Two weeks ago, I had the best trip of my study abroad experience so far in Morocco. It was unlike any place I’ve ever been to in my entire life.

Left: Beach in Rabat

Right: Kasbah of the Udayas, Rabat

This was the first time I had ever traveled alone, and it was to Africa of all places. I was meeting with a male friend who was visiting there as well, which means going from Florence-Rome-Morocco was all on my own until I met up with him. I mention the fact that he’s a guy, since in Muslim countries, a single female traveler isn’t the best of ideas. I had to get permission from my mom, as well as from my host institute, before I could leave to Morocco.

Getting there wasn’t too bad, honestly. Time consuming, but I’m comfortable navigating airports and train stations by myself. It wasn’t until I was on the plane to Morocco that I uncomfortably realized I was one of the only females wearing leggings, instead of a long skirt or dress. However, I obviously did my research beforehand and packed accordingly-nothing tight, everything covering wrist to collarbone, no leg showing. Even so, being Asian made me stick out a little more, and it was a bit uncomfortable.

When I got to Morocco, it was breathtaking. Our hotel was right in the middle of the Medina (the marketplace area) in Marrakech, and I felt like I was in Aladdin walking around. There were snakes in baskets with men playing music to them, trained monkeys running around, and dirt, dust, and sand everywhere. I absolutely loved it. The Medina was a literal maze of shops and stands, with the directional signs completely false, so it’s impossible not to get lost in there unless you’re doing a Hansel and Gretal with breadcrumbs. The whole place was so busy, with all these people trying to get me to buy clothing, Argan oil, wooden chess boards, sandals, jewelry, and more. They would go as far as to follow me down several streets! One man quoted me at the equivalent of $250 for a wooden chessboard. I definitely was not interested then and kept walking, where he followed me and kept lowering the price until it finally became $20. (The trick, for anyone reading, is to act thoroughly disinterested.) The traffic was completely awful, and therefore my favorite part of Morocco. People were absolutely crazy driving and biking, with complete disregard for any lights or signs (not that there were much to begin with…) We just had to stare ahead and walk, because no one was going to hit us (they have brakes, we don’t) but just looking around at traffic when you are trying to walk through it was enough to give us a heart attack. We also went sight seeing around, visiting the Majorelle Garden as well as seeing the mosques from the outside.

Photos by Jeremy Pushkin

After two days in Marrakech, we took the train to Rabat, a city along the coast of Morocco. This was quite different from Marrakech in that it was a much more modern city. We spent a day wandering around the Kasbah of the Udayas, which is their walled fortress. It was gorgeous, overlooking the beach, which we then spent some time on. Fun fact though, as modern as Rabat is, it is still Africa. This was blatantly clear when we were laying on the beach and looked over to see a dead goat just hanging out right there. Fifteen feet away. And everyone was walking around it like it was no big deal. Africa, man.

Photo by Jeremy Pushkin

Overall, my trip to Morocco was amazing. It was so nice being away from European culture and experiencing another culture entirely. It also made me reconsider a lot of things about my view on how this particular area of the world treats women. I definitely appreciate being American a bit more now, with the freedom to walk around by myself a female and not feel worried. While I was in Morocco, I got stares everywhere I went, even if my friend and I pretended we were together. It made me feel a bit disrespected.  However, at the same time, I now understand the whole headdress situation a bit better. Many women don’t wear it because they have to, but because it makes them feel safer and protected to.

Anyway, I highly, highly recommend going to Morocco-specifically Marrakech-to anyone and everyone! European culture is rich with history, yes, but you have to admit that in general, the cities are somewhat similar. Marrakech was unlike any place I’ve ever been to and I am definitely planning on visiting again soon!