Weekend in Asilah!

Hello friends and family!

Last weekend I traveled to Asilah, a coastal city in Northern Morocco. It was AWESOME.

Happy by the ocean :) 

My friend Camila had this idea to rent a house there for the weekend via Airbnb, a very inexpensive place (made possible by the fact that 11 of us split the price so that it was only $30 for the whole weekend) with great location overlooking the ocean!

 On Friday we all packed our bags and took grand taxis to Meknes, and from there the train directly to Asilah. The train ticket (a four hour ride) was only $7. I love this country.
Special shout-outs go to the beautiful Hoda, the charismatic Molly, Camila (the amazing person who found the house) and the extraordinary Man Ny!!!!!!!  

View from the top!

We arrived in Asila at around 6 or 7pm that evening, and walked through the medina to get to our riad-style house amid the narrow and twisting streets. This.. house..It was insane! The place was gorgeous and completely open with lots of natural light and tile all around. The best part? The roof had a terrace with a view of the ocean! We arrived just in time to watch the sunset over the waves. <3

Food, glorious food! 

As the others joined us, we decided that our starvation was too much to bear, and wandered out in town for dinner and I was finally able to eat some amazing couscous once again. (Chicken couscous has easily become one of my favorite meals in Morocco). The meal was delicious, and it was so fun just all being together! However, for the rest of our meals that weekend, we went shopping for groceries at the market nearby and cooked all of our own food! THIS WAS A GREAT DECISION.

Sunset in Asilah <3

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing, beach walking and swimming, taking pictures, shopping in the medina, cooking, and just straight up laying around.
I have put some pictures in, but they honestly don't do Asilah justice. This was such a special and beautiful and chill city, and I cannot wait to return one day.

By the time Sunday came around, none of us were ready to leave. We took a late train out so that we could spend as much time as we could in our paradise.

My beautiful friend Mary Kathryne and I!

Anyways, now it's back to campus and back to work! Only a few weeks left here in Morocco, including finals...and I am still trying to figure out how this could be. Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Lots of love from Morocco!
Sofia xoxo

Trip to the Sahara Desert!

Hello all,

Last weekend I took a trip with some awesome people to the Sahara Desert! This is something I have been waiting to do since I got to Morocco, and it was truly and amazing experience!

We all woke up at 6:00 in the morning and climbed into two cars we had rented for the trip; this was such a fantastic idea and I am so lucky to have friends who worked it all out. By driving ourselves there, we were able to save lots of money, have a more comfortably paced trip and stop wherever and whenever we needed to!

Our destination: Merzouga. Merzouga is a small town in the south of Morocco, bordering the Sahara. It took us about 6 to 8 hours to drive here from Ifrane! The trip was a beautiful one, and I have a couple shots I will insert here to show just how picturesque it was. Unfortunately, I can't lie. The night before, I (very idiotically) went out partying and needless to say, was feeling the winding roads and fast paced traffic more than my friends. My bad!

Our camp in the desert!

Driving Views!

It didn't matter in the end, though, because after plenty of water, a quick stop on the side of the road (thanks again, Taylor) and some food back in my system, I found my energy once we found the sand dunes.

First glimpse of the desert!

Our first glimpse of the desert was pretty magical. You can see this golden horizon from miles away, and I, once again, remembered why I chose Morocco.

We arrived to our hotel, but we weren't staying the night here. After about an hour and a half of freshening up and some tea, we were getting all ready to go for our camel ride!

Camel Yvonne and I

RIDING A CAMEL WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. For anyone who knows me back home, they know that this adventure has been on my bucket list since forever. I was so happy in the Sahara sun (so so so hot).
I named my camel Yvonne, in honor of my best friend back home - who also loves camels. And was awestruck as I looked out at the endless sand dunes that seemed to go on forever. I couldn't believe I was actually there.

Once we got to our camp in the desert - yes, we spent the night in the desert - we dropped our bags off and played in the sand for a bit. Later, we ate a glorious meal with the other travelers set up by our hosts. The meal consisted of bread (of course) and rice with vegetables, kefta and chicken tagine (yummm) and fruit for desert. We had good conversation and then went out to the dunes to look at the stars. Again, I don't even need to explain, because I am sure you can imagine how beautiful and bright they were!

