Category: Africa

Listen to Your Locals!

Published on by Mattie EmbreyLeave a comment

Independence and self-reliance are two qualities I’ve valued for as long as I can remember. Today, I like to consider myself to have a decent amount of both. I was raised by a mom who always encouraged me to make my own decisions and gave me the responsibility of acting on them. With her careful guidance in discovering my own judgment, I feel very secure in the choices I make and the person I am today. However, as a side-effect, I suffer from a severe case of “I can do it myself” syndrome. This isn’t usually a problem and is enjoyable in most cases– such as picking up new hobbies. I’ve taught myself to crochet, skateboard, paint, and right now I’m trying to figure out the guitar. I like it this way and it’s always worked out– but that changed the moment I emerged from the Casablanca airport, and falsely gave my capabilities more credit than they deserved. My self-reliance has always been defined by American standards, and the fact that I wasn’t living in the U.S. anymore changed that definition.

The first moment of realization came when we were planning a weekend trip to Chefchaouen. Known as the Blue City, it’s nestled within the Atlas Mountains and awkwardly situated away from major roads, rail stations, or convenient bus routes. My roommates—Anna, Jaci, and I (Hi!! They read my blog)—took charge of planning transportation, organizing tickets and transfers, and getting everything under control.

Some pictures from our excursion to Rabat!

Luckily, we hadn’t made any purchases before mentioning our plans to one of our program directors, Oussama. His reaction was not what we expected: “Are you joking?!” he asked, disbelief plastered on his face.

…Not exactly the response we wanted. But this also meant Oussama had a simple, not-complicated-at-all solution to our problem, right? Wow! We were silly for not seeing it sooner!

Wrong. As it turned out, the best way to get to Chefchaouen from Meknes was also complex—and something we couldn’t have figured out on our own: a series of public taxis from one station to another. And then another. We had dismissed the idea of taxis early on, assuming they were too expensive based on pre-booked private taxi prices. But by following Oussama’s advice, we reached our destination without breaking the bank.

Transportation became another hot topic of discussion during my voyage from Meknes to Madrid. I love living in Meknes, and my only issue with the city is that we don’t have an airport. If we want to fly, we must take a train to another city: one hour to Fes, two hours to Rabat, or four to Tanger. So, here I was, on the train to the Rabat airport when I got a text from Jaci: “I don’t know what your plan is, but Hamid (our Arabic professor) says you should get off at Salé Ville (Rabat’s sister city across the river) because it’s closer to the airport than going all the way to Rabat.” Unsurprisingly, Hamid did me a huge favor. Not only are Rabat taxis more expensive in general, but Salé was, in fact, significantly closer to the airport. I ended up paying 30 Moroccan Dirhams (~$3 USD) rather than 100-150, solely because I got off the train one stop earlier. Once again, I would never have thought to stop at Salé to get to the Rabat airport– but a Moroccan would!

I finally learned my lesson while trying to plan my weekend solo-trip to Essaouira (which I intend to write about shortly). Traveling by myself was a new idea to me, and I was excited by the independence and spontaneity that it proposed. I was going to choose what I wanted to do without any input from anyone else, because isn’t that what solo-travel is all about? I searched through blogs, articles, and AI-generated lists for the perfect Essaouira itinerary, but what I found was obsolete to me. Every option was either a.) an activity common to all Moroccan cities:

Madrid recap– I’d love to go back and see more of the museums, architecture and beauty that it’s known for!
  • Walk around the medina
  • Go to a traditional Moroccan hammam
  • Eat Moroccan foods

 or b.) expensive:

  • Book a camel ride
  • Take surfing or kite-surfing lessons
  • Wine-tasting at the Val d’Argan vineyard
  • Join a guided tour

While I love exploring the medinas, souks, and markets of different cities, I really wanted to experience everything unique to THIS city. I did cave and pay for a surfing lesson, but that occupied a significant percentage of my budget. I became frustrated because I knew why these were the only options showing up: I was searching in English and reading American/European blogs. They were directed at tourists only visiting one or two Moroccan cities on vacation, not for a student who’d been here for nearly three months. These itineraries are created to represent, not just the city, but Morocco as a whole. This is when I remembered that Essaouira is one of Oussama’s absolute favorite places, so I resolved to ask him. He was more than happy to help, and sent me a list of his favorite sights, live music, restaurants, and places to watch the sunset. I am incredibly thankful for his advice, and that I’d thought to ask for it.

I keep having to remind myself that independence doesn’t mean refusing help. Of course I knew that– its a lesson we’ve all been taught since elementary school– but tangible applications have made that lesson a lot more real. I’ve found that my values as an individual conflict heavily with the main purpose of studying abroad. I can’t fully embrace a different culture while ignoring the wisdom of those most familiar with it. Not only have I learned a lot about Morocco through this realization, but I’ve also learned about myself. Recognizing when I need help is another form of self-reliance, one I now aspire to cultivate. Even when I return to the U.S., where I’m more comfortable and knowledgeable, I want to keep pushing my ego aside and accepting help when needed. If you know me, you’re probably laughing at this because you know how much I struggle with it. But the truth is, asking for help doesn’t mean I’m losing my independence—it means I’m human.

