Study Abroad Diaries: Morocco

By: Taryn-Mina Chase

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Entry # I lost Count: 03.24.2024 | Time: 12:27 pm BCN

Songs of the Week 🎧

♫ Africa by Toto

♫ Waka Waka by Shakira

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Dear, whoever reads this,

I've been without wifi and good cellular data for the past week because… I WAS IN MOROCCO. For 4 days and 5 nights, my friends and I traveled through the markets of Marrakech and the deserts of Morocco. We also visited the Atlas Mountains, where a family welcomed us into their home, showed us how to make mint tea, and shared their day-to-day lives. This trip was an unbelievable experience, and I can’t even begin to describe how incredible it was. Below, I’ll just highlight some of my favorite parts because there’s honestly too much to write about.

The Markets of Marrakech:

This experience was unbelievable. It was extremely overwhelming at times, but I’m glad I got to experience it. There were stalls upon stalls and shops upon shops of people selling items ranging from tissues to “designer” clothing. People were constantly trying to sell us items, and bargaining was key when making purchases. I ended up getting a henna tattoo on my hand and a snake on my head! Overall, this experience is one that I can’t truly put into words, but it was amazing to be immersed in a completely different lifestyle.

ATVs and Camel Riding in the Desert:

THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE TRIP. On Friday, we woke up and met with the rest of the group to ride ATVs through the desert. This was such a fun experience as we got to see a lot of the landscape and local life that exists in the desert. We rode around for about 3 hours and stopped for tea in a beautiful desert oasis where we took photos and rested. There was also a trampoline in the middle of the desert, and you know for a fact that my friends and I let out our inner child by jumping up and down on it.

Once we got back, at sunset, we rode camels in the desert. This was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had, and my camel (I named him Charlie) was the best partner! The one behind me, however, was named Gregory and he tried to eat my shoe! It was a beautiful evening, and all you could hear was constant laughter and joy from my peers.

Pool Day:

After riding camels and ATVs through the desert, we went back to the resort and were treated to a traditional Moroccan lunch and got to spend the day by the pool. Thankfully, it was heated because it was a bit chilly at this point of the day. My friends and I had the best time soaking up the sun and playing music by the pool. I loved having a couple of hours to just relax a bit because we had been non-stop since we arrived in Marrakech.

Last Night:

The last night of the trip was spent at the Bedouin Resort where we had been staying for the past 2 days. It was in the middle of the desert, and it took ages to drive the buses through the desert to reach it. I loved staying there because there were desert tents set up everywhere, and we had a little village with neighbors and a campfire in the middle. On the last night, my friends and I wanted to see the stars, so we stayed up later to see them and spent the night talking about life and reflecting on what an amazing experience we had.

Anyway, thats all for now. Hope everyone is doing well.

Ciao Ciao,

TC