After almost two weeks of traveling I am back home in Houston (trying and failing to sleep because of jet lag.) Over the past few days I spent time in England, Morocco, and Milan, and I am going to try to give a brief overview of my experience in this post rather than create something too long and/or boring.
I left for England on the 9th, and after a seven-hour flight delay, I was finally on my way. My friend picked me up from the airport, and we went to Windsor for the day. It was beautiful, and I definitely want to go back at some point to see the inside of the castle (it was closed when we got there thanks to the flight delay- you rock, United.)
The next morning we had to get up extremely early to head to the airport for our flight to Morocco. I have both extremely positive and negative things to say about my experience in Morocco. I had a lot of hesitations about whether or not I should go on the trip after everything my family went through over Christmas break. Additionally, my brother’s words of wisdom before I left were: “Kit, seriously, don’t go. Morocco is a shithole.” I’m glad I went: I would have always wondered “what if” had I not, and I did meet some really cool people- but you probably couldn’t pay me to go back.
We were staying in a surf town called Taghazout, which is extremely beautiful from far away. When you get up close, the beaches are completely covered in trash. However, the hostel was extremely nice for what we were paying (it did have an odd odor, but what do you expect when you’re paying next to nothing?) The surf instructors and people working at the hostel were also extremely friendly and fun to be around. On our first full day in Morocco, we gathered our wet suits, boards, leashes, and lunches and headed to the beach. The surf lesson was so fun. I was by no means talented, but I had a great time trying.
Unfortunately on the second day of the trip, a majority of us fell ill. I was extremely sick for about 24 hours. I pretty much hated life. After that, I met a friend of a friend of a friend. Kind of a far removed connection, but the family was so kind and hospitable. They took me in for the night and showed me Agadir and a real Moroccan home. It was so nice to see a different part of Morocco and be with a lovely family (although there was a bit of a language barrier since I don’t speak Arabic or French.)
We spent the following days on the beach or relaxing in our rooms. Morocco was much colder than I expected. The last night we were there, there was a massive storm. The water was turning brown, and the streets were completely blocked because of mudslides and flooding. I just sat there thinking to myself, “God, please let me leave this country tomorrow.”
The three definite highlights of the trip were: 1. Riding a camel. I told myself that I wouldn’t leave without riding one (even though I had to take a bunch of Benadryl to avoid an allergic reaction.) It was a lot of fun and definitely a unique experience! 2. Buying colorful Moroccan (or MC Hammer type) pants/trousers. Because they’re obviously fantastic. 3. Meeting interesting people that I may not have met otherwise.
There were definite aspects of the trip that I did not enjoy… really didn’t enjoy for that matter, but it was a good experience to go.
The weather luckily cleared up, and I was able to go visit my friend in Milan. I stayed with her wonderful family and saw Italy from a local’s perspective. It was incredible: the food was delicious, the company was fantastic, and the sights were breathtaking. I’ve traveled a bit in the south of Italy, but this was my first time in Milan, and I definitely enjoyed it. My friend took me around to her favorite places. The shopping scene was incredible, but I had to refrain (my dad would not have been too pleased, despite my best efforts of convincing him that, “You HAVE to buy a Prada when you’re in Milan! I mean, come on!) I ate way too much, but it was all delicious. I tried various homemade Northern Italian dishes.
My friend’s mom also works in PR in the fashion industry, so I got to see previews of collections and spend a few minutes in her office. Again, incredible.
I was only there a few days, but I can’t think of better people to have spent the time with.
I had a pretty unique experience. At the end of the day, I am glad I went on all of the trips. I was able to see new places and cross a few items off of the BucKIT list.
No comments:
Post a Comment