Morocco was such an amazing experience! I have been fortunate enough to travel throughout North and South America, but have never traveled to Eastern countries. It was so amazing to be able to visit a place that was so different from anywhere I’ve ever been.

Right when I landed in Morocco I felt so welcomed, everyone was so kind and the hospitality was amazing. It was so fun to interact with the locals, and one person specifically that I will always remember is a little boy in the village we were volunteering in named Bilal.

In the middle of shoveling up rocks to mix in with the concrete, Bilal came over to my group and started eagerly helping us with our work. I was amazed by how much he could shovel at 4 years old and was inspired to work harder by his work ethic and by the fact that he had no reason to help us but did it because he wanted to. It was also super fun getting to talk to him and the other kids in the village and being able to build a connection with the people you are helping out.

Spending the night in the Sahara was also an unforgettable experience. Riding the camels on the sand dunes was such an indescribable moment. The whole time I was there I was just in awe that I was there and was just trying to soak up every second of it.

Though the camel ride was super amazing, my favorite part was when we got back to our campsite, when the sun went down we all gathered around a campfire and our leaders taught us some traditional dances while a group of men played some traditional music on drums and when that was over we all just went stargazing. I will never forget that the sky was so clear you could even see the Milky Way.

Another memorable moment for me was our few days in Essaouira! The beach town was so different from any place we had visited thus far and it was also nice to be in a city with cooler weather for a few days.

My favorite thing we did in Essaouira was for sure surfing. I had no experience with surfing before this so I was a little nervous to see how I would do, and at the beginning I definitely wasn’t the best, but the instructions were so helpful and so encouraging and by the end I was able to stand up on the mini waves!

Learn more about Rustic Pathways programs in Morocco, or view more Alumni Stories here.