest of the staff for making our stay as amazing as it was. I will never forget all the amazing sights, sounds, smells and tasty things I experienced here in morocco I know that when I’m old and grey one day this will remain one of my most vivid memories.
Austin Branham
I'm in New York waiting for a plane back to Savannah, and I really didn't want to leave. I probably should have sent out resumes on the second day instead of the third week. All the same, I intend to use my time back in the state productively, take the CELTA or the TEFL and go back. Nothing in America will ever taste good after Moroccan food anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'll miss you guys, and you're always welcome to come and visit me wherever I am in the world, Morocco or otherwise.
It's over! How can this be?! It's definitely bittersweet. Morocco has been all I could have imagined and more. This last week was filled with emotions and finals. Saying goodbye to this country has been one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. Sure there have been some ups and downs but that's life and we made it through them. I couldn't have asked for a better trip in my life. Getting to come to this beautiful country and immerse myself into the culture has truly been a blessing. But above all, getting to meet so many amazing people along the way has been amazing and getting to call them my friends is one of, if not the best, feelings in the world. A huge thank you to my parents and family at home who went above and beyond to help make this trip possible. Another thank you to my study abroad group for becoming not just my friends, but my family. Love you guys! And last, but certainly not least, a giant thank you to the best teacher, mentor, and one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, Youssef Salhi! You have gone above and beyond to make this trip a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you for all that you have done for us and me personally to make sure that we got the most out of this experience. I will always be grateful for what you have done for us here.
ReplyDeleteMorocco, it's been real. I'm not going to say goodbye because this is definitely a "see you later" inshalla. New York was fun with the group also. Study Abroad 2015: Morocco anyone?
I can't even to begin to describe how I feel right now. to keep this shirt all I can say that this was honestly the best month of my life and that this trip to morocco has definitely been life changing. I miss it so much already. there is so much I've learned from just being there and it opened my eyes to so much being surrounded by so many different things. I just want to Thank My classmates for always looking out for me and making me laugh and making everything about this trip more enjoyable. also, Qalam wa lawh the most amazing people I have ever had a pleasure of meeting. Such an amazing staff who took us in and loved us like their own. last but not least Youssef you made is all feel so comfortable and took care of us, I thank you so much for making this possible because this trip changed me. As far as Arabic, I love it even more now. I can't wait to go back to Morocco inshallah because this one month was not enough.
ReplyDeleteWARNING: DON'T GO TO MOROCCO WITH YOUSSEF SALHI AND STUDY ARABIC AT QALAM WA LAWH!!!
ReplyDeleteI say this to help you because you will literally fall in love with Morocco and try not to return to your country of origin. Trust me, I think all of my classmates did this! Leaving Morocco was one of the most emotional things that I had ever done, and I hated it. How dare I cry when saying farewell to everyone? Why was I already looking for return flights?
Truth of the matter is, I couldn't help it. I can recall two other times when I felt that every fiber of my being was connected to a particular thing, and those two things happen to be tied into what I believe my purpose on Earth is. Well, this makes three. I think it's quite amazing the way God reveals to us the splendor in His plans for our lives - the things we thought were just secret desires and dreams that we had, were never really hidden from Him, and when explored and given back to God with faith, are used to draw us that much closer to Him, and that much closer to our destinies.
Morocco was splendid for me because I get it now. It took me really trusting that it would happen, and speaking that into my life, that made my experience abroad one that I would never forget. It also took nurturing and being pushed by my amazing teacher (Youssef Salhi) that caused me to make the most out of my experience there. From the time that we met up at the airport, he always led by example, and I think seeing his care for others, made us as a class want to be the same. But I don't just credit him, because being at the Qalam Center helped to further my growth as a human being as well. Every staff member played an important role in what I learned there - be it academically, socially, spiritually, etc., and they were so patient, and never let the fact that we didn't speak the same language hinder the love and warmth they so freely shared.
Finally, it took being around people who were just as open and hungry for growth as I was, that took this trip over the moon for me. I was nervous initially because I didn't think I could be around the same people every single day, but they became such a fixture in my life during that month, it feels weird to have it so quiet. I don't think they'll ever know how much I appreciated their energy and the laughs, the talks, and their concern. Only they understand what it means to be desert close.
Hopefully by now, you'll see that my first statement was just a ploy to get your attention, because what I hope for you, as the reader, is to go after your Morocco - whatever that may be. Take notes from the "Youssef"s in your life, and the wisdom they give, and find yourself a group of people that will go on this journey, growing with you! I love you guys, thanks for sharing in this experience with me!! Sarah Keith, checking in for my last study abroad blog. Now go live!
Sarah
I am strongly trying to avoid writing this final blog post because I feel like if I write this now it will all be over and if I just hold off on this I may be back in Morocco tomorrow morning or something. Sadly, life doesn't work that way and I am back home. The last week was fun and normal until the end. We came back from Tangier and Chefchaouen and went to class and prepared for everything to come such as finals and projects. It was a bit stressful as was this whole trip kind of, but the ending was the hardest. Having to see friends cry and myself crying at the fact that I was leaving them. It was hard and difficult and I don't know if I can do that again, but i know it will happen again of course. I guess that is the curse of a traveler. I was so happy about everything I had done at Qalam Wa Lawh from the friends I had made and to the grades I got (ALL A's). It was very hard to give it up but I learned some things. I learned that no matter what happens, you just have to hold your head up high and keep moving forward and to do that it's best to just let all your emotions out and than jut let go. Don't hold on to the negative and don't keep dwelling on the past. I learned that adventures do exist but staying locked away or travelling the safe routes means that you won't be able to see any of these adventures. I also remembered the most important thing that I had forgotten in a while and that is the importance of a smile and a positive attitude. I had never felt as welcomed and comfortable as I had in Morocco and I think it's because I kept smiling and was just happy to be there. I had forgotten about this due to the negativity that had been following me for a while but it's best to let go of that negativity and just keep moving forward. Than, with a smile on my face and the pride for myself that I carry, I will go out into the world and find new adventures to see. Thank you again to everyone who came along with me on my adventure in Morocco. We will meet again.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies for posting so late but I've been very busy with military duties. The very last week I had to take my exams a little early. Also, I did some last minute shopping in the Madina Qadeema. We would also all eat dinner at a few nice cafes for the last time. The weather stayed beautiful up until the morning I left. I really enjoyed this trip and I would like to return again sometime in the future.
ReplyDelete