Outside the mosque
The team inside Hassan II Mosque
Enjoying some yummy treats on the streets of Casablanca!
After spending a day driving to Casablanca, we visited the third largest mosque in North Africa. Built in a mere 6 years almost exclusively of Moroccan materials, this architectural wonder was magnificent. An active mosque, the place of worship is open to the public for tours when not being used for prayer. Following our tour of the mosque, a few of us visited a local market whose highlight included eating the local street food of snails seasoned with a broth of herbs de Provence, garlic, and thyme.
Our final dinner together included tagines, couscous, Moroccan salads, fresh fruit, and glacé (ice cream). Our final reflective activity together was Rustic Ties. Rustic Ties is a unique experience completed by all participants of Rustic Pathways programs. Every “alum” of rustic pathways is united by a shared experience of travel, cultural explorations, and personal growth. We are all “tied” together by our experiences and a duty to share what we have “seen” with others in our communities.
As we finished our final dinner together, we were collectively asked what we would like to start, stop and continue doing following our time in Morocco.
Some of our “starts” included...
Making more home cooked meals including the foods of Morocco
Collectively we are returning to Hawai’i with an appreciation for the food of Morocco. The biggest complaint for some has been having too much scrumptious food!
Travel more with a focus on community service.
Our experiences in the village were some of our best memories and truly it is the community service we did in Zawiya Ahansal that fertilized our soul!
Be more present and open to meeting new people and learning about cultures. The time we spent together, with our Rustic Pathways leaders, with our village family, the various souq owners we negotiated with, and everyone we crossed paths with were an opportunity to grow and learn in a new community! Imagine if we spent this dedicated time with our neighbors, with people at school we have never met, or with our family?
Some of our “stops” included...
Reduce use of reliance on phones and social media
Being without a phone was initially rather difficult but quickly we learned more about being present and in the moment.
Stop being hard on ourselves
Throughout our experiences we have realized so much about ourselves and our ability to choose our life trajectory. One person shared “I put so much pressure on myself and I realize this slows me down from growing.”
Reduce our consumption of plastics
Seeing the quantity of plastic waste in the communities we visited built connections between our own consumption and its impact on the earth. Many of us feel that the invisible nature of our waste stream in Hawaii allows us to be ignorant towards its impact on the greater world and would like to work hard to reduce that and help our community reduce its reliance on single use plastic.
Almost all of our “continues” included...
Continue journaling
Our time together was an opportunity for self-reflection and many of us found ourselves documenting this through journal writing. This provided us many opportunities to be more introspective and self-reflective, a process that would prove valuable in our regular day to day lives!
Traveling and experiencing new cultures
From first time travelers to those who have spent much of their recent years visiting far away lands, we collectively believe in the power of exploration. As one person shared, “I would like to continue traveling because this has been the most amazing experience I have ever had and I will never forget it.”
Building on new friendships and keep laughing
Our time together has allowed us to build new friendships! While our school is small, some of us have never seen each other on campus or had a conversation. The new relationships built show us that our next friend could be the person walking along the path who we never say hello to. Also, the trip has been filled with great laughter and wonderful moments. We want to keep this going when we return home!
As we close our final blog of the trip we would be remiss if we did not take some time to say mahalo to our new “second home,” Morocco. The people of Morocco have been warm, giving and very willing to share their beliefs and ideas. Many people we met asked that we share with others the beauty of this country and its people, the inclusive nature of the Islamic culture, and our similarities rather than our differences. We encourage everyone to visit Morocco and see for yourself its beauty. Bslama Morocco and Shukran! We will miss you.