Personally, I was exhausted from the long day of traveling and hot sun (and hangover) so I went to bed a bit earlier than the others, but not before enjoying some Moroccan drumming around a campfire with the others!
This was a good call on my part, because we woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the sunrise over the dunes! I had another one of my cheesy 'Sofia moments' while watching the sunrise. You could watch it lift up and over the horizon; it moved so quickly we almost missed it! The desert is so peaceful and open, you can't help but feel like some life was put back into you.

Sunrise over Sand Dunes

After the sunrise we hopped (very sorely, I might add) back onto our camels and went back to the hotel in Merzouga for breakfast! The boys had this great idea to rent and ride AT-4s' in the dunes! At first I was pretty nervous about this, I'd never ridden one before! But my friend George, whom I was riding with, assured me it would be amazing and he was so right! THIS WAS SO SO COOL TO DO!!

 After riding AT-4s we went back to get cleaned up at the hotel...I have never enjoyed a shower more... Sand gets EVERYWHERE! Before we knew it, it was time to hop back in the cars and head home to Ifrane. Even though this was a short trip, it was still enough time to really enjoy what the Sahara has to offer. This was probably one of my favorite places to see in Morocco (as far as the scenery and experience goes). The ride home was lovely, and Raul did an awesome and brave driving job in the dark corners of Morocco! We got home late Sunday night, and I fell asleep quickly.

Thanks for reading!! Hope everyone enjoyed the post and pictures!!

Sof xoxo

Lazy weekend post and trying to be present

It’s a beautiful and sunny Saturday here in Morocco and I finally have some time to sit down and catch up on work, rest, and…everything!

This weekend I decided not to travel anywhere, even though I had a couple opportunities presented to me. Instead, I am taking this weekend to reflect and get some research work done!

Sushi date with beautiful Lauren

To my surprise and delight, research is going really well! I have finally started my interviews and have received lots of help from my Moroccan friends here. (*PHEW*) On another note, today - after attending a charity lunch with some friends - I am planning on getting in a Saturday homework session. It’s been a while since I've had one of these, but the way I am hoping to slide through my next, and final month here, I have to be on my game with work. There’s no time like the present!

As far as reflecting and me-time goes… I have to be honest. It’s been a rough week for me emotionally and mentally. There are some personal things happening in my life both here in Morocco and back home I wish I could control more. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to remember to be present and try to not dwell on what we cannot control. Most importantly, to remember that there is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

Last night I had a sushi date with my great friend Lauren Boyd. She is such a special person to me, (a fellow Gemini, as well) and it had been a while since we’d had a chance to catch up. It was wonderful and I went to bed feeling loved and refreshed.

Milkshakes!

Besides Lauren, I have been reflecting a lot on the good friends I have met here. Many of you may know how important friendships and relationships are to me, so I have been doing my best to make nothing gets in the way of spending time with the people I care about. Trying not to let the negativity or petty drama influence my thinking. (That was a very vague and loaded statement, but humor me.)

As for what’s coming up, next weekend we have some very exciting plans; a trip to the SAHARA!!!! I am so, SO excited to head to the south of Morocco, as it’s somewhere I have not been on my trip yet.

Another thing I want to address is my spring break post, I have been exceptionally busy since I returned from my trip. My cousin was here for 10 days, I got food poisoning, and have had massive amounts of homework on top of it all. But I promise, the spring break stories are currently being worked on, and that should (theoretically) be my next post.

That’s all for now! Off to enjoy some sunshine!

Love,

Sofia xo 

"How Many Camels?!" Trip to Fes, experiencing harassment and otherwise interesting details.

Hello everyone!

My most sincere apologies, I know it's been a couple of weeks since my last blog post. I'm really bad at this whole blogging thing...

Don't take my lack of updates to heart, there's actually been a WHOLE LOT going on here in Morocco!!

I don't know exactly what this post will entail, so I will just start with yesterday; day trip to Fes!

Now, I know I mentioned that I would post about out first trip to Fes like...a month ago, but I never got around to it. (Essentially, we went to the old medina, bought some stuff, took some pictures, and had a grand ole time...)

THIS TIME, HOWEVER, was a little different. The first time we traveled to Fes we took with us one very important person; a man (our awesome friend Raul). This time, Raul decided to stay back, which was fine! And honestly, my friends and I were quite looking forward to having some girl-time...

Needless to say, this made the biggest difference. Without a man traveling with us, we were objectified, harassed, called names, and asked, "how many camels??" (meaning to buy you as a wife) at every corner. I would be lying if I said it wasn't funny sometimes...but mainly, it was incredibly uncomfortable and ANNOYING. Luckily, I have this amazing friend named Sabine. (who is of Lebanese descent, and speaks Modern Standard Arabic fluently - not to mention kicks so much ass as a human being) She watched our back and made sure to confront the men - or little boys, rather - who made it their business to follow and annoy us.

