A Journey of Being

This whole week, people have been trying to figure out what sort of trips they'd like to take during this semester. Some of those offered by the school included trips to Tuscany, Poland, Sicily, Tunisia, and many others. A lot of the people I know, if not most, have signed up for a trip or two with the school. Along with these trips, people are also planning independent weekend trips to France, Germany, Turkey, and many other places.

I, on the other hand, can't afford to do the trips with the school. I have to be a little more conscious and critical of the trips I can possibly take. A lot of the trips hosted by the school range from 200€ for a weekend trip to 800€ for the week-long Spring Break trip to Tunisia. Along with that, just airfare alone to other European countries such as Germany, Austria, England, and Spain cost around 200€-300€. I can't afford to spend that much for one trip. Especially, considering the fact that I want to experience a trip that is personal, raw, and unique, the trips offered didn't really fit the criteria. So instead of doing any study trips through the school, I intend to do all my traveling plans on my own. The major one I've decided and booked my flight for is Morocco.

Yes, I have booked a round-trip flight to Morocco and I will be staying there for ten days. Who will I be traveling with? Just myself. Yes, I will be traveling around a new, unfamiliar country on my own, which I know nothing about, for ten days. Sure, it's kind of scary thinking of how no one will know where I will be for those ten days other than myself and the people I come across. Anything can happen, which is the scariest and most exciting part about it.

Some people have been critical of my plans asking, "What can you do in Morocco for ten days? Why there?" Mind you, dear reader, Morocco is not merely a city but a country. I simply reply by saying that I want to travel to several Moroccan cities and not just stay in one. Perhaps that's what makes my trip seem even more adventurous, risky, and exciting at the same time. I don't plan on staying in one city. Instead, I plan on staying in a different city for about two days; Marrakesh, Fes, Tangier, and Casablanca perhaps?  I don't know what I will find, but I'm quite certain that it will be an interesting journey.

A friend of mine worries that it will be pretty lonely traveling on my own for ten days. Especially considering the fact that I am a novice traveler. However, I think that's it's a much needed journey. By experiencing the new and the unknown, we come to find and/or develop a part of ourselves we can never fathom of being. To get lost in an unfamiliar city, whose courage and capabilities can I depend on other than my own? A lot of people can say that they went to Rome, Paris, London, or Berlin. On the contrary, how many people can say that they traveled around an exotic country such as Morocco by themselves for ten days? Especially a traveler who has never ventured out of their home country on their own?

I don't know what to expect from my trip to Morocco other than a sense of growth. What will I learn? What will I see? Who will I meet? Frankly, I don't know. All I can really do is stay open to the possibilities. That is what learning and being worldly is about. Certainly, I can learn just as much by going on the study trips hosted by my school. However, my trip to Morocco will be a very personal venture that will definitely be priceless.