Before I left San Francisco, I had a pretty good life. I had a full time job with decent pay, I had many good friends whom I love (still do). I had the advantage of living in a place where I could feed my interests; taking dance classes, dancing with a troupe and singing with 1-2 ensembles. So what possesses someone to leave all that behind?

Why did I want, or rather, why did I need to go so badly?

Fes, Morocco

When I got to Fes I asked myself this question a lot! The first month of the trip was more like a vacation but everything was about to get real now. I was scared, I was lonely, I thought maybe this whole trip was a mistake and I somehow ruined my life, I thought Morocco was too hard of a country for me to navigate alone. And while I don’t feel that way anymore (at least not all the time), I can say that long term travel takes some adjusting—both mentally and physically. I’m lucky that I was able to continue my job on a part time basis which gave me some purpose but I had a hard time figuring out what to do with the rest of my time. Sure, I could see the sites and play tourist for a bit but the reality is that I’m not on vacation here. There were days when I just wanted to stay in my apartment and do nothing and then I’d get mad at myself, saying, I didn’t come all this way to sit in the house. I still haven’t figured it all out but I’m learning a lot about myself and about living on the road.

Here’s some of what I learned:

• It takes time to find what you’re looking for (for me, music and dance) in a destination. A month in any one location really isn’t enough time. Be patient.
• Confidence in yourself is vital to solo travel. You have to trust your instincts.
• It’s ok to take a day (or two) off. This is my life now and I need time to recharge.
• Staying in touch with old and new friends is important to help you feel less lonely but it takes a lot of effort and time. You have to find balance.
• I’m independent to a fault! I don’t know everything and the truth is that I’ve had to let go and trust to let other people help me and take care of me.
• I can plan everything but it WILL change and I shouldn’t feel bad about that.
• Most people won’t understand when you say you’re not on vacation. Don’t fight them on it, just deal with it and know you have a purpose and you worked hard to get here.
• I like eating with my hands 🙂

Berber Village

Everyday I’m reminded of why I needed to travel through the hospitality of the people I meet. That fear I had about navigating alone; turns out I would rarely need to do that, there has always been someone there to help me. People have invited me into their homes, shared food with me and shared their culture. I’ve learned how to make couscous, tagines and bread. I’ve taken dance and singing lessons. I’ve had experiences that I could only dream of having like going to a Fassi wedding and being led to a field to eat, sing and dance with a village of Berber women. This is why I travel!

Fassi Wedding

Yummy Tagine