What inspired you to travel abroad?
I received a Fulbright Research Grant to complete fieldwork related to my master's degree in archaeology. As a part of this research grant I received a 6-month language study grant for Arabic, which I completed at Dar Loughat in Tetouan.
Why did you choose Dar Loughat?
I chose Tetouan originally because I had never spent any time in Northern Morocco and was intrigued by it. I had also been recommended Dar Loughat by a previous student and she had spoken quite highly of it.
Hiking at Akchour
How did your program help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
I felt very safe and supported by Dar Loughat during the pandemic. They were helpful with finding Covid testing when I needed it.
What was your favorite part about Morocco?
Tetouan was an incredible city to spend six months in. It is a small city situated between two mountains on the edge of the Mediterranean. During the winter the city is quiet, calm, and beautiful and during the summer it is bustling with life and activities.
There is easy access to the ocean or beautiful mountain treks. The access to nature and the incredible beauty of Northern Morocco was definitely my favorite part of living in Tetouan.
Emily and her teachers Ismail and Ali.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The language center of Dar Loughat was actually what made my experience extraordinary. I have never been in a language center where I felt so unbelievably supported and cared for by the teachers and staff.
Each week there were cultural activities that Dar Loughat would do such as hikes, food tours, and tea times in cute cafes around the cities. These cultural activities were so special and allowed me to explore parts of Tetouan that I wouldn't have considered or known about. I loved being a part of the Dar Loughat family and will remember them for the rest of my life.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The teachers at Dar Loughat are probably some of the best language teachers in the world and they care so deeply about their students. I felt so supported both in the classroom and outside of it. Both my teachers, Ali and Ismail happily catered the class to what I hoped to get out of it.
For the first half of my six months we focused mainly on conversational Darija and then for the second half we focused on language related to my research topic. Despite the fact that my research was fairly obscure they were able to find ways to really help me master the vocabulary surrounding it.
Not only did I feel incredibly supported in my studies, but also in my overall life in Tetouan. My teacher Ismail was always ready to help take me to the Souk to buy mint, teach me his mint tea and Moroccan food recipes, help me get my keys copied, and help me figure out how to work the post office. We had a lot of "dars d sha3ria" or "lessons of the street" where we would go out into Tetouan and explore or go to local coffee shops.
Both Ali and Ismail were also an incredible source of emotional support and always ready to listen and give helpful advice for any sort of struggles I was having. I am so grateful for them and everyone at Dar Loughat for making my time so special.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish that at the beginning I had asked more questions and asked for help more. I came in with this idea that I had to figure everything out for myself. However, once I started asking questions I found that people were so excited to help me and that it made everything a lot easier to navigate.
A cultural activity excursion to Jebel Mousa!
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I took between 15 to 20 hours of Arabic a day from Monday to Friday. I would wake up and walk to class (one of the most beautiful walks of my life with the views of the mountains and the white buildings of Tetouan).
I would have two hours of class in the morning usually from 10-12 or 11-1. Then I would have an hour lunch break which I usually spent at a cafe or nearby restaurant. Then I would have two hours of Arabic in the afternoon from 1-3 or from 2-4.
The evenings I would sometimes go to the ocean or a restaurant or pick up groceries on the way home and cook a meal. On the weekends I would often do trips around Northern Morocco. Sometimes I would take a few days off in order to do longer trips.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
One of my favorite activities to do during my free time was buying food from the souk. I despise grocery shopping in the US, but there is something so wonderful about buying all of the fresh produce from all the little stalls and chatting with the owners.
There were so many new fruits to taste, different cheeses and pastries to try, and an abundance of fish and meat. I also just loved exploring Tetouan and the surrounding areas. There are grand taxis that will take you all along the Mediterranean coast for very little cost. I explored almost every beach within an hour of Tetouan both to the east and the west. However, I also loved the ability to just relax and do nothing in Tetouan.
In America, down-time is often not highly regarded. However, in Tetouan the thing people loved doing most was not doing anything at all, and I grew to love this as well. My fondest memories will be the times I spent sitting on my terrace in my apartment drinking tea and looking at the birds flying over the mountains.
Hike with Dar Loughat overlooking M'Diq.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I had an apartment about a 10-minute walk to Dar Loughat. This apartment had an incredible terrace that overlooked the mountains of Tetouan. I don't think that I will ever have as incredible a view as I did.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
If the participants are there during the winter, they have to bring rain gear. Tetouan is incredibly rainy during the winter and it gets quite cold.
Would you recommend Dar Loughat to others? Why?
I would highly recommend Dar Loughat. Not only are the teachers amazing people but they truly can cater your language studies to whatever you need. I also highly recommend Tetouan as a city to learn Arabic in as most people are eager and willing to talk with you in Arabic.
Other cities in Morocco have a higher tourist culture and therefore most people speak English or French and often don't want to communicate with you in Arabic. However, almost everyone I met in Tetouan was happy to try and communicate with me in Arabic and were happy and bemused with my attempts.
A weekend hike through the nearby Oued el-Kannar.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Living abroad is an incredibly raw and challenging experience that pushes you well outside of your comforts. However, it is in the place that you are able to truly grow and learn about yourself in new ways. Living in a foreign country forces you to question the world you live in as you are faced with people with different life experiences, beliefs, cultures, and languages. It is an incredible opportunity.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
After finishing in Tetouan I moved down south to Agadir to begin my research through Fulbright. Being in Agadir has made me really thankful that I decided to pick Tetouan and Dar Loughat to learn Arabic. In Tetouan I was able to use my Arabic at the Souk, in cafes, buying clothes, and getting taxis.
However, here in Agadir most people in the cafes speak English to me and I don't have as many opportunities to use my Arabic on a day-to-day basis. I am grateful for the culture in Tetouan in that it allowed me to truly be immersed in the language and be forced to use it in every daily interaction.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
I think that it is important to truly immerse yourself in the culture that you are in. Whether that means attempting to learn the language, eating the local food, learning the history of the area that you are in, understanding the political and social climate, or communicating as much as possible with the people that you are in.
In all travels, it is easy to live in a foreign bubble where you are friends mostly with foreigners and go to places that are catered to foreigners. However, while it is more challenging and oftentimes uncomfortable, it is important to try and break out of that bubble and truly experience the place that you are in.
