Morocco has always been a part of me. It was half of me. But I did not realize how much I really was Moroccan until now. After visiting Morocco, I have had the ability to understand what it really means to be Moroccan. I realize that Moroccan is not just an ethnicity. It is a culture. A people. A way of life. Now, not to say that I had no idea of this in the past but being immersed in the lifestyle really helped me make the jump to relating to understanding. Choosing to go to Morocco was a big jump mentally and physically because I would have to adjust to traveling to a “foreign” country. That is hard for most people and they have traveled outside of the country before. But for me I had never been out of the country before. But there was no better country in my opinion that I could have traveled to as my first international flight destination. Going to visit my homeland! It was one of the best decisions I have made in my life so far. And here is why.

There was so much that I gained out of this trip to Morocco. I got to practice the language of Arabic which have been struggling to learn for many years, and this trip has inspired me to keep working at it because I have seen how much why strength with the language has grown just from being immersed in Darija (Moroccan dialect of Arabic) for the two months that I was in Morocco.  I also have been able to connect with family I have never been able to see in person before and develop an even stronger family bond with my Moroccan side of the family than before I went to Morocco. And then the most important aspects where two things. Culture and PEOPLE.

By far what stands out as the most valuable takeaway from this trip would be the opportunity that I have had to meet Moroccan people of all types, ages, appearances, and interests. I was pleasantly surprised to meet the amount of Moroccan university students that I have met there and how much I felt like I related to them. Yes, I know that we are both in the same positions as students as their occupation, but you must realize that it is still astonishing how small of a world we live in, when you travel across the world and still find people just like you. Working their tails off in order to get the educate themselves and better their life and their family’s life as well. I specifically enjoyed meeting some more students at the biomedical and pharmacy campus of Mohammed V University in Rabat. I remember introducing myself, as I always do because of my very outgoing personality, to this group of students who attended the university in Rabat. Out of all the students in the group, a couple of the Moroccan stood out to me because when I would throw a joke, they would respond with something just as quirky and witty as what I originally said which I love. Especially one of them. Yes, Rania if you are reading this, I am talking about you. Ha-ha but yes this is what I found I loved about them, and Moroccan people in general. How witty and outgoing they can be and that is the best environment for me personally.  I love the welcoming hospitality of the Morocco and I am going to miss that specifically now that I am back in the United States.

Going abroad through WPI is something that I would recommend for anyone who enjoys being able to work while also getting experience another culture and country in the world. I would especially recommend going abroad for your HUA requirement and going to Morocco as a project site (study Arabic the language is so useful nowadays and is also very cool!). I would say that I recommend this because of how different Morocco is culturally as an experience than compared to what we have in the United States. The massive culture change forces you to come out of your shell, even did for myself, who is half-Moroccan and has been around Moroccan people being my father, aunt and uncle who live here in the U.S. So yes, I would highly recommend Morocco as a project center, especially for HUA, for other WPI students.

This journey overall has changed my outlook on life as cliché as that may be to say. I feel that going to Morocco made me realize how short life is by how Moroccans conduct daily life and realized that I would most definitely like to continue to go back to Morocco as many times as I can before I am unable to for whatever reason and it is too late. My goal in the future is to be an entrepreneur and be able to conduct business on the same level no matter where I am in the world and live 6 months in the U.S. and then 6 months in Morocco. Hopefully I reach the level of success that I desire, and I can do that. But for now, I am more than content with the outcome of this experience of Morocco off this trip. I am very thankful that I was able to go, and I thank my parents immensely for allowing me to go. But alas, until next time Morocco.

My Moroccan friends who I am very saddened by that I had to leave them after meeting some of them after one week.  They are all very interesting characters, especially Rania, the girl in the photo in the top right of the page who is posing like it is a magazine cover. She along with the rest of them all have a witty quick sense of humor that I love. I will miss them dearly. Hopefully I will see them in the summer.