My Program is Not Like Other Girls

Published on by Mattie EmbreyLeave a comment

When I tell people that I’m studying abroad, one of the first questions I get is about which university I attend. My answer usually requires a long and awkward explanation, so I hope writing it down will not only share helpful information with prospective students but also help me practice giving a clearer explanation. While it may seem unconventional, the Meknes, Morocco program through International Studies Abroad (ISA) has been an incredible experience. I knew it would be different from my friends’ programs, but I didn’t quite know how. So, I’d like to provide the description I wish I had before I came.

The biggest difference is that we don’t study at a university, but rather a private study center that offers transferable college credits. The curriculum focuses on Moroccan culture and Islamic studies, with the most intensive component being the Arabic course. This course crams a year’s worth of material into one semester. There’s also an optional crash course in Darija, the Moroccan Arabic dialect, which I found extremely helpful for navigating day-to-day life. Darija is known for being the dialect with the least in common with Modern Standard Arabic, so learning it is a huge advantage here. Since it’s only us Americans in class with Moroccan professors, we get a lot of individualized attention, and the atmosphere is more relaxed. Especially with our tiny class sizes, which brings me to my next point.

There are just eleven of us in the entire program. Yes—only myself and ten other people! Numbers vary from year to year, but the staff has confirmed that the size usually stays around that range. When I found this out, I felt both excited and nervous. Excited because I’d automatically have a small group of friends, but nervous for the same reason—what if I didn’t click with them? Thankfully, after just the first week, we’d already built a close-knit community. Moving in and starting classes together only strengthened that bond. Now, we live, hang out, travel, and study as a unit. It might have felt like a “forced group of friends” at first, but now I’m grateful to say that I’ve met some of my favorite people ever. My time in Morocco wouldn’t be the same without them, and every day I’m thankful for this group I “got stuck with.”

Traveling has been another incredible part of the experience. I’ve only spent one weekend in Meknes since arriving nearly two months ago. Most of my time has been spent exploring other cities in Morocco, helped in large part by the number of excursions included in the ISA program. Compared to other programs I looked at on DU Passport, ISA Meknes includes excursions to Casablanca, Marrakech, Ouzoud Waterfalls, Beni Mellal, Ifrane, Azrou, Volubilis, Fes, Rabat, and Tanger. Outside of the program, I’ve also traveled independently with my friends to places like Chefchaouen, Lisbon, Madrid, and camping in the Atlas Mountains. And there are more trips to come!

Now, for my absolute favorite part: the housing situation. The program offers two options: a homestay or living in an apartment. I live in an apartment with the other three girls in the program, and it has been a blast. Initially, apartment living seemed less appealing because we’d have to cook for ourselves while the students in the homestay enjoyed homemade Moroccan meals every day. But then we met Mona, our housekeeper. Mona cooks us delicious Moroccan lunches and dinners Monday through Saturday and keeps our apartment clean and tidy. She’s incredibly sweet, pays close attention to what we like and don’t like to eat. She knows that I like coffee while my roommates don’t, so she makes me a cup everyday with lunch. I asked her for coffee only once, which adds greatly to the sentiment. No matter what, she goes above and beyond what’s asked of her.

For example, when my roommates and I were leaving for a trip to Portugal, Mona had the day off because we’d be gone by lunchtime. But that morning, I woke up to hear her in the kitchen. My stomach dropped—I thought I’d have to tell her, in my broken Darija, that we wouldn’t be eating and she’d have to throw the food away. But when I walked in, I found her making wraps for us to take on the train. I genuinely almost cried at the thoughtfulness of that gesture. Our home isn’t home without her.

The apartments themselves are also incredible. There are two double bedrooms, three bathrooms, two showers, a kitchen, and one massive dining/living room. It’s this huge living room that allows us to spend so much time together, lounging on the couches while tackling homework or just hanging out. Plus, the guys’ apartment is right above ours, making it easy to host Arabic study parties. We often gather in one apartment or the other for fun activities like karaoke, movie nights, playing Just Dance, or carving pumpkins on Halloween.

Although unconventional, I’m very pleased with my decision to come here. Studying in Meknes has turned out to be an experience beyond my expectations. From the small, close-knit group of students to the incredible friendships we’ve forged, I’ve found a sense of community that has made this journey truly special. The travel opportunities have been amazing, allowing us to explore the rich culture and beauty of Morocco together. Living in our apartment has been a blast, especially with Mona’s delicious meals and her thoughtfulness that makes us feel at home. Every day brings new adventures, and I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything.