An American in Morocco: Pre-Departure to Rabat…

In just four days, I will be leaving the US en route to spend a semester in Rabat, Morocco!

Marhaban, Maroc.

This will be the beginning of my biggest journey yet. Morocco is an uncharted territory in my mind, full of mysterious traditions and culture. I am open-minded and ready to experience the culture shock that I didn’t get in Australia, to speak a new language (or three, with the French I am told is used to get around, and Darija, the Moroccan dialect of Arabic I won’t learn in the classroom), to learn from a religion-based country, and to explore Africa and the Mediterranean close by.

While I’m at it, I would like to introduce a few facts about Morocco to my readers. Morocco is…

• about the size of California
• in North Africa- the portal from Europe to the rest of Africa
• Arabic-Speaking, although heavily influenced by French colonization
• dominantly Muslim
• a collectivist culture (unlike America’s Independent culture)
• relatively democratic, progressive, and safe

I will be learning from Morocco with 10 other students, through the Boston University Arabic Language & Internship program; we will be taking intensive Arabic courses, doing an internship, and staying with a host family. This last bit is going to be the strangest of experiences for me. (Hopefully) becoming a part of a family will be so different. I hope more than anything else that they are accepting, caring, good cooks… and speak a bit of English.

First stop on my adventure though, uncludes a 2.5 day solo adventure in Paris, France! All of the flight options I had involved a layover in Paris, so I figured I would extend mine 🙂 It is, however, my first ever bit of real solo travelling in a non- English- speaking country!

I am so excited to begin this new journey! I am even more excited to use this blog to not only share my experiences, but to introduce new perspectives to my fellow curious, adventure-hungry friends and readers.

Ila al-liqa (or “until next time”) my curious-minded friends,

Ella