A friend talked me into studying abroad. I contemplated the decision day after day; the more I thought about it and the more she talked about it, the more convinced I was to do it. I spent the beginning of 2015 and my sophomore spring semester in Morocco, and I fell in love.

First, I made some of the greatest friends I could ever wish for! I got really close with the other twenty students who traveled to Morocco with me, and I’m glad this was the group I got to experience it with. I also made incredible friends outside of the school. I really miss everyone, but thanks to Facebook and Skype I have been able to keep in touch with my Moroccan friends, and I’m happy to be seeing all my friends that studied with me real soon at UNE.

Second, Morocco was beautiful. As part of the program we were able to visit quite a few places, and among my favorites were Ifrane, Chefchaouen, and of course where we lived, Tangier. From the mountains and the blue city, to the murals and medinas, and of course the beach; it was beautiful scenery everywhere.

Third, the food was amazing and fresh! It tasted like what you were actually eating instead of the chemicals that you can taste in most foods here.

If you ask anyone who has studied abroad how it was, you will get the similar responses to “it was a great experience”. Although that is true, it doesn’t even begin to express how you feel studying abroad. Everyday is a new adventure and a new experience. One of the things that I experienced in Morocco was to relax and to live in the moment. Americans, in general, tend to be fast paced, always thinking about what to do next, how to keep busy, and how to make more money. In Morocco, I spent time with friends, and enjoyed life by going out to the beach or playing pool. The plans we made with our friends were made that day or thirty minutes before we left; we didn’t plan days in advance to hang out. We went with the flow, and it seemed to be more relaxing that way. 
Time there wasn’t the focus, it was more about how you were doing and who you were with, rather than where you needed to be and what time it was. Although, it is important to have schedules and organization in your life, it is also important to take a step back and remember to enjoy life and to relax every now and again.