The following journal is from TMN reporter Daniel Saenz, as he documents his semester studying abroad in Morocco.
BY DANIEL SAENZ
Throughout this semester, I have had many adventures and seen some of the most beautiful sights that Morocco has to offer. I was able to wander the great sands of the Sahara, see the ancient city of Fez, travel to the modern cities of Casablanca and Rabat, and explore Hercules’ cave overlooking a beautiful ocean in Tangier, and even spent my spring break in Spain. However, there were still a few sights that I had yet to see due to my studying abroad and therefore being subject to the same mental and emotional torture all university students around the world face during this time of the year. Finally, though, after a semester riddled with all-nighters, the school year was finally over.
Now, on the surface, I should have been happy. Many of my friends often asked, “How do you feel about finally going home?” While all of the late nights doing my Arabic homework and writing essays about world religions were finally over, I was actually torn up inside about leaving. Yes, the school work made my semester fairly stressful; however, I forged so many friendships during my time in Morocco. All of the late nights downtown with friends were over. My relationship with my girlfriend was over. All of the late night conversations in the cafe were over. And, all of the clubs that I participated in had finally finished.
This filled me with a deep sense of emptiness and depression for the last week of school. However, after saying my goodbyes and checking out, I was bound and determined to make the most of my final days in the country. I decided to finally take a trip to the famous Chefchaouen, or the Blue City in Morocco. This was the city that I wanted to see the most as Chefchaouen is a beautiful city in the mountains and is completely painted blue. It is also very calm and peaceful. I spent the entire day simply wandering around in awe, taking in the bright blue houses, tasting the sweet pastries being sold, and enjoying the sight of the beautiful waterfalls.
After doing this for a day, I set sail for the city of Tetouan. It was here that I had the fortunate accident of meeting the head minister of Tourism in Tetouan while waiting for my friend to come and pick me up. He explained how Tetouan in Morocco was originally the capital of Spanish Morocco and how because of the Spanish, many people from Mexico used to come and study Arabic. We spoke for a little longer, and then I went to the bathroom where I endured one of the most humiliating moments in my life. (I had forgotten that most public bathrooms in Morocco just have a hole in the ground instead of a toilet).
So after struggling for a good while and eventually figuring out, my friend eventually arrived and we spent the rest of the day just driving around the city, listening to metal, and talking about life in general. Finally, it was all over. He sent me on my way so I could prepare for the journey back home. It was during the flight with my phone battery exhausted that I was able to gather my thoughts and ponder on my semester abroad. I realized that while I was leaving everything behind, it was all worth it in the end. This semester taught me a great deal about myself, the value of friendship, the value of living in a different environment, and so on. The most important lesson, however, hit me when I first saw my family. My mother and grandma were both in tears. My uncles wanted to talk my ear off all night. The most important lesson that I was taught by this trip was the importance of family because while girlfriends, friends, and circumstances, may come and go, our family remains the same and is with through everything.