I have been especially targeted, as my hair is lighter in color than all my friends (and everyone in Morocco). In the US, I am considered a brunette in most regards. Here, I get, "Hey blondie! Wanna talk to me with those sweet lips??"

 

All this being said, it was a pretty great day, and I bought way too much. Mainly in gifts for people and some natural cosmetics like rose oil (smells amazing) and poppy flower powder for a natural lip stain! I also bought myself the most beautiful leather messenger bag (probably for way too much in comparison to what a Moroccan would pay...but I am so proud of it!) and of course, more earrings. :)

We also went to the Mall in Fes, which is totally opposite to the old medina! Lively and commercialized, it's a mall like any other that we're used to - except with different stores! We enjoyed some girl time shopping for a bit, and enjoyed some commercial mall food for dinner. I HAD DOMINOS PIZZA!!! It was definitely not the same as in the US, but still amazing, and I loved every bite!

It was all around a great day with the girls! Slightly annoyed by the harassment, but I always have an amazing time traveling with my friends here. :)

Today (Saturday) and tomorrow are ALL ABOUT THE HOMEWORK! Midterms are this week and then spring break, so it's time to buckle down and get some work done!

I'm really going to try to be better about blogging, even if they are short and pointless, I know people back home like to know what's going on!

All the best from Morocco!

Sofia xoxo

Weekend in Rabat!

Hello everyone, today's post will be the much anticipated 'trip to Rabat' blog!

Our first meal on Friday night!

I would like to preface this post by saying there is no way I will be able to capture all the beauty and hospitality we experienced while we were in Rabat with my friend Sultan and his Family. I will do my absolute best to share my experiences, but there will be gaps that only pictures can fill (hopefully).

I met Sultan my very first night in Morocco - as he is one of the International Student Ambassadors at my University here in Ifrane. We began talking right away and got to know each other - becoming fast friends! Then, before I knew it, he was welcoming my friends Alyssa, Raul, Taylor (other international students) and I into his home for the weekend! We were SO excited. When a Moroccan invites you into their home, you are in for a treat, I recommend it to anyone who comes to Morocco!

If you feel nervous or strange about it - don't! Inviting guests over is pretty common in Moroccan culture, as it turns out! Enjoying good company and conversations, sitting down for huge meals with some of the best food of your life and delicious tea and treats afterwards are just some of the benefits. You will be blown away by the amount of sheer hospitality and kindness!

Sultan and I at the beach

We were picked up from the train station by Sultan's brother Reda and his wife Nisrine, who both greeted us with Moroccan hellos (yes, the two cheek kisses) and warm smiles and questions about each of us. After about 20 minutes of driving, we arrived at their house - one of the most beautiful homes I have been in - where we were greeted with open arms by Sultan's Mother, Fatiha, who had prepared some amazing couscous, beef and vegetables for us to enjoy as soon as we arrived! Dinner was followed by a sweet and delicious dessert that I can't remember the name of...regardless, YUM! After dinner we enjoyed some tea in beautiful cups in their sitting room and talked about our trip to Morocco and experiences thus far. It was so nice to be around a family again, as I've been missing my own. Listening to their conversations and feeling the love in the house was so nice!

Post-meal tea time!

After this, we were comfortably set up in bedrooms and got ready for bed - I slept on an extra mattress they had brought up special - which ended up being one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in!

The next day, everyone woke up early and ready for the day! Breakfast was all spread out and ready when we came downstairs. Literally on silver platters... It was all so beautiful and tasted great! I love msemen with laughing cow cheese and raspberry jam spread on it. (For all those who don't know, msemen is a Moroccan flat breakfast bread that you fold to eat -- like a tortilla!) I also drank fresh orange juice and good coffee.

We spent the morning at the mall in Rabat and the commercial parts of "downtown" stocking up on the necessities we cannot always find in Ifrane. After this, we drove to a coastal city neighboring Rabat, called Temara. I found my happiness here, at the beach! Being next to the ocean in the sunlight with such amazing people around me was wonderful and I wish we could have stayed longer!

Deserts... :) 

But alas, we had to return for lunch (but I mean, how bad does that sound?) Lunch was delicious, of course. Sultan's mother told us she had prepared all very traditional Moroccan dishes for our visit -and she did not disappoint!

