After arriving in Morocco we’ll spend the first week orienting ourselves to our surroundings and group culture. Settled on the outskirts of Rabat, we’ll find ourselves enjoying sunsets on the beach while getting to know each other. We’ll dive into discussions and activities that will set the stage for us to navigate the rest of our journey together.

Weeks two and three are spent in an urban homestay in Rabat, the country’s administrative capital. Students will immerse themselves in local culture by participating in their host families’ daily routines. Throughout our time in Rabat, students will develop their language skills (and an understanding for the complex linguistic history of Morocco) through daily lessons.

The weekly schedule during this time is generally as follows: Monday through Friday students eat breakfast with their homestay families and arrive at the center for language lessons, a guest speaker, or an instructor/student-led discussion. After lunch, students often have time dedicated to their independent study projects or with their host families. Weekends are dedicated to spending time with homestay families or to excursions to various places around the city. We end our time in Rabat with a celebratory dinner to show gratitude toward our host families.

The historical cities of Moulay Idriss Zerhoune and Fes prompt discussions about compartive religion, the foundations of Islam in Morocco, and ancient civilizations. We trek on donkeys to Roman ruins and complete complex scavenger hunts, getting ourselves lost in Fes’ labyrinth of more than 9,000 streets.

Weeks five and six are spent exploring the High Atlas Mountains. While visiting the dinosaur museum in Azilal and swimming in Ouzoud waterfalls, we begin making the switch from speaking Darija to Techleheit (a dialect of the Amazigh language). In Ait Bougamez, also known as the “happy valley,” we’ll stay with Amazigh families for our rural homestay. We’ll help out in the valley’s apple orchards, visit the weekly souk, and enjoy bottomless cups of sweet mint tea. After bidding our homestay families goodbye with a haidus spend 4-7 days trekking in the M’goun valley with the opportunity to summit Mount Toubkal, the tallest peak in the High Atlas.

Students take the reins of the course and guide the group on an adventure that they have planned themselves. We call this expedition phase, or x-phase, when the students put the knowledge and skills they have learned to practice in a very hands-on way. Past students have chosen to travel along the coastline from Essaouria to Sidi Ifni or venture into the sand dunes of Merzouga.

Marking the midpoint of our program, we slow down at an ecolodge nestled in the mountains of Tetouan surrounded by olive trees and medicinal plants. We connect with local artisans to learn traditional crafts such as embroidery, woodwork, zelige, and iron work. As we move North in Morocco, we engage with the influence of Spanish colonization and the ways in which current politics surrounding migration shape culture, economy and international relations. We’ll connect with various organizations that support youth, animal conservation, and the arts.

Crossing by land, we’ll enter Ceuta, one of two Spanish enclaves on the continent of Africa. Here, we’ll consider the driving forces behind migration from Subsaharan Africa to Europe and the precarious decisions made in hopes of safer futures and opportunities. From Ceuta, we’ll take the ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar and make our way along Spain’s Southern coastline to explore Andalusia and its unique relationship to Morocco.

From Southern Spain, we’ll make our way up to Granada where we’ll learn from Moroccan-Spanish families about the history of the Moors and about land conservation. We’ll engage with the history of Flamenco and other art forms. As well, we will dive into the Moroccan diaspora in Spain and consider how current politics impact the movement of people across Europe and Africa.

The final week is dedicated to reflecting on our journey, celebrating our experiences, and considering the knowledge and perspectives we gained. We will discuss ways in which we will carry our experiences with us and how we can maintain the relationships developed along the way.