Day 2 - Rabat

Thanks to stories shared in class by my college French professor, I have known for a long time that Morocco is a crossroads of cultures. Before coming on this trip, I was prepared to encounter elements of African, Middle Eastern and French cultures. After just a couple days in Morocco, I am surprised to find elements of home here, as well.

Perhaps some of the sense of familiarity comes from my experience with France and the French language. While walking down the streets in Rabat, I often feel like I am walking down an avenue in Paris. I see store names in French, walk past adorable boulangeries full of baguettes and delicious pastries, and hear the French language. But then I turn another direction and see breathtaking minarets, gorgeous trees and flowers I have never seen in my life and hear the powerful call to prayer echoing throughout the streets, and I am reminded that I am definitely in a new place I have never been to before.

For lunch on our second full day in Rabat, we were able to experience our first tagine dish and traditional Moroccan mint tea pouring. The traditional decor of the Dar Naji restaurant was astounding and was the perfect backdrop for experiencing traditional Moroccan cuisine for the first time.

On our way back to the hotel after a visit to the Rabat American School, we convinced our bus driver and tour guide to let us stop at the ocean for a short visit. In this foreign country of new food, languages and culture, it was comforting to see familiar sights of families enjoying the nice day at the beach. To this Wisconsin gal, this side of the Atlantic felt very warm. In the midst of all the new experiences of the past few days, I felt comforted to know that I was standing in the same ocean I have been in several times before in my life. I felt connected to my own country and past experiences in that water. Being surrounded by strangers from another country who also share enjoyment from the simple pleasures of the beach, I felt connected to this new country and its people. Standing there in the refreshing waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a colleague commented that I looked at peace, and I was.