Several years ago I traveled to Morocco. I went there when it wasn’t cool to go there (I say that with no disrespect, but let’s be honest, Instagram has played a huge roll in boosting tourism in the country). I went there when I didn’t really use my Instagram that much. In fact, I went there when I had less than 5000 followers.
I traveled to Morocco with my best friend Rachel. At the time we were working at a travel company in Florence, Italy. We took a long weekend and traveled to Marrakech. It was quite the adventure. We did pretty much no research at all. We just knew that we wanted to explore the city and then take a desert tour of the Sahara.
Why I Miss Spontaneous Travel
Morocco was the first spontaneous trip I ever went on. It was the first place I ever truly felt uncomfortable. And while I will admit that it’s not one of my favorite destinations, it still taught me a lot about myself.
Spontaneous travel is special. It allows you to really dig in deep and get out of your comfort level. And boy was I uncomfortable in Morocco.
The Bad Parts Of My Trip To Morocco
Anyone who ever tells you that their whole entire trip went off without a hitch is probably lying to you. Very rarely will you travel somewhere and everything is perfect. And when I traveled to Morocco, most of it was not perfect.
I was catcalled in the Medina. I was grabbed while trying to buy orange juice — A woman would not let go of my arm and proceeded to cover my hand in henna. She only let go when I finally gave into giving her some money. (Which is something I would never do now as an experienced traveler).
I was called a “bitch” for refusing help with directions. On our desert tour, my friend and I were left on the side of the road for a minute, thinking that we had been forgotten while stopping to use the bathroom.
The Good Parts of My Trip To Morocco
And with the bad, of course, comes the good. It wasn’t all bad. Rachel and I enjoyed delicious food during our time in Morocco. We met some pretty interesting people during our Sahara Desert tour. We wandered through the souks buying handmade goods to take home as souvenirs. And we figured out that we could both travel to places we weren’t necessarily the most comfortable being in.
So, my friend Rachel made this awesome video of our trip to Morocco. We visited Marrakech, Ait Ben Haddou, the Sahara Desert and more! It was full of adventures (and a lot of time in a van lol). Check it out and enjoy.
