A peer adviser with the Center for International Education, Lydia Grossman ’17 studied in Rabat, Morocco, last spring. She wrote this essay about her neighborhood there. Back on campus this semester, the Louisville, Kentucky, native is studying international affairs and environmental sustainability. She has done service work and taken leadership roles with UMW Habitat for Humanity and alternative spring break.
By Lydia Grossman
Lydia Grossman ’17 in Rabat, Morocco
There is no place in the world that can quite compare to the medinas of Morocco.
The “medina qadima,” which literally means old city, is where I had the pleasure of living in the capital city of Rabat, Morocco. For four months, I walked through the crowded, noisy streets of the medina to go to and from my daily classes. Though my feelings on the medina were of the love/hate variety, I can say that living there was probably the most defining aspect of my study-abroad experience.
When you go through one of the narrow arched entrances to the medina, the sights, smells, and sounds immediately overwhelm your senses. Street food cooks, beggars sing, vendors yell out prices, cats wander around – the quantity of stray cats in Morocco is mind-blowing – and locals slowly push their way through the crowds. On my street there was quite a display of foods being cooked right in front of you: fried eggplant, fresh bread, sausages, snail soup, and most noticeably, several large mystery animal heads being steamed.
I came to know some of the shop owners and bakers in the medina, and their excitement at my use of broken Arabic perfectly embodies the hospitality and friendliness that is such an important part of Moroccan culture. Living in a country where you only sort of speak the language is often humbling and frustrating, but the medina was one place where I felt comfortable sounding like a 4-year-old. There were days when the thought of walking through the medina was daunting, but a glance at the friendly faces of shop owners and seeing my favorite medina cat always brightened my day.
Studying in Morocco was challenging, but every day promised an adventure. Upon returning to the U.S., I found that my perspective on the world had changed, just by spending a few months surrounded by a culture and people so different from my own. Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to continue my studies of international affairs, improve my Arabic, and push myself to do things I never thought I was capable of. I returned to the U.S. with not only souvenirs and fond memories, but also a confidence in myself and in my ability to thrive in new situations. I know that I will travel many more places in the future and expand my understanding of the world around me.
The medina of Rabat became my home, and I can’t wait to see it again.
Lydia Grossman overlooks Chefchaouen, Morocco, also known as “The Blue Pearl” for the color of its buildings.