I will stop myself from trying to explain everything I ate, because it will not do anything justice! Instead, I will insert some pictures from some of our meals!

Oudaya is at the top of the wall

After lunch we visited Oudaya, a beautiful blue and white city in Rabat. I took so many pictures here, and just enjoyed looking and walking around inside the walls of the 'kasbah of the udayas'. We also drank some of the best mint tea I've had yet at a small cafe there, and walked around a garden with some live music playing! The view of the 'Plage de Rabat'  (Rabat beach) and the ocean from the large balcony at the end of the medina was breathtaking.

This was very special way to end the day-sightseeing, and I have to say, was probably my favorite stop of the trip.

We walked through the souk in Rabat - which was very cool and I WISH I could have spent more time (and some money) there! But we were more in the mood for walking and looking, though I am certain next time will different... :)

YUM!

Next, we visited the old medina of Rabat. This was a new experience because it was very crowded (even more so than Fes) and pretty intense to say the least. At one point, a man walking by actually groped my butt, and really caught me off guard. Now, before my parents have a heart attack, I have to say, I felt very safe the entire trip, especially because Sultan made sure to walk right behind me after hearing this, which also made me feel a lot better. I have chosen a group of great people who really watch my back! (Insert obvious joke here) Even with the butt grab, this was still a very cool adventure!

View from our morning walk!

The next day after taking an early morning walk around the neighborhood - which was so beautiful - I had one of those corny 'Sofia moments' where I thought "How lucky am I to be here?" Feeling so grateful these days! I mean, look where I am!

That afternoon, we visited the Ruins of Chellah, existing since pre-Islamic times holding Mauretania Tingit1ana and medieval ruins, now crumbling in its remains, but still so beautiful and a cool place to see! So, yes. We went to Rabat and enjoyed tourist locations, but had a wonderful

Ruins of Chellah

time nonetheless! After the visit to the Chellah ruins, it was time to return back to Sultan's home once more for a Sunday lunch of amazing tagine with beef and then fruit and sweet almond/nutty pastries for desert...That I again, cannot remember the name of. Fatiha also sent us home with some desert, much to my delight! :)

Breakfast!

I know (I hope) Sultan and his family will be reading this post, so I will say again, thank you so SO much for hosting us in your beautiful home and city for the weekend. Your generosity will not soon be forgotten, we had an amazing time! 

I hope everyone enjoyed this post and pictures! Stay tuned for more soon! 

Sofia, xoxo

P.S. More pictures down below!!

4,545.951 Miles Away from Home

Hello everyone,

Today I thought I would write a post about homesickness, and feeling the distance.

We're currently on our third week of studying abroad...and they say that once you've hit two or three weeks, you hit the wall.

Some of my new family <3

This means that one may begin experiencing feeling out of place, missing the familiarity of home, food and people, and culture shock sets in. While I haven't exactly been feeling massive amounts of heart-wrenching homesickness... I can't lie; I have been feeling a bit out of place here, and developed a sort of knot in my stomach that hasn't left me alone. Many of these feelings (I am sure) have developed due to this sickness that has been with me the past week. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose... Ugh. Feeling miserable in general is awful, but feeling miserable when you're abroad and wanting to have an amazing time is even worse. Nevertheless, I've been doing a pretty solid job of sucking it up, if I do say so myself. I've still been traveling, going out to eat, attending all my classes, working out and seeing my friends!



Before I go on, it's important to note: I was ready for this! I knew this trip would be a learning experience and a challenging one at that, I readied myself for it.
However, this is still something I need to address for the sake of my family and friend's knowledge... Just because I knew I would feel culture shock doesn't mean I knew exactly how I would feel when I got here. Everything seems different and amplified when you are adjusting to a new country and culture.

The good news? I have the most amazing friends here. It's one thing to have people to talk, travel and laugh with...but when those people are also consistently checking up on you, bringing food to someone who is too sick to leave their room and ALWAYS making sure you feel comfortable in any situation you are in... I have no words to describe my gratitude for all the love and kindness my new 'family' has shown me here.

On our way to Fes! From left to right in back: Taylor, Alyssa and Raul

Having that kind of support, along with the solidarity in experiencing the new and unknown almost makes that knot in my stomach and amplified stress/sickness melt away altogether. Shout out to you guys!

