One important tip I have for studying abroad is exploring the country you are studying in. Before I came here I had many grandiose ideas of all the countries and places I was going to travel to. Since being here I have realized that a semester is a relatively short amount of time, and visiting every country in Europe is impossible. While I will definitely be traveling to a few different countries, the school here really emphasized our travel throughout France.
The school offers about one field trip in France per class. There could be more or less based on the class and what it is centered around. In the early start week they also took us on a few trips around the south of France. With the school, we visited La Ciotat, L’île de Porquerolles, Le Tholonet, and Gréasque. Each of these cities was just as beautiful as the next.
With some encouragement from friends I have spent a few weekends exploring the French Riviera. Once I finished classes during the week I headed out to Cannes and Saint Raphael for the past two weekends. The train rides provide much entertainment and memories. Learning how the transportation systems worth within the first few weeks has been very helpful. The added part of practicing French with the workers and people along the way has helped in boosting my confidence with the language.
Fully submersing yourself in a different culture is a very difficult task, but I have found that exploring and learning about the region really helps in finding some comfort. There are so many different people, foods, and sites to see in all of this region. Take advantage of your time in Europe, but also in your country of study.
There cannot be a post to this site without the full acknowledgment of the lives, families, and homes lost, the people of Morocco who have been displaced, and those in mourning. The continued support from the community of this country has been astonishing to observe. Morocco is truly unique in their culture, one full of amiable people and an attentive, genial nature. These characteristics are nothing but amplified in the wake of the earthquake that has recently struck the Southern half of the country, approximately 44 miles southwest of Marrakesh.
I happened to be with my homestay when we felt the initial shock, ironically the first night I and other students had met and settled in with those same families. The room shook, and some pictures fell, however, overall the structural integrity of the homes in the Medina (a community center in the middle of Rabat) remained intact. Aside from some nervous glances and steadying movements, my new family handled the event with ease, even turning the TV back on afterward in an effort to relax. It was not until a few minutes later the decision was made that the safest space may be outside, in the case of aftershocks or an unseen collapse. That was when the effects of the earthquake truly set in.
The layout of a Medina is important to mention here. It doubles both as a neighborhood and shopping center. Your neighbors in the Medina are not across the street or in your cul-de-sac of two-story homes typical in American suburbia. They are above and below you, where the buildings are built high and vertical and the windows are as tall as the top floor to avoid others walking past and seeing inside. A slight architectural nod to the more conserved nature of Middle Eastern culture. In this multi-block neighborhood enclosed by tall walls that have remained standing since the 17th century, every family knows the next. As I walk with my homestay mother on the first day she says hello to almost everyone on her street, she knows every shopkeeper and cafe owner. To her this is not a tourist destination but her home and multifaceted economy, which she and her neighbors contribute to daily.
We exit our home with others on our street, my new neighbor, Malak, a nine-year-old girl whose English exceeds not only my Arabic but French as well quickly grabs my hand to rush us out of the Medina. Malak is not scared herself but for me; almost as instantaneously as my hand is in hers I am moved to tears by this simple act of courage and selflessness. Malak asks me if I am alright and I return the favor as we exit, only to be met outside by even more people. The entirety of the Medina has gone outside. I look to my left and see a group of women who have set up chairs and are casually chatting in a circle, to my right a man is parading around with Moroccan tea, offering a cup to whoever will have one, occasionally sitting and talking with his customers. Children play games and cardboard mats or rugs are handed out for those who wish to sleep. We were fortunate enough to be far away from the epicenter of the earthquake, but families in Rabat have loved ones who were much closer. After a few hours of sitting outside, when news reaches our city of those who have passed on, you can hear the occasional wailing and sobbing of a woman who has lost a family member. Her neighbors surround her, hugging and wrapping themselves around the one in pain, not at all suffocating, in contrast, it appears they wish to take on some of the pain, some of the loss, in whatever way possible. In all the chaos and fear this community has a characteristic of strength that seems unwavering.
Yes, the culture shock of being somewhere new can be overwhelming, but in that initial experience, there is an opportunity to divulge those emotions and transform them, to find a purpose and contribute to a community that is unlike any I have seen in the United States. I saw that opportunity while sitting with Malak and braiding her hair, how small my challenges seemed in comparison to the challenges these families may face in the coming days. I hope to continue to take those emotions and fears surrounding the unknown and channel them into something new in this unwavering community, to learn from their strength and show my respect in whatever way possible.
More updates and hopefully some in-person community aid to come!