Today I am sitting in the library typing up this post while my friends around me are working on their homework for the next few days. (We are all very dedicated students ;)) After homework and maybe some time at the gym, we're going to get some of the best, and also most inexpensive sushi I've ever had! On another note, I have been invited to stay with my friend Sultan and his family in Rabat this upcoming weekend! I am so excited for this trip. 1. Because it will be so awesome to finally see beautiful Rabat (the capital city of Morocco) and get out of chilly Ifrane. And 2. Because it will be so nice to be around a family, and enjoy a home cooked Moroccan meal. :) Thank you Sultan! Stay tuned for a post all about that trip!

Sultan and myself!

That's all I really wanted to talk about in this post! My next topic will be about our weekend trip to Fes! (Sorry for the delays!) Hope everyone back home is healthy and happy. Love you all!

Sofia, xoxo

Unexpected Weather and Expectations

Hello all,

Ready for another look into my adventures in Africa? Or should I say Antarctica...?

Funny thing about Ifrane, Morocco...it SNOWS. Actually, it blizzards. Quite a bit! Today was officially my third day of classes, and two have been canceled because the Professors are unable to make it to campus from their homes, and the roads are beyond terrible.

Here are the classes I am taking:

1. Intermediate Arabic 1 (Modern Standard)

My great friend Taylor and I make the 'hike' to the cafe.

2. Comparative Religion -- I thought this would be so interesting to take in a predominantly Muslim country.

3. History and Cultures of North Africa

4. Women, Culture and the Media -- Again, what a cool perspective I'll be getting, taking a gender studies class here.

5. North African Government and Politics -- Which, surprisingly, I believe will be the most interesting and beneficial for my research!

So, I believe I am going to really enjoy all of my classes! Arabic has been pretty stressful as they use the immersion method here, (the professor does not use English to explain anything...) which is something I am not used to! Although it's a very small, study-party-worthy group. :) I know I'll improve!

And, I still have not had Comparative Religion! It's one of the two classes that was canceled tonight - along with Women Culture and the Media - and it was also canceled on Monday! This is INSANITY! I never in a million years thought I would go to Morocco, and have to miss class because of over a FOOT of snow and ice! The weather has been just one of the surprises here.

So you think you're getting a different lifestyle on your study abroad trip..? Let me tell you about mine...

More surprises came in the form of campus expectations we received during orientation! Now, the accuracy of these depends on who you talk to, of course. Needless to say. us international students want to conduct ourselves in a way that is always respectful, so we took these to heart.

Here are a few of the regulations we follow not only at AUI, but in Morocco!

- Campus curfew! This was definitely something new. In the US, having a curfew in college seems like such a downer...but actually, we understand that it's a security issue. Especially for us international students. SO, the curfew is midnight, you must be back on campus! Interesting, right?

Marche in Ifrane - what a completely new e

- Public drunkenness is against the law. As in, you can go to jail. I'm not just talking about Muslims (who are technically forbidden from consuming alcohol, according to the Quran), it applies to everyone! Even though the drinking age is 18 here, and as a foreigner, you are allowed to drink, you cannot be drunk in public. We are still trying to make sense of this one.

- On campus, you cannot walk on the grass. Okay...

- Also, on campus, males and females are not allowed to be together in private spaces. So, of course the dorms are segregated by sex, and there is absolutely NO entering of the opposite sex's dorm or room. However, I have seen loopholes on campus... (ex: boys standing outside of girl's windows to talk.)

- More on that note, there is no PDA allowed on campus. This excludes the Moroccan way of saying hello, of course, which is kissing both cheeks of the person you are greeting. (I've actually grown to LOVE this method and will be bringing it to my friends and family back home!) The absence of PDA is somewhat refreshing and takes the pressure off in many ways, but again, it's also something new!

- Dress code. Of course, all of my relatives were drilling me on this before I left the states. Yes, it is proper to cover oneself more here than back home, however, it is not as strict (especially on campus and in the cities I've been to so far) than you would think. All of us are being safe and covering our chests, legs and shoulders, but we are allowed to wear leggings!

I have been feeling so full these days. Full of happiness and gratitude. This is an amazing experience that I continue to learn from everyday. It's challenging, yes. But oh, so rewarding! I've begun to befriend some Moroccan students, and everyone has been so wonderful! This weekend a few of us may be going to Fes, if the weather permits us. It will be nice to get out of Ifrane for a day or two, and get out of the snow...

I'm off to do some more homework now, I already have quite a bit of reading! The good news; I am excited to do/learn about everything!

Until next time! I love and miss you all! 

Sofia xo